And now let's get back to our Arts and Culture Corner. Yim Yoonhee joins us in the studio. Good afternoon. There were many events going on over the weekend because of Children's day and the day of Buddha's birth. I hear you have an exhibition today that is fitting for the occassion. Right, so there were many exhibitions and events held in honor of Buddha. Celebrating the birth of Buddha has become a tradition here, and it's now no longer limited to those who follow Buddhism. It's become such a big part of our culture that people look forward to this time of the year filled with parades and festivals. Today I have a photo exhibition for just that. Let's take a look. [VIDEO IN] Buddhism is one of the most commonly found religions in Korea. Many follow after the teachings of Buddhism in search for enlightenment and the sublime state of nirvana,... and all these teachings are based on a man from 5th century BCE who went by the name of Siddhartha Guantama,... but he's known to many as Buddha. And every year, millions of people all over the world celebrate his birth, through various different events, including this photography exhibition. [INTERVIEW] "The Buddhism Photography event is about taking pictures regarding Buddhism. We have an event every month, and this month's theme is the wind chime. They're often hung on the roofs of temples, so we visited various temples to take these pictures." Whether it be on the mysterious mountainsides, or the glistening shores, the wind chime has long been seen as a means of achieving harmony within the mind and soul. Soft resonating sounds from the chimes are believed to bring a sense of peace and well being, and were hung around Buddhist temples for decades through the history of Asia. The wind chimes seen hanging around Korea often feature a fish, wiggling peacefully through the air. [INTERVIEW] "As the wind blows, if you extend the exposure you can capture the movement. This piece is called 'Can you hear the wind chime?' The fish represents the pursuit of nirvana in Buddhism, because a fish never rests, and is always moving around, like the wind chime in the wind." Sometimes they lay silent, hanging from the roofs of snow ladden temples but sometimes they send soft chimes through the air. Wherever they are, they symbolize the peace and wellbeing of the body, mind, and soul. [VIDEO OUT] [STUDIO CLOSING] You mentioned to me you have a few more exhibitions for us. Right. There is quite a bit of art work associated with Buddhism, including paintings. At the Topgoal Museum located in Seoul, they're showing the works of widely recognized artists, some works date back to the 1700s. Are there also permanent museum exhibitions on Buddhism. Right, for example the Chuncheon National Museum offers a permanent exhibition featuring works from Buddhism and the history of Buddhism here. This museum is located in the mountains of Gangwon-do region which is known for its beautiful temples. In fact Buddhist beliefs were closely linked to the beautiful mountains of the area and they have some beautiful statues and art works from these temples. And in honor of Buddha's birth, they have an exhibition currently going on called the "Hand of Buddha." It features art work about the spiritual hand gesture in Buddhism called the mudras along with the story behind it. Thank you for that report.

• published: 07 May 2014
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