I had to give the tree a name so I might as well name it after Welmaris because she brought it first to our attention. Good eye, Welmaris! You win the Bitches’ trophy again!!
Thank you for pointing out the tree was in the Lee Gon’s court.
I see a similarity between the design on the King’s Ring
And the roots of the ancient tree growing in the courtyard of the palace.
We see this tree a lot, because this courtyard is one of King Lee Gon’s favorite places to stand and contemplate. The camera angle of this shot is interesting: rather than place LG & TE in the center, they are on the left and the composition is balanced by the tree on the right. Our attention is being drawn to the importance of the tree.
I took several screenshots of the tree, and wrote a brief background story.
Episode 4
He just returned from his first trip to the Republic of Korea. It was raining. He was standing in front of the tree while contemplating the ID badge of TaeEul. He pocketed the ID when Yeong came looking for him. Then time stopped. He used Euler’s number to count the seconds.
Episode 6
TaeEul visited the Kingdom of Corea on November 11. He sent her back home because he was going off to fight the Japanese. Prince Buyeong arrived seeking audience with him. He and Prince Buyeong met in the courtyard and Prince Buyeong confessed to faking the autopsy report of Lee Lim.
Episode 7
We didn’t see the tree here but we knew he was standing in front of it again.
Lee Gon was waiting for his meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to begin. Diplomatic relations progressed after the Japanese naval incident. The Chinese Ambassador welcomed Corean citizens into the country without visas. Lee Gon replied, “It’s an amazing thing for anyone to be able to go anywhere, at any time, as they wish. Your country’s gift will be remembered as a precious moment of history.”
I mentioned here: Number-theory-for-bitches-part-1/
I thought Lee Gon must have been reflecting on how wonderful it could be if he and TaeEul could similarly see each other in each other’s worlds without needing a “visa” or a portal.
He had cleared up his schedule so he could spend time with TaeEul in Korea. Without telling Yeong, he planned to bring Yeong with him. Because of Yeong’s skepticism, he wanted to show Yeong the land that’s “between one and zero,” and that Jeong TaeEul and Luna were different people.
Episode 10
On the New Year’s — @Welmaris or @GB would you mind confirming if this is New Year’s Eve or the First Night of the New Year? Thanks!!! — he stood facing the tree again. It was snowing, and he greeted the absent TaeEul, “Lieutenant Jeong TaeEul Happy New Year.”
Updated to add this. Thanks, @GB. “Since in Ep 9, LG went to the sea front and met his Uncle Buyeong there, like he does every year, it sounded more like a set date like New Year’s Day Jan 1st. They called it the first sunrise of the new year.”
Then, time stopped, and he began his manhunt for Lee Lim.
But he miscalculated something important, and he realized too late that he incorrectly assume that he and Lee Lim had the same portal in the same bamboo grove.
BTW, this voiceover is one of those “nebulous” flashbacks. He was recounting his mistake from sometime in the future.
Episode 11
Prince Buyeong was murdered by Lee Lim. The Royal Physician gave Lee Gon the report of the autopsy in the courtyard. The King’s ring was also returned to him. According to the doctor, it had been placed on Prince Buyeong’s finger after his death.
Lee Gon hurled the ring, but then time froze. He snatched it back and walked away.
This is what Welmaris meant that the design on the signet ring resembled the exposed roots (or branches) of the tree in the corner of the pool.
Now, let me digress here and answer the question of few lurkers:
I still don’t get how lee gon knew tae-eul was brought in corea at that exact moment. Can anybody try to explain? Thank you!
Here’s my interpretation of the events, @noob.
Lee Gon checked the travel logs of Prince Buyeong and found out that Prince Buyeong visited Eosu bookstore in the slums. He went to the dungeons and asked their two prisoners if they knew Eosu. He said, “I’m asking you this to SAVE LIVES, and not because I don’t know.” He meant he was going to spare executing the prisoner who talked about the Eosu bookstore.
