Jindo: Korea's Moses Miracle!

Today's Fact:

Jindo island the 3rd biggest island in Korea after the famous Jeju and Geoje island. Located near Mokpo in South Jeolla province, if you take bus from Seoul gonna cost 6 hours, and two more hours from Mokpo to Jindo. It seems so far right? but the beauty of phenomenon will pay all of your hardships to get to Jindo. This phenomenon became globally known because former French Ambassador to South Korea Pierre Landy in 1975, who called it the Korean version of Moses' miracle in a French newspaper, referring to the biblical parting of the Red Sea. This parting sea pass 2.9 km long and 10–40 meters wide opens for an hour between the main Jindo island and the small Modo island to the south of Jindo.

 The Crossing Sea Festival (Courtesy to: National Geography)

Yesterday's Myth: 

There is an old Korean tale during the Joseon Dynasty, a man named Son Dong-ji was condemned to exile on Jeju Island. At that time, a strong storm break down his ship when he want to do a journey through the Yellow Sea down Korea’s west coast, ensuring that he never made it to his final destination. He instead found himself washed ashore in the village of Hoedong (literally “tiger place”) on modern-day Jindo,

Jindo Festival Promotion Flyer with Grandma Bbong and Tiger Statue
(courtesy to: Korea Tourism Organization)

There, Son and his descendants eked out a difficult living amongst the other villagers over the next 200 years. During this time, many fell prey to attacks by the big orange-and-black cats and were brutally killed. Finally, a decision was made for everyone to flee by raft to nearby Modo (the small island in Jindo county) , where they would be able to live in peace. Unfortunately, an elderly woman named Grandma Bbong was accidentally left behind. She prayed every day to the Dragon King of the Sea, Yongwang, to deliver her safely to her family.

One night in early March the Dragon King appeared to her in a dream, and told her that the next day a rainbow would appear in the ocean to guide her across. She went to the shore the next afternoon and prayed to Yongwang once more. At that moment, the waters parted and a crescent-shaped path linking the two islands appeared. Grandma Bbong dashed across the opening but soon fell victim to exhaustion and the stress of her ordeal. Her family ran out to meet her and she died there in their arms, her final words spoken in praise of the Dragon King for helping to reunite her with her family one last time. (reference: http://www.departful.com/2013/07/the-jindo-sea-parting-festival/)

Science's Fact:

The gravity of the sun and the moon tugging at the surface of the Earth's water causes tides. Depending on the relative position of each body, both the sun and the moon pull with different strengths and at different times, causing high tides in some areas and low tides in others. But according to Kevan Moffett, an assistant Geo-science professor at University of Texas at Austin, the respective positions of the sun, moon, and Earth are just one of the many factors that contribute to the annual parting of the Jindo Sea.

Certain factors that influence tides, such as Earth's rotation cycle or the movements of the Earth and the moon that result in varying distances between the two, are called tidal harmonics because they operate regularly. The contributors all generate different gravitational forces, causing several distinctive but repeating patterns in the tide over time.

Festival's Info:

Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival (courtesy to: Korea Tourism Organization)
 

Last Festival Period: March 20-23, 2015
Venue: Modo-ri, Uisin-myeon and Hoedong-ri, Gogun-myeon (Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do)
Transportation:
From Seoul to Jindo:
Seoul Central City Terminal - 07:35, 09:00, 15:30, 16:35
Dong Seoul Bus Terminal - 9:10, 16:20 (Subject to change)

From Jindo to Festival Area:
At Jindo Bus Terminal, take the Gagye-Hoedong (가계, 회동) or Songgun-Hoedong (송군, 회동) bus. Get off at Hoedong (회동) and go 40m along the sea to reach the festival venue.