Hanging Coffins of Sagada

We encountered interesting local practices in our visit to Sagada in Dec 08, and after further readings, the hanging coffins have an interesting tale to tell.

Ferocious tribal wars were once a common threat in the Cordilleras in the Philippines some two centuries ago, and it was no exception in Sagada.

The entire hilly communities were caught in these routine upheavals and nothing was spared including burial sites. According to the villagers, coffins were often a favorite prey of the headhunters, mainly from Bontoc, who sought the prized skulls, living or not.

Fearful of the diving backlash from their headless ancestors, quick thinking tribal leaders in Sagada resolved to hang their coffins up on the slopes of the many karst hills found here. They also placed much hope on the physical attributes of the landscapes to deter the enthusiasm of the conquering troops.

According to ancient funeral rites, the deceased must be seated in an upright position while villagers worked frantically to erect bamboo scaffolding to the elevated burial ground.

The task to hang the coffin on the sharp slope of hills rested on the shoulders of pall bearers. Theirs is not an effortless one. Besides the risk of fatal fall and they must also deal with the rotting fluids from the leaking coffin.

Nevertheless, a pall bearer’s job was traditionally held in high esteem. Interestingly, it was considered a good omen for the pall bearers to be showered in the fluids while they carried out their task.

However, with the introduction of Christianity by American missionaries into the region compromises have been made to mix the native rituals with their new faiths.

Nevertheless it has become a novelty nowadays to have hanging burial and only villagers who have two surviving generations of descendants are allowed a burial on the hill side.

According to the villagers, the last hanging coffin burial in Sagada was held in June 2008.

Iron Dragons of Malaya - A Tribute to Sentul

Train spotters in Malaysia should not miss the opportunity to experience the multimedia art exhibition titled - Iron Dragons of Malaya, and at the same time enjoy a nostalgic trip to the country’s largest railway shed – the KTMB Sentul Workshop.

A collection of photographs of the British built shed and rolling stocks or whatever left of the depleting building were taken using state-of-the-art photography technique known as High Dynamic Range.

The photographs, according to Khairul Azril Ismail, the architect of the exhibition, will reward visitors with captivating 3-D like images. Visitors will also be entertained by the multimedia presentation which took Azril and his team a year to produce and it is a befitting tribute to the train workshop.

Personally I think it is akin to an earnest obituary to the shed for a century of faithful services rendered.

Sentul first took its form in1905 but now is living its last remaining days. By the year end, the entire KTM overhaul job will be concentrated at Batu Gajah.

The Iron Dragons of Malaya – is currently run at KLPac till Jan 25, 09, and admission is free. (The enclosed photographs are reproduced from Azril's collection)

The World's Smallest Fire Station.

Perch high in the mountainous regions of the Philippines Cordilleras is the Sagada Fire Station, and reputedly the World’s Smallest Fire Station.

Locals will proudly tell you that despite its unfavorable size, the cabin like station operated by the Bureau of Fire Protection is their only viable insurance to safeguard the idyllic hamlet from fire hazards.

A tall order nonetheless for a tiny fire station and the entire fire fleet of a red Honda scrambler, which has seen better days. Fire fighting paraphernalia appears almost non-existence too except a radio transmitter inside.

Hence, the questions mark if the world’s smallest fire station could live up to its roles in times of an emergency.

Sagada is remarkable as a pristine highland retreat and as we have discovered in December 2008, has great potentials for a respite holiday destination with a magnificent mix of caving adventure and picturesque rice terraces add to it.

Nevertheless, a quick check in the internet revealed a chequered past that is anything but peaceful.

The quaint town was almost consumed by a devastating fire not too long ago and telltale signs are still found at the town square opposite the Police Station cum market. Till today, the fiery episode remains a mystery and its outbreak is reminiscent of a more sinister and turbulence time.

Like many first time visitors, we were surprised to learn that curfew hours are enforced from dusk to dawn in this tranquil place. When asked the town folks the only answer we got is that the curfews are for our safety without revealing too much.

We soon learnt that the entire Cordilleras were engulfed in a violent armed struggle and it was only in the 80s that the locally supported - The New Peoples’ Army (NPA) - signed a peace accord with the Manila Government to bring peace to the area.

