동국대학교

Myeong-jin Hall. The history of Dongguk started in this building more than a century ago.

Dongguk University is the alma mater of my former Korean teacher. She used to speak fondly of her undergraduate days during lessons and that had sort of stirred up my curiosity about this university. She once described to me that there is a slope leading up to Dongguk University and during the peak of pro-demoncracy demonstrations in the 1980s, the riot police was ordered to set up road block at the slope to prevent students from entering and gathering in the campus. So when I got out from Dongdae station, I was expecting to see a slope and indeed there was one. In that instance, I found an image to her story. However, after a walk around the campus ... I saw the background to her stories. In my mind, her stories suddenly turned colourful.

Dongguk celebrated its 100th anniversary on 8 May 2006. To mark the occasion, a time capsule was sealed and only to be opened 100 years later on 8 May 2106.

An open-air cafe set under pinetree and maple tree inside Dongguk. I like the feeling of drinking hot coffee and watching maple leaves in a cold winter afternoon. The problem is that hot coffee becomes iced coffee in no time.

Dongguk is a university of Buddhism denomination. Elephants are divine creatures which are associated with Samantabhadra (Pu Xian) Bodhisattva.

Myeong-jin Hall, statue of Samantabhadra (Pu Xian) Bodhisattva and the divine elephants in a line.

Dongguk University at sunset with Namsan and N Seoul Tower as its background.

The main gate of Dongguk University. Going into campus is an uphill task while leaving campus is a downhill task. I thought even without a slope, the same feeling will still exist for many. ㅋㅋ