Fragrant beauty of Naju

NAJU, South Jeolla Province - As wind passes over the Yeongsan River and blows through a field, it illuminates hordes of little purple flowers on both sides. This place, with its beautiful shimmering fields, is Naju. It is also called "silk city" because it has kept up a tradition of silk weaving and dyeing for hundreds of years. The queen of all dyes is "jjok," or indigo dye made from jjok flowers, which grow plentifully in this area due to the fertile soil and warm temperature around the Youngsan River.

Records of indigo dyeing date back to the Three-Kingdoms period (B.C. 57-A.D. 676), though earlier Chinese accounts also mention blue clothes as one of the common products of earlier tribes on the Korean Peninsula. By the time of the Goryeo period (918-1392), the government had recognized the importance of the dyeing industry and set up public factories called jabjikgabbang to produce dyed fabric for commercial sale. Natural dyeing persisted through the 20th century, when imported artificial dyes from Japan and the West began to replace traditional techniques.

But recently, natural dyeing has been making a comeback. And if a look into the mysteries of Korea`s natural dyeing tradition appeals to you, Naju is the place to go.

All this history is on display at Naju`s Natural Dyeing Cultural Center. At six hours by bus from Seoul, Naju is a great weekend destination. Alternatively, take the KTX from Yongsan Station in central Seoul and make a day trip out of it.

Other attractions for tourists include several royal tombs from the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-660 A.D.), the Yeongsan River ferry (famous for its role in the historical TV drama "Jumong"), and the Yeon-am pottery factory. In addition, the house and workshop of dye expert Jung Gwan-chae (one of Korea`s Living National Treasures) are open to the public.

Natural Dyeing Center

The Naju Natural Dyeing Cultural Center, opened in 2005, consists of two different buildings - an exhibition space in front and a small workshop in the back where visitors can try their hand at natural dyeing.

The center is located in the middle of the area`s jjok fields, about a 20-minute drive south of Naju town center (10,000 won by taxi, or take the No. 180 bus from Naju bus terminal).

The exhibition hall`s first exhibit focuses on the traditional five-color system of decoration, called Obangsaek. Each color - red, yellow, white, black, and blue - stands for one of the five elements of Shamanism: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood, which also correspond to the the five directions (north, south, east, west, and center).

The second part of the hall focuses on modern applications of natural dyeing, the dyeing production process, and the work of contemporary designers. A highlight of the exhibit is a brilliant yellow dress made for a queen of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), called hwang-won sam. Almost equally impressive are the trendy fashion items in the modern exhibit, colored by today`s dye specialists. The colors are elegant, not much different from those in the traditional half of the exhibit, and are matched well with traditional fabrics.

Other exhibits in the hall explain the history of natural dyeing, the dyeing process, the sources of dye materials, and so on. Like most Korean museums, the Natural Dyeing Center has an educational focus, and explanations go into a high level of technical detail - a bonus for the real enthusiast. The only downside is that, as at most Korean museums, there are no English translations - but some museum staff speak English.

The museum shop is another high point of a visit to the center. The Natural Dyeing Center shop really takes advantage of its ties with the museum to offer a range of art and craft by top-level designers, dyed in beautiful colors. Handkerchiefs, ties, T-shirts, pajamas, baby clothes, aprons, hats, bags, skirts and even underwear are all on sale in their full natural beauty.

Products dyed with natural materials tend to have a softer feel than artificially dyed ones and breathe better as well, making them cooler in the summer. For visitors with cash to spare, dresses and accessories by well-known natural dye artisans are also available for sale, and so are expensive curtains, pillow-cases, and other home furnishings. A set of woven curtains naturally dyed in gradations of light brown would be decorating my living room right now if I had a few extra hundred thousand won to spare.

Hands-on experience

The workshop in the back of the main building, called Experience Hall, is open for visitors by appointment every weekday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 2 p.m.. Appointments can be made at the museum shop on the day of your visit, or in advance by phone or on the internet. Three thousand won covers the cost of dyeing any one item (visitors must bring the items themselves or purchase un-dyed items in the museum shop).

Two instructors boil the dye baths for the day`s visitors, with different colors available according to the season and extra materials the museum has available. On the day I visited, there was a choice of violet - made from the carapace of a type of Indian scarlet beetle called lac - and yellow, made from gardenia seeds. I chose purple and ended up with a beautiful light-violet scarf (bought un-dyed at the museum shop for 8,000 won) after soaking it in the dye bath for only ten minutes.

The dyeing process is essentially very simple, though more creative artists can add their own touch. Visitors put on aprons and rubber gloves while waiting for water to boil completely. Then wet the un-dyed material evenly in cold water to make sure it soaks in the dye evenly later. Excess water is removed in a laundry spinner, and then the slightly-damp fabric is placed in the hot dye bath. After kneading it for ten minutes (longer for darker colors) to ensure even dyeing, rinse it, spin it again, and hang it out to dry thoroughly. More artistic visitors may want to experiment with other techniques like gradually removing the fabric from the dye bath to create layers of shading, or tie-dyeing, as one 12-year-old boy did for his art class homework.

The center also operates a guest house for those that wish to stay longer, and serves as a clearing house for information and materials related to natural dyeing.

Go to www.naturaldyeing.or.kr for more information or call (061) 335-0091 for reservations and lodging. The Natural Dyeing Cultural Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March to October and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year.

Getting there and away

From Seoul, buses run directly to Naju from the Express Bus Terminal in Gangnam, or you can take a high-speed train from Yongsan Station.

From Busan, buses from the Nopodong Bus Terminal run to Gwangju, where you can transfer to a Naju-bound bus (20 minutes, 3,000 won).

(dochiprin@yahoo.co.kr)By Yun Ji-young