Perhaps for this historical reason, I assume the non-descriptive Sagada Fire Station with all its imperfections is a welcoming sight and perfect to assure the war weary people of Sagada who long for some real peace and tranquillity.

Malacca River Losing its Historical Lustre.

The lavish RM190 million (app. US$65 million) Beautification Project aimed to inject a new lease of life for the Malacca River is finally at its tail-end.

The project paid in parts from the coffers of the Tourism Ministry was first embarked in 2002.

High on the project initiatives are to rehabilitate the heavily polluted waterway and to stem the deplorable local practice of turning it into a sewage dumpsite.

Much faith was placed on the project to bring about a quality change in the water and the life of the people dependable on the river. The project was even touted by the state as part of a grandeur scheme to elevate the historically-rich Sungai Melaka into the “Venice of the East”. (For additional write up on Malacca River, pls refer to article titled "Malacca River Folly Project" - Apr 20, 08)









However, the project fell disappointingly short of the promises made and worst, altered completely the characteristic and the function of the river.

The entrance to the river is now permanently blocked near the Maritime Museum and as a result, no free flow of river traffic is allowed up the river. The water level is also artificially controlled by newly built pump-house so to enable excursions by tourist boats operated by the state river board.

For over five centuries, schooners and traders plied the Malacca River in search of the valuable spices and helped turned the city state into one of the World’s greatest entrepots.

Sadly, if you choose to stand from its banks today, you would have no clue to its colorful past.

Gone are the sights of Sumatran sails unloading its charred cargoes to the nearby rustic godowns or the fishing trawlers returning with fresh loads of sea-harvest.

A quick check in Dec. 08, revealed last minute renovation work being carried out on the remaining godowns on the river’s southern banks and plans are to turn them into fusion eatery and commercial outlets you find so sickening similar to Singapore’s Clarke Quay.

Nothing is preserved there to showcase the fabulous richness of the river history.

Middleburg Bastion To Boost Tourism

Malacca now boosts another attraction to cash on the tourism dollars. The replica of the Middleburg Bastion is now opened to public when I visited there on Dec 9, 08.

The project is not without controversy from the first day its foundation was unearthed by workers constructing the Taming Sari Revolving Tower.

A few parties have voiced conflicting views how best the monument should be preserved.

Ar John Koh in his Badan Warisan column- "The Old Melaka Fort"- even go so far as to accord the site as the next most important archaeological find in the Malay Peninsula after the discovery of Hindu Cendi in Bujang Valley, Kedah.

For hard core conservationists, no viable option is acceptable except to leave the bastion foundation unmolested.

On the other extreme, policy makers were more interested in turning the site into a grand tourism scheme by 'remaking' the bastion.

RM12.8 million and almost a year later and you've another tourist attraction.

Needless to say, critics of the project were aghast at the turn of event.

The entire development took place when no expert could verify the authenticity of bastion design or the height of the wall.

The bastion was part of a larger fortress the A Famosa - which was first constructed by the Portuguese and reinforced later by the Dutch before British Captain W. Farquhar almost demolished it all in the 18th century.

All working reference for the project was based on sketchy illustrations and tell-tales provided by ancient sea farers. Yet the people who mooted the rebuilding task were adamant about giving the project the go-ahead.

Now the bastion project is completed and I am for one tend to agree that maybe the replica could benefit the lay men. It works wonderfully to stir up their imagination of the ancient bastion.

The fact of the matter is that they are the bulk of the visitors to Malacca and historical sites like Middleburg appeal to folks more interested in snapping some memorable pictures but hardly excited with the historical value of this momentous archaeological find.

Fortunately in my view, a few ingenious designs have been incorporated into this RM12.8 million project and we are able to appreciate the remnants of the original bastion foundation and the laterite coral rocks hidden underneath.

Walk around the structure and you could find a few openings in the ground previously discovered by archaeologists to give visitors some insights about the original foundation.

Visitors however, will be disappointed to find information on the bastion lacking because there are no captions available but I believe this would be overcome soon.

My favorite is the glass bridge next to the main structure if one is on their way to the top of bastion.

It allows visitors take a walk over the original laterite foundation and appreciate the depth of the original foundation underground.

