(Koryo) or Goryeo era (A.D. 918-1392) map

Geographical Context

This book takes place in the (Koryo) or Goryeo era (A.D. 918-1392).

Map on left from (http://www.cosmolearning.com/images/korea-map-of-goryeo-dynasty-11th-century/)

I thought that Linda Sue Park did a nice job noting the geographic and historical context at the end of the book. She said that "Korean celadon potters of the Koryo era (also known as the Goryeo era) (a.D. 918-1392) were initially influenced by the work of their Chinese counterparts. It is no coincidence that the two main centers for pottery, Puan - where Ch'ulp'o was located - and Kangjin, were both coastal districts with easy access to and from China across the Yellow Sea. But Korean potters were eventually to distinguish themselves in several ways: the graceful, simple shapes of their vessels; the distinctive glaze color; the great skill of their molded pieces; and finally, the innovation of inlay work. Every piece described in this book actually exisits in a museum or private collection somewhere in the world." (Park pg 149)

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Map above from (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:History_of_Korea-1374.png)

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She goes on to say that "for the account of Tree-ear's journey to Songdo, I am indebted to Simon Winchester's book Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles. In 1987 Winchester walked the length of South Korea, from Cheju Island in the far south to Panmunjom, at the border of North Korea. Much of his trek passed through exactly the same terrain as Tree-ear's.
Readers may wonder why there is no mention of Seoul, the current capital of Korea, which would have been directly on Tree-ear;'s route. Seoul was not founded until 1392, more than two hundred years after this story takes place. But Tree-ear does pass by the eventual site of the city, pausing for a look at the valley in Chapter 12.
Likewise, a modern map will not show the location of Songdo. Songdo was renamed Kaesong and is located on what is now the North Korean side of the border." (Park pg 151)

Maps of current day Kaesong

Map showing location of Kaesong (at the bottom of the map) taken from (http://asia.theworldatlas.net/north-korea/map.html)



Map showing the demilitarized zone taken from (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6936158.stm)