Lee Gon already knew that the bookstore was a gathering place for his enemies. He raided the bookstore and killed the bookstore “owner.”
However, as I explained here:
Lee Gon discovered that the bookstore owner wasn’t the REAL guy that he’d been looking for. It was only then that he realized that Lee Lim had been stealing and swapping lives of his Corean minions for Korean citizens.
This meant that TaEul was in danger because she had a doppelganger Luna.
Do you get that?
Lee Gon deduced that Lee Lim knew that TaeEul had a doppelganger named Luna. Lee Lim would abduct TaeEul and switch her for Luna.
I already talked about the lightning being a good omen here:
On the uses of Lightning and Thunder
I said that Lee Gon must have also realized that the “Thunder and Lightning” and the Yoyo Kid who mysteriously appeared on his laptop were like Fate warning him that something bad would befall TaeEul.
Realizing that TaeEul was in danger of being abducted by Lee Lim, Lee Gon instantly galvanized into action. He went to the National Security Agency and requested a whole countrywide search for TaeEul (or Luna) by using facial recognition and CCTVs.
Fortunately, while the National Security Agency was doing a search, the police called him up at the same time to say that Luna had been found. The police sent him a video link and Lee Gon was able to determine that it was TaeEul (and not Luna) captured on CCTV. He identified her by the way she tied her hair in a ponytail.
Hence, the rescue of TaeEul in the middle of the road.
Hmm…I have to talk about the cinematography of that scene. Ugh! So many things to write about, so little time!
Episode 13
And finally, the tree that Welmaris spotted.
I have a write-up for this scene in a post. I’ll link it to here when I’m done.
Now, you might ask what’s so special about this tree?
“I don’t know.” My guess is as good as yours. 🙂
There’s one tree in this kdrama that’s important. It’s this tree shown in the opening credits.
I’ve written about this already, so I’m giving the newbie readers/lurkers a chance to back-read the post. I’m attaching the link.
Read this: Bamboo or Tree?
In the opening credit of this kdrama, a big tree was struck by lightning.
The lightning reached all the way down to its roots.
The lightning broke the flute which appeared out of nowhere.
And it fell into a wormhole filled with math equations.
The tree is relevant to the story.
And to me, the fact that Lee Gon consistently stood before this tree in this courtyard whenever he was waiting or deciding on something, meant two things:
a. the tree was linked to his enlightenment or awakening.
b. the tree was linked to his destiny. He might be pondering about this destiny whenever he stood in front of the tree.
In Episode 9, he spoke about fate and destiny with Prince Buyeong shortly before Prince Buyeong died.
Ep 9 at 1:02:46
LG: Uncle, do you believe in fate?
PB: It’s a hard concept for a math and science person.
LG: It’s not something clear. People usually tell fate to move aside and challenge it. Should I fight against it?
PB: You can never know what will happen in life. But if there’s a place you want to reach, even if your life may be at risk, that is destiny. The footsteps you take by risking your whole life is what’s destiny.
PB: (continuing) Is there a place you want to reach?
LG: Yes. There is.
PB: Then you just have to go there. You don’t need to fight. I hope there is a beautiful lady there. You really should get married this year.
LG: If I find a solution, I will visit you again with a woman who argues that the earth is flat.
PB: Alright. I’ll be waiting, Your Majesty. It’s the first sunrise of the new year.
Remember, what I said between the difference between fate and destiny in the English language. Fate is passive. Destiny is active.
The place that you want to reach is called DESTINATION, not “fate-nation.” It means you establish a firm goal, and you just have to get there, even if it means risking your life.
@packmule3 Just wanted to point out (in case it has not been mentioned before on this blog) that the tree with yellow leaves in LG’s garden is a gingko tree. I read from the behind the scenes shooting notes that LG and TE often meet in the gingko garden in LG’s palace. I believe the tree shown at the beginning of the drama os a gingko tree too.