If you think rebuilding the bastion structure goes against the acceptable heritage norm, then the VOC cannon replicas found on top of the bastion only reinforce the miserable the state of heritage in this country.

In fact, some key conservation players involved in the project appeared confused about their respective roles and how heritage should be safeguarded for the future generations.

Needless to say, such practices are symptomatic of the ever-blurring of conservation and tourism agendas in Malaysia.

Rampant manipulative interpretation of history would irk those who want to protect heritage at its core but their voices are silenced by groups calling for better cash cows for the economy. (For more related issue, refer to the article titled - "A Famosa Rescued?" - April 24, 08)

Who would have thought that the Middleburg Bastion given up for good over two centuries ago and left to fade from history has not only risen but it is basked in all its former glory in a bizarre twist of fate?

Hopefully, the bastion would spur new interests in the early history of Malacca fort in all of us minus all the bias instilled by certain segment of the community.

Firemen Usher New Twist in Traditional Circumcision

Few would argue that firemen are saviors of all emergencies, but in Malaysia, their expertise is called beyond the line of duties.

On December 10, 2008, the Army Fire Services based in Terendak Camp, Malacca were invited by the villagers of Kampung Pinang A, to Majlis Berkhatan or a religious circumcision ritual.

40 odd boys dressed in their finest Malay clothes then grouped in front of the red Mercedes Benz 911 before fire crew doused them wet.

When the shower ended about 15 minutes later, the boys proceed to a makeshift operating theatre at the back of the village’s surau for their unnerving and life-changing experience.

According to the elders, boys would traditionally take a dip at a nearby river or bathe near a well to build up courage. However, no one disputes that cold water whatever the sources are has a calming effect on the male organ before it is surgically mutilated.

Elaborate and expensive berkhatan ceremonies are now a trendy phenomenon and Malay kampung go to their wits to outdo each other with bigger sunat participants and a larger scheme of things.

Berkhatan or sunat was previously a low key and solemn religious affair, but now the event has a carnival-like atmosphere to it, and firemen and fire sprinkles are very much part of the repertoire.

Another victim of change is Tok Mudim or the village circumcision expert, and they too have fallen into redundant. In their place are medical assistants armed with sterilized tools to perform the rite of passage.

As the ceremony progressed, I saw how ZA 6326 found itself stuck in mud because of the weight the pump has to take. Fortunately, the villagers were around to save the day for the fire truck.

According to a local web source, Merc Benz 911 or otherwise known as Mercedes Munjung because of its large nose-like engine compartment was a favorite in Malaysian fire fighting scenes in the 80s until it was phased out.

True to the customary practice on school break, another grand circumcision ceremony was arranged three days later (Dec. 13, 08). The event was held at the nearby Pantai Puteri and saw an overwhelming participation from 200 kids.

Their mothers also played their parts and they each brought the beautiful bunga melur telur, a decorative bouquet made from egg shells, to accompany their boys on a loud and colorful procession down the road to a site next the beach.

Soon, they were greeted by firemen and the full water blast from Mercedes Benz Atego (No. BKA 8922) . As usual this marks the start of the bathing ritual, and the boys are in for an unforgettable event in their life journey and to usher the rich Muslim legacy.

Taiping Museum To Be Revamped

The Taiping Museum built in 1883 and widely regarded as the grand dame of Malaysia’s historical repository will be given a fresh lease of life in a RM3.5 million refurbishment plan (The Star, Dec 2, 08).

High on the list of this ambitious project is the conservation of the century old façade.

However, the icing to the cake is the long overdue effort to bring change to the dusty and ill-kept galleries. Many of the galleries are reminiscent of Victorian era and often the bane of the visitors.

According to curator Norhanisah Ahmad, the main work involved the natural history, culture, Orang Asli and ceramics galleries. When completed in June 2009, the galleries are poised to position Taiping Museum amongst the country’s top with interactive features and captivating exhibits.

The rejuvenated museum will then be in a stronger position to welcome a new generation of historical buffs. Nevertheless, important question remains unanswered about the fate of the impressive ethnography and Malay-Paleo collections.

My fear is that the museum will discard the existing arrays of collection and take on a completely different theme in line with nationwide trend to alter historical development in this country according to whims and fancies of the powerful.

