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Chambertin
Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Location: Gunsan
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 Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:23 pm Post subject: What�s with the blue? |
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Bored at the moment so...
I have been messing around with Google earth looking at different places I�ve traveled and where I�m going in Korea. Normal enough, right?
At first yeah, but then I notice that darn near every roof in the town is blue, nearly every roof in the province is blue, and as I roam around Korea darn near every roof in the country is blue.
Any idea why? |
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Binch Lover
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I heard some story that in the past, only aristocracy could have blue roofs on their houses, so it's viewed as somewhat more classy or as a sign of wealth... something like that. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Binch Lover wrote: |
| I heard some story that in the past, only aristocracy could have blue roofs on their houses, so it's viewed as somewhat more classy or as a sign of wealth... something like that. |
 how apt .... dominant korean cultural traits converge: mistaking the symbol for the thing as appearances more important than reality, the importance of wealth over beauty, and keeping up with the Kims
and here it looked like blue rooftops were a sign of POVERTY!! as so many of the older, run-down, shoddy looking rural homes and poor old neighbourhood homes had blue rooftops whereas most newer, more expensive homes don't have the blue roof motif |
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Cerriowen
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Location: Pocheon
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:11 am Post subject: |
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| And the fact that in the USA almost all the houses have *black* or *grey* roofs... comes from........??? |
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Kikomom
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: them thar hills--Penna, USA--Zippy is my kid, the teacher in ROK. You can call me Kiko
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:16 am Post subject: Re: What�s with the blue? |
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| Chambertin wrote: |
Bored at the moment so...
I have been messing around with Google earth looking at different places I�ve traveled and where I�m going in Korea. Normal enough, right? |
I don't know about the blue, but Google Earth is a helicopter mom's dream come true. It's in my start menu.  |
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crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:02 am Post subject: |
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| my roof is green? |
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Yesterday
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Land of the Morning DongChim (Kancho)
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:40 am Post subject: |
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NOT poverty - a blue roof (especially a blue tiled roof) is supposed to symbolize a "noble" (rich) family..
(Hence the president lives in the "blue house")
In ancient times - only the rich or noble had blue roofs
I thought this thread was going to be about men/boys only wearing "sky-blue colored panties" - which up until about 2007 was the ONLY underwear they wore...
These days "multi-colored boxer shorts" are the "in" fashion (finally) |
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Straphanger
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Chilgok, Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 5:39 am Post subject: |
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While I'm sure this was the case years ago, that everyone wanted a blue roof, that's why all the roofs are blue, I'd be willing to bet that's not true anymore. I'd be willing to bet that they're blue for the same reason American barns are red.
It's the cheapest color. |
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Chambertin
Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Location: Gunsan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the good answers. I figured there had to be someting behind the choice.
Like with the barns, often its the cheapest color, but I just felt there was a deeper reason. |
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Kikomom
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: them thar hills--Penna, USA--Zippy is my kid, the teacher in ROK. You can call me Kiko
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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Run your Google Earth over to the other side of the world to Bermuda and you'll see every roof is white. The reason for this is that they collect rainwater into cisterns because there's no natural groundwater there.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,636457,00.html
I don't think Norm's made it to Korea yet. |
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PeteJB
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| It can be quite a pretty sight to see those blue and red roofs - especially in the southern parts of the country. |
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IlIlNine
Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Location: Gunpo, Gyonggi, SoKo
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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The blue (and orange!) roofs appeared as a result of Park Chung Hee's countryside revitalization program. If you think the countryside's poor now, well .. it was much poorer prior to this. Back then the roofs were made of straw and loose tiles and, well, leaked. The fact that they decided on blue, a sign of wealth (as has been observed above) probably had more to do with trying to control the countryfolk with a 'feel-good' gesture. If your peasants are dry, fairly comfortable, and relatively happy, you'll have far less problems as president (look what's happening with China and it's countryside...).
Oh, and by the way: Some of you guys REALLY need to relax. I can't believe some of you guys are foaming at the mouth about roof color.  |
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Yesterday
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Land of the Morning DongChim (Kancho)
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| Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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| IlIlNine wrote: |
Oh, and by the way: Some of you guys REALLY need to relax. I can't believe some of you guys are foaming at the mouth about roof color. |
Its just the newbies going through culture shock - many of them were never taught how to "google" for information. |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 8:57 am Post subject: |
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| IlIlNine wrote: |
The blue (and orange!) roofs appeared as a result of Park Chung Hee's countryside revitalization program. If you think the countryside's poor now, well .. it was much poorer prior to this. Back then the roofs were made of straw and loose tiles and, well, leaked. The fact that they decided on blue, a sign of wealth (as has been observed above) probably had more to do with trying to control the countryfolk with a 'feel-good' gesture. If your peasants are dry, fairly comfortable, and relatively happy, you'll have far less problems as president (look what's happening with China and it's countryside...).
Oh, and by the way: Some of you guys REALLY need to relax. I can't believe some of you guys are foaming at the mouth about roof color. :? |
actually those older homes are now considered to have been much more sustainable, environmentally sound, thermodynamically efficent and more affordable. There's even a community that refused to allow their homes to be destroyed and now they are considered the models of what once was and perhaps, will be again in some form or another. Sorry, don't recall where this village is, but maybe south-central Korea?
the govt was blasted for having forced so many to destroy the older homes under the guise of modernization - and look what was put in place- those hideous blights of towering apt bldgs -
on another note - the red barns in N.A. are because blood was often mixed with paint to extend the amount available - blood from livestock that is - it was a better weatherproof agent and helped protect the wood. later on people just continued w/the red color when paint was manufactured in large quantities. |
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rabbitsaregood
Joined: 03 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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| moosehead wrote: |
| on another note - the red barns in N.A. are because blood was often mixed with paint to extend the amount available - blood from livestock that is - it was a better weatherproof agent and helped protect the wood. later on people just continued w/the red color when paint was manufactured in large quantities. |
Wouldn't blood make it go black? |
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