Wando-gun Establishes 'Jangbogo Hansang Hall of Fame'

Installation of Digital Archives and VR Exhibits Completed, Temporary Opening Scheduled for the 13th

Jangbogo Hansang Hall of Fame Exterior / ⓒ Asia Economy

[Wando＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Shin Woo-cheol) announced on the 3rd that it has completed the installation work of exhibition planning materials for the ‘Jangbogo Hansang Hall of Fame,’ which exhibits the success stories of past Jangbogo Hansang Award (abbreviated as Jang Hansang) recipients, in collaboration with the Jangbogo Global Foundation (Chairman Kim Deok-ryong).

On the first floor of the Jangbogo Hansang Hall of Fame, there are exhibition corners such as the Jangbogo Hansang Hall, Who is the Global Jangbogo, 2020 Awardees and Past Awardees, Comparison of Korean Ethnicity ? Korean Diaspora, as well as the Wando Local History Exhibition Hall.

The ‘Jangbogo Hansang Hall’ displays the concept of the Jangbogo Hansang, the Jang Hansang contest, the concept of the Hall of Fame, the role of the hall, materials on past Jang Hansang selections, and items donated by the awardees.

The ‘Global Jangbogo’ exhibition corner shows how Jangbogo, who founded the Jeoksan Beophwawon in Yingshi City, Shandong Province, China in the 820s, realized a fusion community through Chuseok culture among Chinese, Japanese, and immigrants from the Korean Peninsula including Baekje and Goguryeo refugees as well as Silla and Buyeo people.

Additionally, Cheonghaejin, built by Jangbogo in 828, is introduced as Korea’s first case of balanced national development, the birthplace of Korean private trade, the first international trading port, the base of activities for the Jangbogo Global Trading Company, and the place where international relay trade originated.

The ‘Past Awardees Hall’ provides detailed introductions of awardees selected since 2016, focusing on cases of economic and cultural territorial expansion as well as volunteer and donation activities.

The ‘Wando Local Exhibition Hall’ showcases the history of Wando from prehistoric times to modern history.

On the second floor, a digital archive has been installed where visitors can touch the screen to view biographies and success stories of past awardees, videos, and photo materials. A VR experience zone is also provided where visitors can experience Jangbogo’s voyage from Cheonghaejin to Mingzhou (present-day Ningbo) in the Tang Dynasty.

The VR experience zone allows visitors to virtually navigate as Jangbogo from Cheonghaejin to Mingzhou, using VR technology to depict scenes of repelling pirates with bows. There is also a media video room and an educational space that can accommodate up to 50 people.

Hwang Sang-seok, director of the Jangbogo Hansang Hall of Fame, emphasized, “The background for constructing the Jangbogo Hansang Hall of Fame is to exhibit the success stories of Jang Hansang awardees selected through the ‘21st Century Jangbogo Excavation Project,’ but the actual purpose is to honor Jangbogo as the root of overseas Koreans and the ancestor of Hansang (Korean merchants).”

Park Jong-beom, chairman of the Jang Hansang Awardees Association, said, “The awardees voluntarily raised funds to create a healing garden on the rooftop of the second floor of the Hall of Fame, developed a cyber Hall of Fame website, and installed a painting titled ‘Meeting after 1,200 Years’ themed on the ‘Jangbogo Hansang Reunion.’ We contributed to the construction of the Hall of Fame exhibiting the success stories of Hansang.”

Meanwhile, the Jangbogo Hansang Hall of Fame is scheduled to open temporarily on the 13th.

Wando=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil ckp6737@asiae.co.kr