Other element of what is essentially a structural uplift by the museum department involves instilling the original wooden floorboards. Future museum visitors may be required to wear woolen sandals to protect the floors.

However the curator notes that fee will be imposed for the usage of the sandals and it doesn’t that a rocket scientist to fathom long how it will enrich the museum coffers.

Middlesburg's Skeleton On National Tour.

Middlesburg's 600 year old skeleton is now on a nation-wide tour. The Negeri Sembilan State Museum in Seremban is the first in the list of The Archaeology Discovery Exhibition co-organized by Malacca Museum Board(PERZIM) and Jabatan Muzium. (NST November 21, 08)

There is much excitement amongst Malay historical experts about the bones found at the excavation site of the Portuguese Bastion next to the Malacca River. If the carbon test is correct, the authorities now have in their hands a first skeleton remains from an era which saw the beginning of a growing Malay Sultanate in Malacca.

Nevertheless, the remains didn't reveal much about who and what the person's role is to Malacca early history, except the fact that it belongs to a male in his late 20s or early 30s. A more detailed research is required to further substantiate the findings, and bear in mind it was found at a site which was then the rivermouth and Malacca was a burstling seaport.

It is very obvious that these historical experts were quick at clamoring over the skeleton discovery and jumping the gun with the notion that the human bones are intrinsically linked to the Malay Sultanate.

Dennis Fire Trucks Surprise At Macau.

Dennis Fire truck aficionados will be pleased to know that the Macau Fire Services Museum is home to two well preserved historical vehicles from Guildford factory, marked as M-01-25 and M-01-27.

Dennis M-01-27, I believe, is a Low Load 60/70HP model which first saw service in the early 30s. Popularly known as Dennis Big 6, the vehicle specifications include White and Poppe 6 cylinder petrol engine rated at 45hp with a bore and stroke of 110 x 140mm. (Peter Williams)

Mounted at its center is a Dennis No. 3, 900gpm pump. It has a transportable aerial ladder at its rear mounting to cope with Macau rising skyline.

Next to 27, is M-01-25, a 1944 Dennis Light 4 open cab with a 4 litre 4 cylinder petrol engine with about 70 bhp (Ron Hozack).

Besides the British-made Dennis, the museum commonly known by its colonial namesake - Museu Dos Bombeiros (Address - Estrada de Celho do Amaral. Free Admission) – offers visitors the opportunity to relish at firemen paraphernalia in halls the size of two basketball courts.

The exhibits go a long way to help one appreciates the fire fighting legacy in this ex-Portuguese colony and definitely worth the 15 minutes walk from the Ruins of St. Paul’s.

From its strategic location in the heart of the Inner Harbor, the former Central Fire Station served diligently until a typical dilemma in land scarce Macau caught up with it.

Macau was in desperate need of a modern centre command facility. Fortunately, compromise was reached and this fabulous European structure was preserved as the museum. In no time, a new Fire Brigade Headquarter began to take shape right at its backyard and now is home to an impressive fleet of Scania and Mercedes.

The 350 square meter museum is not on everyone’s must-see list but my visit there in November 2008 was pleasantly rewarding.

Visitors can view rare footages of fire fighting and rescue missions. One section is devoted to how firemen rescued suicidal desperadoes from Macau’s skyscrapers.

Others may not be so lucky but my guess is gruesome photos don’t fit in a museum dedicated to Macau’s rescue elite.

The museum is manned by members of Macau Fire Services but communicating with them in English is a challenge if we need information beyond the captions.

Fire fighting enthusiasts flying in and out of the Macau International Airport should also look out for Iveco Magirus 260-32AH/DL 50 - at the main runway.

The chance to see one of the world’s most advanced Airport Fire Fighting Vehicle is perhaps the perfect eye-opener to discover the fire fighting heritage in Macau.

PERZIM Latest Gimmick - Pulau Besar Mystery Exhibition

The Malacca Museum Board (PERZIM) is organizing an event titled “Pameran Menyingkap Sejarah and Misteri Pulau Besar” or Appreciating Pulau Besar History and Mystery Exhibition. It was launched by the Chief Minister of Malacca on Sunday, Nov 9, 08 (Berita Harian).

