Virtual Ethnography 101: A Peek Inside Korea's National Museum in Gyeongbok Palace

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.

Ethnography by Marck Bryan David

I was supposed to go with Tin B., Tin C., and probably Louie, to the Ayala Museum last Wednesday. But because my schedule would not permit, then I had to settle with experience I had at the Korean National Museum, not so long ago. Although, I do not have a written record of that experience way back in September last year, I had some vivid reminders of the first time I set foot on a foreign museum. (I had to intentionally write this ethnography about a foreign museum because I had not been able to see a Philippine museum recently).

I went to the Korean National Museum in the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Korea last September 2, 2010. I was in Korea to attend an international conference on tourism. The funny thing was, that morning was my last day in that country during my six-day visit there. However, most of my days in Korea were in Chuncheon City, miles away from Seoul. I first went to the Incheon Airport to deposit my baggage and then I rode the bus to Seoul. I basically backtracked my way (backtracking is a major no-no in traveling), and Seoul can be reached before Incheon. But since it was my last day, I really wanted to visit Seoul, and so I had to do it.

After an hour of bus ride from the airport to Seoul, I reached the palace. But before that, some people had to bear to my persistence on searching for directions. One Korean lady was shell shocked when I tapped her back. But after a few map-reading, finally I reached my destination. The main gate of the palace was enormous and it reminded me of the gate in the movie I recently saw, The Curse of the Golden Flower.

At the rightmost top of the palace was the pagoda. A UP professor, whom I met in the conference, led me to that palace and told me that I shouldn’t miss this part. She said, “when you reach that pagoda, there’s a museum under it,” and then, “when you visit that museum, you’ll see the whole Korea.” She was definitely right! Everything from its history, development, to the way of life of the Koreans from past to present were exhibited. It was a first-hand Korean history 101 for me in just two hours.

The different sections vividly have shown Koreans’ way of lives in four seasons and their adaptability to their seasons.

I also noticed and observed an American couple while also touring the museum. They had a electronic gadget as guide to the museum, which I forgot to ask from the receptionist of museum. As I observed the couple, they seem always into disagreement if those things inside the museum are real. The conversation ended up when the American guy said, “maybe I’ll just write a story in the US about the inconsistencies of Korean history.” He was perhaps a journalist, I thought.

The most fascinating part for me was the Children’s museum that forms part the entire National Museum. It had the most number of repository of Korean toys from past to the present, and basically, it reflected the ways Korean children live. Aside from that, the most striking items for me represented by the life-sized Korean dolls portraying the different stages of a typical Korean from womb to tomb. Even the journey of the dead was portrayed.

The other thing impressed me most showed the treatment of Koreans to their ancestors and the elderly. In fact, they do celebrate every 80th birthday of their grandparents with a grand feast, in their belief that it’s indeed a milestone in their lifetime.

After that, I also went to the Royal Palace Museum, shown were the dimensions of Korean royal life – from architecture, dresses and hairpins worn by their empresses, and the transport vehicles used by their royalty in the past.

After an excruciating two hours of touring the museum, in all the nooks and other possible complexes inside the palace, my feet felt numb! I wish I had the luxury of time to stay longer and tour around, unfortunately, I had to proceed to my next destination in Seoul - the Namdaemun Market for some shopping.

Thinking about the enormity of study and research done for putting up a massive complex of museum in Korea, I tried to look back in my home country Philippines. Was there enough finds that the Philippines can offer? I deem that the answers to my simple question lie in my next trip to the Philippines National Museum.