The phoenix is an imaginary animal, but it’s very familiar to Koreans as it was deeply involved in the lives of locals for a long period of time. A male phoenix is called the “bong” in Korean, while the female is known as “hwang.” So, together, the mythical creature is called “bonghwang” here in Korea.

It’s is said that a phoenix roosts only in a paulownia tree, eats only fruits of bamboo, and it’s known to herald the advent of a sage king who will reign a peaceful era. Therefore, noble scholars in the past grew paulownia trees and groves of bamboo in and around their houses as they hoped for the arrival of a wise king. As such, the phoenix is considered a mystical creature that symbolizes the king. Even nowadays in Korea, various objects related to the president are imprinted with the phoenix logo.

The cry of a phoenix is said to be so mysterious and harmonious that it makes listeners sing and dance. So, what does the cry sound like? Koreans in the past found the mysterious sound of a phoenix in the musical instrument called the “saenghwang.” Let’s listen to the familiar tune played by the saenghwang.

Oblivion / Composed by Piazzolla, Saenghwang by Kim Hyo-yeong, Piano by Mun Shin-won

Did the sound of the saenghwang sound like the cry of a phoenix? Saenghwang is a traditional musical instrument with several bamboo pipes fixed on top of a round soundbox that’s slightly larger than an adult’s fist. In the past, the main round part used to be made with a dried gourd. But since it’s easily breakable and hard to get into tune due to the natural features of a gourd, these days it’s made with hard wood or metal. Because the bamboo pipes fixed on it have different lengths in accordance to a respective sound, the musical instrument looks like a mountain with uneven trees.

The inside of each bamboo pipe is attached with a thin metal plate. When one blows into the saenghwang, the metal plate vibrates and produces a mysterious metallic sound. What’s more, the saenghwang is the only traditional musical instrument that can play several different notes simultaneously. So, it must have emitted a very mysterious sound that people in the olden days had never heard. That’s why it was also considered to be a musical instrument played by hermits with supernatural powers in ancient times.

In the traditional music scene, the saenghwang is commonly played in a duet with the danso, or bamboo flute. This kind of duet is called “saengso byeongju.” The next representative saengso byeongju piece is “Suryongeum” which means “the song of a dragon living in waters.”

Suryongeum / Saenghwang by Sohn Beom-su, Danso by Kwak Tae-gyu

The sound of the saenghwang is often compared to the cry of a phoenix, but it can also be considered as the cry of a dragon according to some. Renowned Joseon painter Kim Hong-do, who was famous for his unique style of painting, drew an old hermit playing the saenghwang under an old pine tree. He added a poem next to the art piece. It’s translated as the following:

“The uneven bamboo pipes are like the spread wings of a phoenix
From the wooden floor bathed in moonlight, the sound is more sorrowful than the cry of a dragon.”

He quoted a poem by Na Eop of China’s Tang Dynasty. The lyrics seem to go well with the duet piece “Suryongeum” we just listened to. The danso in the duet also gives a very clear ringing sound.

A vertical wind instrument is called “so” and the danso means “short so.” Because of its small size and simple playing method, it can be easily performed outdoors in the fields and mountains. Nowadays, all elementary school students are required to learn how to play it as part of a traditional music lesson. This time, let’s take a listen to a danso piece.

The Spring of Guard Post / Composed by Gong Yeong-song, Danso by Lee Yong-gu

There are many Korean words that are derived from various musical terms. The expression “geumseul” that refers to conjugal harmony is a reference to two ancient string instruments called “geum” and “seul” that go well together. Today we learned about the saenghwang and its partner danso. As the two traditional musical instruments go well together, let’s hope we also learn how to live together with our neighbors.