Pulau Besar, located off the coast of Malacca has for generations exude a mysterious shroud among locals and visitors that the island is the realm of an omnipotent ‘dato’.

Taboos were many if you’re holidaying in Pulau Besar. Non-Muslim visitors are well advised to abstain from their favorite ‘non-halal’ meals preferably a day earlier or else the 20 minutes boat journey from Umbai could be a catastrophic one.

A few individual cemeteries with extra large parameters dot the landscape at the southern tip of the island. They are believed to be the final resting place of renowned warriors or even royalties from the Malacca Sultanate, hence their magical prowess.

In the 80s, several large scale tourism plans were in the pipeline to transform the rustic island into a mega tourism draw. Spearheading the transformation is the State religious body with an ambitious task to clear the island from these kurafah elements. Sacred tombs and shrines (keramat) were demolished but if you ask the villagers, the taboos and superstitions remain strong.

However, modern day Pulau Besar now boasts a 18-hole golf course. Visitors armed with glossy colorful brochures have turned blind eyes to these taboos. Villagers expressed shock and disbelief about this turnabout event and puzzled how tourists have no qualms about frolicking with their loved ones in this island.

Historically, Pulau Besar, the largest of the five Malacca islets was conspicuously missing in all known annals or maps compare to nearby islands i.e Pulau Upeh and Pulau Panjang (now Pulau Melaka after being reclaimed).

Pulau Upeh was instrumental to the Portuguese in the construction of a newly fortified Malacca and together with Pulau Panjang played crucial roles in resisting naval attacks on Malacca in the subsequent centuries.

During the closing hours of World War II, Pulau Besar was the site of horrid mass executions carried out by the defeated Japanese Imperial Army. Countless bayoneted bodies of locals (mainly of Chinese descent) charged or otherwise with collaborating with the Allied Forces were believed to have being dumped inside a large well.

Unfortunately, the details on this historical well and its vicinity have being whitewashed and they too have fallen victim to the state government’s mid-80s wonton rush to turn the island into a holiday paradise. Despite its dark chapter in the state’s history, there is no mention of the tumultuous event in the island.

There is vague information on what is the focus of this PERZIM event. My best guess is that the central theme would feature the tombs, keramat and the island’s role during and the aftermath following the fall of the Malacca Sultanate Empire.

Few have doubts about PERZIM ability to organize a thorough and well researched exhibition. Numerous past PERZIM activities have critically fell short of achieving the objective of presenting events relevant and concurrent to Malacca’s development as the nation’s premier historical state and for the betterment of the local population.

“Pameran Menyingkap Sejarah and Misteri Pulau Besar” only reaffirms the cynics lack of enthusiasm with the state museum boards and its peculiarity towards mysticism and the unknown realms.

Firecracker Heritage of Macau

Miniscule Macau with no natural resources to call its own has always bellied on the skills and the cheap wages of its industrious people. I attribute this as their only mean of survival.

Modern visitors to Macau like myself may have a hard time to comprehend this notion but the economic landscape of the former Portuguese enclave after the Second World War was vastly in contrast to the present day soaring casinos one find adorning Macau’s futuristic skyline.

Before the arrivals of Venetian and the likes of other casino operators, the backbone industry of the 50s and 60s in Macau was the labor intensive firecrackers making trade.

Meager wages from making firecrackers fed mouths and offered hope to the destitute, some of whom had just escaped from the brutal uncertainty of a newly installed Communist regime across its border.

The period was known as the Golden Years of traditional working industries and it ushered a rapid growth of firecrackers factories.

At its height, Macau boasted seven such factories and top in terms of local employment. ‘Fabreco en Macao’ miniature explosives soon became the must-have ingredients for all Chinese festivals world-over.

Unfortunately, not much of this proud Macau heritage remains today.

However, I've discovered the existence of a firecracker factory during my recent visit there for the benefit of historical buffs.

A visit to the grayish two-storey that once housed the Kwong Hing Tai Firecracker Manufacturer tells us vividly the scale of the industry in Macau during its hey day.

Located along the busy Rua das Lorchas next to Macau Masters Hotel, the now disused building offers a rare glimpse into a firecracker making facility and Macau’s past.

