



There is a park in South Korea called Haesindang Park, and its most noteworthy feature is that the park is essentially an elaborate celebration of the erect penis. One might guess that it was dreamt up by Ron Jeremy (or his South Korean equivalent) but in fact, its origins derive from a sweet and supernatural folk tale from centuries ago. The park is located at the fishing port of Sinnam on the eastern coast of the country.

The basic situation is a familiar one in port and fishing cities across the span of history—as in, the husband is a sailor or a fisherman and is often away at sea while the wife waits at home. So jump back a few centuries: a maiden named Aebawi is married to a fisherman in Sinnam. One day before boarding his boat, the fisherman places his wife on some rocks, with a heartfelt promise to come back soon. But a storm intervenes and prevents his quick return, and poor Aebawi perishes after being swept from the rocks. But due to her premature demise, Aebawi’s purportedly virginal soul remains in the area, and the disquiet in the waters cause the fish to abandon the region in search of a calmer locale. Later on, a man wanders by and chooses Aebawi’s rock as a place to fish. Not wanting to leave his fishing line unattended, he drops trou and relives himself in the waters. The sight of the man’s penis pleases Aebawi’s soul, which has a calming effect on the waters, so the fish decide that they can return to the area.

What a charminglly oddball rationale for a park as interesting as this! Haesindang Park is very much a family-friendly location, and people are unconcerned about their children being confronted with all manner of phalluses everywhere. I have never been to Korea but this park is a strong reason to visit!

































This is actually a wind chime!



via Buzzfeed and TravelBlog

