You may notice quite a few homeless people around Seoul Station. A lot of visitors ask me, “Why are there so many homeless people here?” One of the biggest reasons goes back to 1997, during the Asian Financial Crisis. In Korea, we usually call it the IMF Crisis . A lot of companies went bankrupt, unemployment rose very quickly, and many people suddenly lost their jobs and income. Some people eventually lost their homes as well. And many of them came to Seoul Station . Why here? Because this was one of the main places to find day labor and temporary jobs , and it was also the main railway station if they wanted to go back to their hometowns. But some had no money left and nowhere else to go, so they stayed around the station. That is one reason Seoul Station became one of the main gathering places for homeless people after the 1997 crisis. Then another thing happened. Once many homeless people were here, churches, charities, NGOs, and the government started providing help here. Th...
1. What Bamboo Needs to Grow Well
Bamboo needs three main things to grow well.
It needs warm weather, enough moisture, and well-drained soil.
Damyang has these conditions. It is located in the southern part of Korea, so the weather is relatively warm. It also has mountains and rivers, so the air has enough moisture. At the same time, Damyang has many hilly areas, so water can drain well.
This balance is very important.
Bamboo grows very fast, so it needs a lot of water. But if the roots stay underwater for too long, the bamboo can become weak. So bamboo needs moisture, but it also needs soil where water can move out.
Damyang had this good balance. Because of that, bamboo grew very well here.
And because bamboo was easy to find, local people naturally used it in daily life. They made baskets, trays, mats, blinds, fans, and kitchen tools from bamboo. As a result, Damyang developed a strong bamboo craft culture and a famous bamboo market.
So Damyang’s bamboo culture began with nature.
Nature gave people bamboo.
People made tools from bamboo.
And those tools became Damyang’s local culture.
2. Is Bamboo a Tree or Grass?
Now, here is a very common question.
Is bamboo a tree or grass?
Actually, bamboo is grass.
It belongs to the grass family, the same broad plant family as rice.
Many people think bamboo is a tree because it is tall, hard, and looks like wood. But scientifically, it is not a tree.
One important reason is that bamboo does not have growth rings.
When we cut a tree, we can usually see rings inside the trunk. These rings show how old the tree is. But bamboo does not have growth rings.
Also, bamboo grows extremely fast. Because it grows so quickly, the inside is hollow. It does not have enough time to fill the inside like a normal tree trunk.
So bamboo is hollow, light, flexible, and strong.
That is why people could use it for many different things.
3. How Fast Bamboo Grows
Bamboo grows incredibly fast.
It can grow about 30 to 60 centimeters a day.
Some bamboo can grow about 1 to 2 meters in only one month or one and a half months. It may have around 35 to 50 joints, or nodes.
After bamboo reaches its full height, it does not keep growing thicker like a tree. Instead, it becomes harder and stronger over time.
Another interesting thing is that the thickness of bamboo is almost decided from the beginning.
When a bamboo shoot first comes out of the ground, its width is almost the same width it will keep later. It grows taller, but it does not become much thicker.
Bamboo shoots usually come up around late March or early April.
If you see a young bamboo still covered with its outer skin, it is usually very young bamboo from that year. So people often say bamboo with its shoot skin still attached is about one year old.
At first, bamboo shoots are not hard. They are soft and tender. That is why bamboo shoots are used as food in some Asian cuisines.
So bamboo begins as something soft, but very quickly it becomes tall, hard, and strong.
4. Why Bamboo Is a Symbol of Patience and Endurance
Bamboo looks like it suddenly comes out of the ground.
But actually, it prepares underground for a long time.
Bamboo has underground stems and roots. These parts can grow underground for about five years before new bamboo shoots come up.
So when we see bamboo growing quickly above the ground, that is only the final result.
It grew fast because it had already prepared for years underground.
That is why bamboo became a symbol of patience and endurance.
It teaches us an important lesson.
Something may look sudden, but behind it, there is often long preparation.
Bamboo grows fast above the ground because it was patient underground.
5. The Meaning of Bamboo Flowers
Have you ever seen bamboo flowers?
Most people have not, because bamboo flowers are very rare.
There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo in the world. Many types of bamboo have a very special life cycle. They live for a long time, flower once, and then often die.
Some bamboo may live for around 30 years, but the exact lifespan depends on the species.
After bamboo flowers and dies, it does not always completely disappear. New shoots can grow again from the roots or underground stems.
So bamboo may disappear above the ground, but life continues underground.
That is why bamboo also symbolizes strong life energy.
It bends, but it does not easily break.
It may die above the ground, but new life can come from below.
It is quiet, flexible, and long-lasting.
This is the kind of strength bamboo represents.
Not loud strength.
Not aggressive strength.
But calm and patient strength.