Perhaps as a safety caution, the factory stands on top of concrete stilts above the muddy waters of the Inner Harbor, in case I guess, the unforeseeable happens.

Making firecrackers began to take a backseat in the 80s. Wage earners left in droves to seek better paid jobs and the safer working environment in the textile and toy making industries. Mainland China too was emerging as the new firecracker powerhouse.

Museum of Macau (Admission – 15 Pataca/Adult) should be your next destination on the trail of Macau Firecrackers History. The 2nd level exhibit in the museum devotes an interesting corner to showcase the tools of trade and offers visitors a glimpse of the environment where firecrackers are made.

The exhibits also include colorful firecracker brands produced in Macau. Rare old photos further reveal how firecrackers are manually prepared by workers mixing the explosive cocktail and the bare essential worker must work with.

Needless to say, the curator has done a remarkable job of preserving the artifacts and presenting them for our appreciation to an important historical chapter in Macau’s history.

The icing to one’s quest for the firecracker heritage in Macau is without any doubt the opportunity to witness what has being described as some of the most awesome displays of pyrotechnic creativity in this region.

The popular Macau International Fireworks Display Contest takes place annually over the weekends in late September and early October. Tourist arrivals are often at its peak and hotels full during the events.

My visit to Macau in late October 2008 does not coincide with the event but it is understood that the areas in the waterfront near the Macau Tower are some of the perfect spots to catch the firework displays.

Fort Cornwallis Lighhouse - Penang's Hidden Historical Gem

The 19th century Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse is one of the best hidden colonial gems in Penang’s UNESCO heritage enclave.

Many visitors often give it a miss although it is just a stone throw away from the iconic British fortress of the same name. Penang tourism players fare no better and they too overlook the lighthouse potential and its historical importance to Penang’s maritime role.

The British built the lighthouse in 1882 when harbour traffic began to grow for a prosperous Penang. Now in its advance age, the historic lighthouse no longer served to warn ships approaching the Penang cape.

The lighthouse is now manned by Jabatan Laut, Malaysia’s Maritime Authority, and offers fascinating opportunity to acquaint oneself with a bygone maritime era. Admission is free and it is accessible from a small northern entrance of the historical complex.

Walk inside the lighthouse, and you will learn why it is structurally one of its kinds in this country. Most lighthouses in the Malay archipelagos consist traditionally of a lone silo structure i.e. Tanjung Tuan(1880), fitted with warning beacons on the top.

Not Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse.

It has a white coated light tower which sits on a huge steel frame and next to it, a 21-meter T-shaped mast. Together, they fill the entire landscape and probe the curious about the fate of this ex-guardian of the narrow Penang Strait.

For most visitors, the slow climb, about 15 minutes, to the top of the claustrophobic watch tower and the warning beacon is undoubtedly the highlight of the visit.

Walking up on the steel staircase might prove daunting for the vertical challenged. A wrong step could spell disaster to anyone’s holiday and when the steps are particularly slippery after a drizzle. Parents with small children are best cautioned against taking the challenge.

However the panoramic view at the tower is worth the effort. Visitors will be rewarded with an all-round perspective of the city, strait and the mainland.

In the distance, the full views of multi-coloured Penang ferries come unfold. Catch also cargo laden vessels berthing to take Penang goods to the world. Stretch your viewing canvas and the iconic Penang Bridge fills the background.

On the ground level, a small chamber houses a delightful mini museum and showcases lighthouse artefacts like communication equipments and giant bulbs used before GPS and satellite controlled gadgetries made them obsolete.

Penang State should work on this oversight and promote the lighthouse as a full fledge tourist attraction but more urgently, accord and preserve it with a heritage status.

Imjingak The Fascinating Korean War Heritage Site

Imjingak Tourist Resort with its 4-storey metallic pavilion and the semi arch observation platform is perfectly located to view the iconic Bridge of Freedom. About 13,000 Allied prisoners-of-war made their final desperate dash for freedom across this wooden bridge at the closing stage of the brutal Korean War in 1953.

Since the new millennium, South Korean authority keen on reunification with its communist North brethrens has embarked on making Imjingak a heritage site. The venue makes an ideal living museum to prepare the uninitiated on the issues confronting the Korean dilemma.

