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Close yet far neighbors

The stories of long-time neighbors who were close by but not well-known unfolded. The word "hwagyo," which is used symbolically, represents the deeply ingrained stories of our very close neighbors that have subtly permeated our lives, whether we are aware of it or not. This exhibition is a reflection on the culture of those who unknowingly shaped a part of where I live, such as the food I casually ate or the buildings I always passed by without much thought.

Inside the Asia Culture Museum, a striking exhibition space adorned in vibrant red and yellow colors catches the eye. Within the small exhibition hall, the exhibition titled <Familiar Strangers: Overseas Chinese Community and Food Culture in Gwangju> encompasses the history of Gwangju's overseas Chinese community spanning about 100 years. The captivating colors and composition of the exhibition space, along with the melodic rhythm of Kim Jeong-gu's "Love letter from Mister Wang," momentarily transport us to a different dimension, hinting at its presence in a distinct time and space. They were once strangers, but now they can no longer be called strangers. The traces of these close neighbors, known as hwagyo, have deeply influenced the lives of Gwangju's residents. Upon witnessing the traces of them, I found myself nodding, acknowledging their presence in Gwangju.

The exhibition was composed of three main axes. First, The Overseas Chinese Take Root in Gwangju depicts the history of these individuals through the process of settlement, change, and adaptation during the early 1900s, including the role of overseas Chinese associations and Chinese schools. The Table of Overseas Chinese in Gwangju is an interesting portrayal of their daily dining table, showcasing the unique culinary culture of the Chinese community, including ritual foods, holiday dishes, and home-cooked meals, which have diversified over time. Lastly, Virtual Reality on the Overseas Chinese Community and Food Culture in Gwangju showcases a virtual reality experience focusing on the social and culinary culture of the Chinese community in Gwangju. The ACC collaborated with Gwangju University last year to create immersive content based on virtual reality and 360-degree VR, providing a diverse range of experiences in the metaverse.

Out of over 1.43 million citizens in Gwangju, only a meager number of around 300 are registered as members of the Chinese community, and this number is gradually decreasing. There is no clear information on when they settled in Gwangju, and the available records from the early 1900s only provide fragmentary data. Over the course of a challenging century, which included movements of discrimination against Chinese people and the Sino-Japanese War, they have persevered and remained a presence in Gwangju, standing by the city for over a hundred years. This presence has continued until the present day, reaching the third and fourth generations of the Chinese community. As the length of their residence in Korea has increased over time, intermarriage with Koreans has also become more common among the Chinese community. While the distinctive culture of the Chinese community is gradually fading, it is evident that they have had a profound, albeit often unnoticed, influence on Korean life.

June 25, 1966 Gwangju Chinese Primary School 13th Graduation Photo

Three generations of Chinese gathered on the 62nd birthday of a Chinese

During the initial settlement process, most of the Chinese community members were male laborers who participated in the construction of major modern buildings in the region, such as the Honam Bank Headquarters and the Jeollanam-do Financial Cooperative Union building. Later on, they expanded their areas of activity to include vegetable cultivation, fabric and timber businesses, and the food service industry. The red brick buildings that still remain throughout Gwangju are a testament to their contributions to the advancement of technology. It can be inferred that these buildings were constructed by them. Despite their small numbers, the records of their relentless efforts and struggles to sustain their legacy can be found in the existence of the Chinese schools that operated until 2014 and the Overseas Chinese Association, established in 1948. The industries in which the Chinese community engaged, such as timber stores, foundries, Chinese restaurants, and vegetable cultivation, have naturally permeated into the daily life of Gwangju.

The exhibition focused significantly on Korean internal Chinese cultural aspects, particularly highlighting culinary culture. When you think of hwagyo, jajangmyeon symbolically comes to mind. Perhaps it is the food that most symbolically represents their identity. The unique identity of those who are neither Chinese nor Korean is represented by a boundary-crossing dish called jajangmyeon, which is a Korean Chinese cuisine that does not exist in China. However, this exhibition focused more on the home-cooked meals, dining tables, ritual culture, and culinary culture that are hidden behind jajangmyeon.

Their culture adapted to a new environment leaving their hometowns and underwent the process of reconstruction. Introducing the home-cooked meals of the Chinese community and their unique dishes. Furthermore, it showcases their adherence to traditions through ritual and holiday foods, while also presenting the transformed dishes that have adapted to the Korean land. Underlying it all is the history and culture of the Chinese community that has unknowingly permeated within us. It includes the methods of producing sun-dried salt passed down by the Chinese community, as well as vegetable cultivation techniques. The cultural elements that are connected through people rather than recorded history are firmly supporting our dining tables at present.

As it encompasses a span of over a hundred years, the exhibition is diverse and multifaceted. It does not simply showcase photographs and records alone. The virtual reality experience content draws the Chinese cultural aspects more deeply and diversely. The audience can experience the metaverse content that recreates the Chinese elementary school (demolished in 2017) in a virtual space, encompassing the Chinese community, social aspects, and culinary culture within it. There are also recorded materials in the form of virtual reality videos that document the rituals and cooking processes of the Chinese community. It offers an experience that allows viewers to explore the history and records of the Chinese community, and to visually, audibly, and mentally savor their food in a delightful manner. As you delve into each video, it becomes clear that these individuals, who were once ambiguously referred to as "hwagyo," are not distant entities but rather very close neighbors.

The exhibition slowly revisits the history of these individuals, who have been familiar to us for a very long time, but whose stories may have gone unnoticed or unremarked upon. It is a history and culture that were close to us, yet often overlooked or not well-known. It uncovered various aspects of a culture that is both similar and different to ours, piece by piece. It is an opportunity to realize the small, meaningful connections we have with it. Gaining a deeper understanding of the history of the place where we live and the era we exist in is a point where our lives become richer. Thanks to the lives of those who, at the point of intersection, gradually embraced our culture based on their own, our culture has become more diverse and rich. They have slowly integrated into our society and enriched our cultural landscape. The profound history encapsulated in this small exhibition allows us to slowly savor the lives of our long-standing and close neighbors, as well as reflect upon our own lives.

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