(Korean Culture 100) Mudflats, a Beautiful Ocean Field Created by Humans and Nature_한국의 갯벌

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• published: 28 Nov 2012
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Mudflats, a Beautiful Ocean Field Created by Humans and Nature Part 1. Watercolor Picture of Time Painted on Mud The morning sun shines on the calm mudflats. At certain times, the tide rises and ebbs just like sun rises and sets. The mudflat creates profound beauty when ocean and land face each other. The mudflat transforms itself several times a day. Numerous lives exist in the enormous environment of the mudflat. Mudflat: A tract of low muddy land, especially near an estuary, that is covered at high tide and exposed at low tide Ocean and land: The ocean and the land face each other to create a new ecosystem Tide: The regular changes in the levels of the sea on the shore through the interactions of the sun, moon, and earth. Ithink mudflats can represent a huge canvas. You can draw large pictures and see how the clouds create different looks over the mudflat. If you look closely, you can also see the minute tracings made by shells and crabs." The nest of precious lives: One third of all endangered species inhabit the mudflat The highest productive capacity on earth: A nine times higher productive capacity than land The five greatest mudflats in the world: The west coast of Korea, eastern Canada, eastern United States, the mouth of the Amazon, and the shore of the North Sea The work of 8000 years: It takes almost 10 thousand years to build the sediment The waste assimilative: 1.5 times higher ability than all terminal sewage disposal plants in Korea combined The resting area of migratory birds: The only stopover for birds flying from Siberia to Australia The sunrise and sunset, the ebb and flood of the tide, and the breath of small lives.... These will exist until the loved child becomes old, and returns the love to other people. The mudflat has been silently breathing, its arms and legs in continuous motion. In the mudflat where thousands have looked for harmony, there is the wisdom of 10 thousand lives that time has built. Part 2 The Mudflat Playground where Laughter Flows There are people gathered at the wide ocean field to enjoy the summer under the expansive blue sky. Everyone begins to walk to the mudflat, filled with the desire to take to the air like birds. Let's go to the mudflat on a 'Mudflat Bus' made from a remodeled tractor! When the water ebbs and squishy mud is revealed, people begin digging out clams hidden in the mud just like searching for treasures. They stand against the knee-high water, and lay flat resting in the mud. It seems the mudflat is a perfect summer playground for them. A crab hidden beneath the sand bites the child's finger. A shy smile of the youngest child is seen in the distance against the water flow. A hunk of brown mud was thrown into the sky. The kids start teasing an adult in revenge, and the adult, left alone, stomps off with a feeling of unfairness. Part 3. The Jewel of a Mudflat Dredged with Bare Hands On a refreshing clear day, the pastel blue of the sea and the sky has dyed the whole world. When the tide fills the land and sails the boat, fishermen begin to leave the mud. The mud boats floating with the gentle rhythm of the ocean... The boats wait on glimmering waves for the tide to ebb. When the water lands the boat on shore, lives hidden in the mud start revealing themselves. The fishermen dig out these lives that arrived with the tide, and were dropped by the ebb. I am so proud of my hometown. It is the best town in Korea! I love mudflats." On the other side, people are busy digging for manila clams. The water fills again with floating boats, holding traces of humans. The shine might be the hidden jewels in the mudflat. The mudflat is a precious cultural asset of Korea.