6. Jungnocha: Bamboo Dew Tea
In Damyang, there is a special tea called Jungnocha.
It means bamboo dew tea.
The idea is very poetic. Tea plants grow under the bamboo, and people say the tea leaves receive dew falling from bamboo leaves.
Because the amount is small, Jungnocha is usually enjoyed as leaf tea.
This tea shows the relationship between bamboo and local culture.
Bamboo gives shade.
Bamboo holds moisture.
Dew falls from bamboo leaves.
Tea grows under that environment.
So Jungnocha is not just tea. It is Damyang’s bamboo story in a cup.
7. Jukchwi-il: The Day Bamboo Gets Drunk
In Damyang, bamboo forests were often planted around villages, empty spaces, and behind houses.
Why?
Because bamboo was very useful.
People used bamboo to make baskets, trays, mats, blinds, and many other everyday items. Before plastic became common, bamboo was one of the most important natural materials in Korean daily life.
There is also a traditional day for planting bamboo. It is called Jukchwi-il.
This custom is said to have continued from the Goryeo period and was practiced especially in southern Korea, including Damyang.
Jukchwi-il is on the 13th day of the 5th lunar month. In the solar calendar, this usually falls around June.
Why June?
Because this is around the beginning of Korea’s rainy season.
Bamboo loves water. When young bamboo is moved or planted, it needs enough moisture to survive. If the soil is too dry, the young bamboo can die easily.
So people planted bamboo around this time because rain helped the bamboo take root.
The name Jukchwi-il is very interesting.
Juk means bamboo.
Chwi means drunk.
Il means day.
So Jukchwi-il means “the day when bamboo gets drunk.”
Of course, bamboo does not really drink alcohol.
But in the past, people believed that on this day, bamboo became drunk and could not feel pain. So if bamboo was moved to a new place, it would not feel the pain of being separated from its mother root.
Because of that, people believed bamboo planted on this day would grow well.
This sounds funny, but it also shows traditional wisdom.
People knew that bamboo planted before the rainy season survived better. But instead of explaining it in a scientific way, they explained it through a story:
“Today, bamboo is drunk, so it does not feel pain.”
That made the planting day easy to remember.
8. The Real Local Story of Bamboo
Today, the Damyang Bamboo Festival is usually held around May 1 to May 5.
But the traditional bamboo planting day, Jukchwi-il, is different.
Why are the dates different?
Because the modern festival is for tourism. Early May has nice weather, and many people have holidays, so it is easier for visitors to come.
Jukchwi-il, however, was based on farming and the lunar calendar. It was connected to the rainy season and the best time to plant bamboo.
In the past, people also enjoyed jukyeopju, bamboo-leaf liquor.
Juk means bamboo.
Yeop means leaf.
Ju means alcohol.
So jukyeopju means alcohol made with bamboo leaves.
This shows that bamboo was not only a plant. It was part of food, drink, tools, village life, and local culture.
But honestly, not everyone in Damyang loves bamboo all the time.
Bamboo forests are beautiful, healthy, poetic, and peaceful.
But mosquitoes also love bamboo forests.
Especially in summer, bamboo forests can be humid, and there can be many mosquitoes. Some local people do not like bamboo forests because the mosquitoes can be very painful.
So when we walk here in summer, we should enjoy the cool air, the beautiful view, and the fresh forest feeling, but we should also be ready for mosquitoes.
That is the realistic side of bamboo.
For visitors, bamboo is beautiful scenery.
For local people, bamboo is beautiful scenery plus mosquitoes.
9. Why Bamboo Forests Feel So Cool and Fresh
Bamboo forests are especially wonderful in summer.
The real value of a bamboo forest appears in hot weather.
When we walk in a forest, we feel relaxed not only because the view is beautiful. We also feel relaxed because of the cool air, moisture, shade, and natural substances released by plants.
In Korea, people often use the word phytoncide when they talk about forests.
Phytoncide refers to natural substances released by plants. These substances help create the fresh smell and relaxing feeling of a forest.
Bamboo forests also create a very refreshing atmosphere.
In summer, the temperature inside a bamboo forest can feel about 5 to 6 degrees Celsius cooler than outside. Bamboo blocks strong sunlight, holds moisture, and creates shade.
Also, people say bamboo forests feel especially pleasant in the afternoon because the refreshing forest scent becomes stronger.
So when the city feels hot and heavy, Juknokwon feels like nature’s air conditioner.
No remote control.
No electricity bill.
Just bamboo.
That is why many people love visiting Juknokwon in summer.
The air is cooler.
The shade is deeper.
The forest smells fresher.
And the sound of bamboo leaves makes people feel calm.
But again, remember one thing.
Bamboo forests are good for people, but they are also good for mosquitoes.
So please enjoy the bamboo, but protect yourself too.