Imjingak is even adeptly lauded by tourist brochures as the must-see venue to witness the only divided country in the world!

Getting to Imjingak is easy and travelers have a choice of car, bus or rail, and it is merely an hour drive away from Seoul.

Tourists will be greeted by its impressive Visitor Center which overlooks the heavily fortified banks of Imjin River and beyond the reclusive North Korea.

Unfortunately, most tour guides would want you to believe that Imjingak sits on the world’s most volatile border in modern history but soldiers guarding on the banks of the Imjin River are mainly South Korean.

Nevertheless, the much feared and trigger-happy North Koreans are in fact positioned a further seven km north from Imjingak.

Needless to say, South Korean military fearing a potential large scale strike from its Red neighbors, has designated defence lines in by placing barbed wires and army lookout posts on the edges of the Civilian Passage Restricted Line (CPRL).

Thus, visitors often get the false impression that South Korea ends at Imjingak, and the Imjin River the natural border between these two hostile neighbors.

A quick check on the maps will reveal that the fences at Imjingak are actually the Southern CPRL, with a heavily guarded buffer zone lining parallel to the Northern CPRL inside North Korea territory.

There is also the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) central to the buffer zone and together they cut the Peninsula into halves.

During my visit to see first-hand the cold war frontier in late September 2008, it got off to an unexpected start when we were stopped in our car by heavily armed South Korean personnel and our guide informed us that the army is conducting a drill to detonate two nearby road tunnels leading to the north border. (Naturally no photos were taken for fear of antagonizing the M-16 guys)

The Military Demarcation Line is the de facto border agreed by these two warring factions, amid reluctantly, and explains why Korea is also home to 30,000 plus American infantrymen.

The entire stretch of land within the CPRL is a no-man territory, but is more popularly known as Demilitarized Zone or DMZ. Interestingly, only foreigners holding valid passports are allowed near the epic center of DMZ or Panmunjum.

Here, one is only a breath away from North Korean guards smacking in their customary military attire from the Soviet era.

Their Southern counterparts have their peculiarity too. Dark sunglasses and arms folded in karate pose are their choice of instilling fear and awe.

Panmunjum is however, a no-go for Korean nationals. The furthermost point Koreans are allowed to go near their Northern neighbors is the border town of Dorasan.

Today, tourists take the scheduled Korail trains on the reconstructed 4 kilometer long Gyeongui Line to Dorasan Station from Imjingak Station (Train fare - KW2,000 / US$2 return).

For many years, the railway line was the main steel artery for intra Korea travel but the war cut it short at Imjingak.

At Dorasan, one can spy with the coin operated binoculars (KW700) on the North Korean industrial city of Gaeseong. Not to be missed is the guided tour inside the 3rd Tunnel, a must for those who doubt North Korean aggressive ambition.

A rusty steam locomotive outside the Imjingak mini museum casts a vivid reminder of the once extensive railway networks connecting all corners of the Korean Peninsula prior to the devastating war.

Take a few steps towards the outdoor exhibition behind the museum, more war relics and the scales of battles fought greet you – The Sherman that pounded on the North Korean tanks or perhaps you may intrigued by the Sabres that triumphed over the MiGs in the Korean skies.

Even the most bewildered visitor is unlikely to escape the highly charged atmosphere between both sides at the border.

A sense of heightened tension prevails here although on the surface everyone goes on with his routine.

However, you can feel and understand the fragility of tranquility in these areas. You can then appreciate why no one in his right mind is willing to gamble away the peaceful existence or risk provoking enemies who have no qualms to unleash the perils of Cold War on all.

My visit to Imjingak has left me with an overwhelming realization of this long lasting border conflict and how all aspects of border life are teeming with military alertness.

While border areas may have the notion that human life is cheap, Imjingak also provides the venue for the most enduring emotional expressions.

Imjingak is where Korean families torn by the war come on an annual pilgrimage to celebrate Chuseok - Korean's Thanksgiving.

It is here they express their longing for their last remaining relatives living across the barbed wires.

Interestingly, besides the ruined railway bridge and antiqued military displays, the visit to Imjingak offers visitors an everlasting view on the terrible human cost brought by ideological conflicts.