Whispering Bamboo Grove: Shout Your Secret Anonymously
The Whispering Bamboo Grove is a dense bamboo forest of about 3,600 stalks at Goyosa, the temple inside the online temple Hapjang (합장). Like the Korean folktale "The King Has Donkey Ears," you can step inside and shout, anonymously, something you have never told anyone. It echoes through the grove for about 70 seconds and stays on the note board for 1 hour.
- Where
- The bamboo forest at Goyosa
- Bamboo
- About 3,600 stalks
- What you can do
- Bamboo grove shout (inside the grove only, anonymous)
- Echo
- About 70 seconds; 1 hour on the note board
- Your shout
- You can take it back yourself
The folktale: "The King Has Donkey Ears"
This old Korean story is tied to King Gyeongmun of Silla and recorded in the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms). A man who knew the king's secret, that his ears were long like a donkey's, could tell no one for his whole life. In the end he went into a bamboo forest and shouted it out. After that, it is said, the same words could be heard in the bamboo every time the wind blew. Today Koreans often call any place where you can let out a hard-to-say feeling anonymously a "bamboo forest."
The Whispering Bamboo Grove at Goyosa
About 3,600 bamboo stalks stand in Goyosa's Whispering Bamboo Grove. In Hapjang, people stay together through breath and gesture instead of a chat window, but inside this grove you can call out one line without showing your name. Your words echo through the grove for about 70 seconds, remain on the grove's note board for 1 hour, and then disappear. You can also take back your own shout before then.
Before you shout
- You can shout only inside the grove, and it appears anonymously, with no name.
- Other visitors can see the echo and the note board, so it is best not to write anything hurtful to others or any personal information.
- A shout containing words that suggest a crisis is not posted; instead, you alone are shown the Korean helplines 109 (24 hours) and 1577-0199. If you are having a very hard time, please read When things feel very hard first.
Where to go after the grove
From the grove you can walk the Guanyin Seaside Path, where the Seaside Guanyin statue looks out over the water. The Koi Pond, where you can rest watching the fish, is also worth a visit.
Try it in Hapjang
Walk into the Whispering Bamboo Grove and you can write a shout. Type what you want to say and shout it, and it echoes through the grove for about 70 seconds with no name attached. On the note board you can read what others have shouted for 1 hour, and you can take back your own shout at any time. Once you step out of the grove, you can no longer shout.
Frequently asked questions
Who can see my bamboo grove shout?
Other visitors can see it through the echo and the note board. It is anonymous, though: your name is never shown.
When does my shout disappear?
The echo lasts about 70 seconds, and the shout stays on the note board for 1 hour before it disappears. You can take back your own shout before then.
What is the story "The King Has Donkey Ears"?
It is an old Korean tale: a man who knew King Gyeongmun of Silla's secret shouted it in a bamboo forest, and afterward the same words could be heard in the bamboo whenever the wind blew. It is recorded in the Samguk Yusa.
Related pages
- Bamboo Grove Shout: Say It Like "The King Has Donkey Ears"A place to tell the bamboo what you couldn't tell anyone, as in the Korean folktale. How to shout anonymously and hear the echo in Hapjang's bamboo grove.
- Koi Pond — Relax Watching Koi at an Online TempleA square pond garden at Goyosa in Hapjang, an online Korean temple. Watch 104 koi from the hexagonal pavilion and wooden bridge, and rub Budai's belly.
- Guanyin Seaside Path — Sit and Watch the Sea OnlineWalk the seaside path at Goyosa in Hapjang, an online Korean temple: pass a Seaside Guanyin statue and a small hermitage, then sit on a sea bench and rest.
- When It Feels Too Hard: Where to Get Help Right NowToo hard to bear alone? Reach out now. US: call or text 988. UK & Ireland: Samaritans 116 123. Australia: 13 11 14. Korea: 109. Or your emergency number.
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