[보도] Ailing herbal medical 피망 슬롯 공략 needs cure

The weather is frigid as I step outside the Jegi-dong subway station.

But the cold doesn’t appear to deter people from visiting Kyungdong street market 피망 슬롯 공략 Dongdaemun District, central Seoul.

Today, the 48-year-old market is even more packed than usual.

It’s no wonder ― the Lunar New Year is coming.

The shorter days mean there’s less time to shop, meaning a higher concentration of people during daylight hours.

As I jockey for space 피망 슬롯 공략 a sea of people drifting through the market stalls, I feel like I’ve time-warped into a scene straight from the Korean War era.

Back then, farmers 피망 슬롯 공략 northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces swarmed around Cheongnyangni Station and the former Seongdong Station, now a shopping center, to sell farm and forest products.

Kyungdong market has long been a center for vendors to buy and sell products.

피망 슬롯 공략 1960, the area grew as large as the Noryangjin Fish Market and Garak Market, two prominent markets 피망 슬롯 공략 Seoul.

But Kyungdong market is different 피망 슬롯 공략 Seoul’s other street markets; it is the city’s cheapest and boasts an astonishing variety of goods.

As I weave my way around thousands of stands, stalls and shops, I spot everything 피망 슬롯 공략 dry goods to heaped bowls of bbeondegi, or roasted silkworm larvae.

But even more intriguing are the stalls of medicinal ingredients.

Roasted bugs are nothing compared to live reptiles, fungi the size of my head, snake-headed fish and even dog meat.

Seoul YangnyeongsiThe regulars at Kyungdong market, however, don’t bat an eye.

With my curiosity piqued, I head back toward the station to visit Seoul Yangnyeongsi, a traditional Korean 피망 슬롯 공략 market.

Here, the musty scent of boiled herbs wafts from some 800 Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 dispensaries.

Seoul Yangnyeongsi was born during King Hyojong’s reign 피망 슬롯 공략 the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

The site, before receiving its official name of Yangnyeongsi, has roots 피망 슬롯 공략 Bojaewon, an agency that used to provide health care for the poor during the Joseon Dynasty.

Medical officers like Heo Jun and Lee Jae-ma treated patients using herbal 피망 슬롯 공략.

As officially recorded 피망 슬롯 공략 a history book dating to King Sejong’s reign, Bojaewon was created to provide relief to the destitute.

Naturally, many medicine and herb dealers came 피망 슬롯 공략 and out of the Bojaewon area, outside Dongdaemun.

People harvested ingredients from nature and sold them 피망 슬롯 공략 markets 피망 슬롯 공략 Seoul.

The 피망 슬롯 공략 was easily accessible to dealers because it was located on the way to the city center.

Today’s Anam-dong Rotary, which is near Yangnyeongsi, is the former site of Bojaewon.

With its long history and tradition, Seoul Yangnyeongsi retains aspects of its former life as Bojaewon.

Located on the main northeastern road leading into Seoul, Bojaewon used to house Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 clinics.

There were also doctors and nurses here 피망 슬롯 공략 the reign of Taejong, the third king of the Joseon Dynasty, to that of King Seongjong, the ninth.

And for the homeless, an inn provided accommodation ― as well as funeral services.

Vendors still bring herbal ingredients to the market straight 피망 슬롯 공략 the mountains, which keeps prices cheap.

There are 324 Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 clinics, 312 Oriental pharmacies, 57 private-enterprise herb wholesalers and 99 herb-exporting enterprises that call Jegi-dong and Yongdu-dong home.

During the early 1960s, there were only about 20 such stores here.

Despite the number of herbal medicine outlets, it’s hard to believe that the herb district’s empty streets thrived 피망 슬롯 공략 the past, especially compared to the lively streets of Kyungdong market.

Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb 피망 슬롯 공략 Museum The museum is open daily from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

except Mondays.

Admission is free.

Jegi-dong Station, line No.

1, exit 3.

For more information call (02) 3299-4900 or visit www.ddm.go.kr/family/museum.I stop at one of the numerous herb stores, where I meet Lee Jae-hwan, an Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 doctor.

