Sangwon-sa Temple in Odae-san Mountain in eastern Korea is famous for its depository of Buddha’s crystalline remains called “sari.” But unless you are a devout Buddhist, Buddha’s relic wouldn’t interest you as much as the temple’s bell. Korean Buddhist bells are known for their distinct shape and beautiful resonance. Made during the Silla period, Sangwon-sa Temple’s bell is the oldest bell in Korea and was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 36 in 1962. The bell’s exterior is decorated with a carving of a bicheon, a flying lady, playing a musical instrument. The mystical beauty of the flying maiden is not easy to forget.

Morning at Sangwon-sa Temple / Gonghu by Lee Ji-eun, saenghwang by Hong Young-joo

The piece you just heard was “Morning at Sangwon-sa Temple” with gonghu played by Lee Ji-eun and saenghwang by Hong Young-joo. Didn’t it sound really exotic? Perhaps that’s because both gonghu and saenghwang are instruments widely played in ancient Asia. Gonghu has not been played at all in Korea in recent decades, because its playing technique has been lost for a long time, but an old song about a beautiful gonghu player named Yeo-ok여옥 is passed down from the ancient Gojoseon era. Korean traditional musicians have been studying how the gonghu is played in other countries and have been trying to reconstruct Korea’s own gonghu playing method. The wind instrument called saenghwang was made by the Chinese goddess Nuwa to bring joy to her creations, the human beings. Different versions of this instrument are still played by ethnic minorities in China on special occasions. Bicheon or a heavenly maiden is often seen playing the gonghu or saenghwang, as well as wind instruments such as daegeum and sogeum or even a harp. The drawings or carvings of bicheon have been discovered in ancient Goguryeo wall paintings or inside the tomb of King Muryeong무령 of Baekje. In later centuries, bicheon usually appeared in Buddhist-related relics. Some of the heavenly maidens appearing in those relics are seen making tea or strewing flowers.

Flower Path / Sogeum by Hahn Chung-eun, guitar by Hahm Chun-ho

This piece is entitled “Flower Path” and the sogeum is played by Hahn Chung-eun and the guitar by Hahm Chun-ho. People often associate bicheon with angels of the west, but the Korean bicheon doesn’t have wings. Instead, a bicheon soars through the sky on clouds, dressed in long, flowing robes. Judging from the sleeves and ribbons billowing upward found in most portrayals of bicheon, they appear to be landing, rather than taking off. That means that they bear good tidings from heaven. The idea of bicheon probably came from ancient people’s desire to have comfort and joy in their lives. If you want to see a bicheon without traveling all the way to Sangwon-sa Temple, you can visit the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul to see its carvings on the exterior walls. There you can pray to the bicheon to bring you peace and happiness. Today’s Sounds of Korea will conclude with “Bluebird” performed by Geomungo Factory.

Bluebird / Performed by Geomungo Factory