Celebrating General Kang, An Ancient Local Hero

Nakseongdae, “site of the falling star”

 “Catch a Falling Star

And put it on your pocket.

Save it for a rainy day.”

“Catch a Falling Star” was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss and made famous by Perry Como in 1957.

Statue of General Kang near the entrance to the park

I understand the stars, but what do the rabbits mean?

Nakseongdae, the neighborhood just outside the campus of Seoul National University (SNU), certainly must have caught a falling star. This is the birth place of the famous Goryeo-era General and scholar, Kang Gamchan (948-1031). It is said that when Kang Gamchan was born, a star fell from heaven and landed where he was born, so this place was named “site of the falling star” (Nakseongdae).

Map of the park: the statue in the plaza in the front, the shrine buildings going up to the top left

Beginning the walk to the shrine

The people of Goryeo erected a 3-story stone pagoda at the house of his birth to praise him for his great deeds—he supposedly defeated 100,000 Chinese invaders with only a small army in the Third Goryeo-Khitan War. Korea has a very long documented history, so it’s amazing that these details are well known.

The pagoda

One of the paths leading to the shrine

Damaged portions of this pagoda were restored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 1964, and designated a Seoul Tangible Cultural Property in 1972. Two years later a shrine—Anguksa Shrine—was constructed for him and the pagoda, which was originally close by, was moved here, close to the shrine on the hill.

Inside the shrine. The colors and decorative touches are lovely

Nakseongdae Park is the memorial park to General Kang. It’s in the Gwanak-gu district of Seoul, just outside the gates of SNU. It’s a lovely park, with large open spaces well used by the local people. A huge equestrian statue of General Kang dominates a large central square, which kids use to ride bicycles or skateboards. Another square connected to this has a small café on the side and many free exercise equipments around the edge, very well used, especially by older folk. It’s a place to meet, chat, have a picnic, watch kids learn to ride bikes etc.  

One of the tile panels telling the story of General Kang’s battles

I believe the turtle is a symbol of longevity

While staying at the Goam Faculty House in SNU, we visited the park a number of times, walked up the hill to the shrine, wandered the peaceful green leafy paths, and had tea in the café. It was fun to just wander around, absorb some of the excited vibes, and soak up some sunshine. There are a number of information boards, some serious, some more cartoon-like, but we realize that many Korean people love cartoon characters, so this is likely a good way of catching people’s attention, and of imparting a bit of history.

Cartoon Kang

I love this sign in the park: Women Friendly Seoul