He tells me that throughout the 30 years that he’s run his shop, he’s witnessed the 피망 슬롯 공략’s struggle.

“I only sell one packet [of herbs] a day, and I break even after I buy a meal,” he says, adding that foreign tourists come by but rarely buy anything.

“There are more stores than there are customers,” Lee says with a sigh.

“It’s become a poor business.

And now there’s the economic recession.”
But surely, I thought, business can’t be that bad.

After 피망 슬롯 공략, just across from the street-side herbal clinics, there are two tall buildings that house modern herbal clinics ― or so I thought.

As glitzy as the Donguibogam and Bullojangsaen towers are, the modern herbal clinics they house are losing the struggle for survival.

“Donguibogam” is the classic text of Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략, and bullojangsaeng means perennial youth and long life.

피망 슬롯 공략 fact, Lee tells me, although Donguibogam Tower was built only two years ago, it closed down this year.

“Oriental herbal 피망 슬롯 공략 is losing its energy and spirit,” he says.

피망 슬롯 공략 the past, the elderly regularly visited the herbal stores to maintain good health.

There, they learned about the benefits of traditional Korean 피망 슬롯 공략.

“But most have passed away.

Modern people don’t know the efficacy of herbal 피망 슬롯 공략.

They don’t look for herbs,” Lee says, his voice trailing off.

The doctor anticipates that despite the meaning of its name, the days of Bullojangsaeng Tower are numbered.

Soon, he says, he’s going to quit his practice and find another job.

Other Yangnyeongsi areas suffer 피망 슬롯 공략 the same sense of futility.

But there have been movements to revive the medicinal herb street 피망 슬롯 공략 Seoul.

One such effort has been the Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 Culture Festival, held every spring and fall.

Herbal doctors hold demonstrations on how to prepare herbs, contests, a health expo, displays of top-quality medicinal herbs and tastings of medicinal drinks and tea.

피망 슬롯 공략 addition, the Seoul City Drug Market Society and Dongdaemun District Office founded the Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Museum 피망 슬롯 공략 2006.

It is located on the second floor of the Donguibogam Building, and I head up to check it out.

There, I encounter Chai Hei-teack, the director of the museum.

“We began plans to establish the museum 10 years ago,” he says.

피망 슬롯 공략 hopes of preserving and developing historic Bojaewon, the museum was built with a 6.5 million won ($6,825) endowment.

Above and Bottom : Kyungdong market, just across 피망 슬롯 공략 Seoul Yangnyeongsi. By Jeong Chi-hoThe museum receives 200 to 300 visitors per day, Chai says.

A miniature replica of Bojaewon, the medical center during the Joseon Dynasty, attracts visitors as they enter.

Inside are 500 types of medicinal herbs and 400 artifacts related to Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략.

Exhibits provide information on famous Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 doctors from history, including Heo Jun and Lee Jae-ma, as well as displays of ancient Oriental medical texts from different historical periods.

Other displays share information on basic Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략, tools for gathering herbs, measuring instruments, herb grinders, drug-making tools and 피망 슬롯 공략 vessels.

Professional guides 피망 슬롯 공략 the Dongdaemun District Office guide visitors through the museum.

“Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 views the human body as an integrated organic whole,” a museum guide explains.

“Ailments are identified by determining what is wrong throughout the entire body.”

For example, 피망 슬롯 공략 Korean medicine, he says, a backache indicates problems 피망 슬롯 공략 other parts of the body as well.

A full-body physical and psychological examination helps doctors identify the root of an ailment.

Then herbal 피망 슬롯 공략 cures by correcting abnormalities.

“Oriental 피망 슬롯 공략 has a unique way of understanding a disease,” Chai says.

But students today no longer care to learn about herbal 피망 슬롯 공략, Chai says.

To them, science means only Western 피망 슬롯 공략.

Nevertheless, the museum is one of Yangnyeongsi’s last hopes.

Only time can tell whether it can revitalize the local economy, attract tourists and inform others about traditional herbal 피망 슬롯 공략. estyle@joongang.co.kr

By Lee Eun-joo Contributing Writer