I went to Google images and typed yellow gingko tree and got the exact same image. Apparently the tree turns yellow in fall.
Also from the net, here’s what the gingko biloba tree signifies in eastern cultures:
It is the oldest surviving tree species on earth which has survived for thousands of years without change. It is thus considered to be a symbol of changelessness, possessing miraculous power, bearer of hope and a symbol of love. Because of all its properties, it is associated with longevity. Doesn’t that resonate with the “eternal” concept of this drama?
Gingko trees also symbolize duality, the importance of both ying and yang (how TE is LG’s answer) and how light and darkness are both of equal import.
I think that’s why the writer and the director keep emphasizing gingko trees in this drama because of their symbolism.
@packmule @welmaris thank you for this! It is amazing how many tiny details are weaved into the story, & how you are so astute to pick them up.
@phoenix I had goosebumps reading your comment that the tree is a gingko tree. It makes sense! Was just watching Ep 3 with hubs ytd, & remarked to him that the trees in the park where LG experienced his first time stop (where TE was tying up her hair) are ginkgo trees as well. When time froze, there were golden leaves suspended in mid-air, and LG pushes one aside when walking to the frozen TE. The leaf he pushes aside is definitely a ginkgo leaf, their shape are very distinctive.
Thanks, Phoenix. I’ll edit my post later to add this.
Went to search a little more about gingko trees. I read that the wood is soft but it is used for carving in certain cultures. There are Korean flutes carved from gingko wood: http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=163690408404&category=10183&pm=1&ds=0&t=1557895522000&ver=0&cspheader=1 (@packmule I recall you mentioned that the flute might have been made from the tree?)
Side note: gingkos are observed to drop all their leaves at the same time, instead of gradually over a period of time, leaving all the trees bare & the ground golden with leaves https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/545585/
@packmule3 You are most welcome😃
@JT7 Yes that park scene with time freezing is full of yellow shades of gingko trees in fall. I think it denotes the eternal nature of LG and TE’s relationship. I think it’s a beautiful symbolic way of showing eternity and endurance with the gingko tree.
Wow @JT7 Those Korean flutes carved from gingko tree just tie nicely together with our story, isn’t that so, @packmule3?
https://twitter.com/ughggone/status/1267654720266485760
Hmm @mychoiyoung Even those trees look yellow in fall. Interesting.Though the garden in the palace seems to be a gingko garden, because I read it on Soompi.
Thanks @mychoiyoung! After you shared I fell down a rabbithole looking up the various trees: ginkgo, katsura, and gyesu. It’s interesting because all 3 have folklore/symbolism associated with them, & they all can link back to the plot:
GINKGO (Ginkgo biloba): “The ginkgo has been a symbol of longevity (the tree can live for a thousand years) and of a more profound endurance (four ginkgos survived the blast at Hiroshima and are still growing today)” http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/professional_development/conference/2009/climate_change/ginkgo.html
As @phoenix pointed out the tree has golden yellow leaves in the autumn. We see ginkgo trees during LG’s first time stop at the park, when he sees TE tying her hair. I also noticed that LG’s bamboo grove/racetrack is also near a forest of ginkgo, we see him riding through yellow foliage in Episode 1. I’d like to think the tree in the palace courtyard is a ginkgo.
KATSURA (Cercidiphyllum japonicum): This tree is one of the largest hardwoods in Asia. The leaves turn yellow in the fall, and give off a caramel smell, like cotton candy. I thought this was probably what TE smelt when she was abducted by LL, as she describes it as a sweet smell like cotton candy.
Folklore:
1. “Japanese folklore presents Katsura Tree as the means by which gods descended from the heavens and symbolized the joining of earth and sky.” (https://sunyorange.edu/inttreetour/cercidiphyllum_japonicum.html)
2. “In the Japanese legend, a gardener, Katsura-Otoko, lives on the moon and prunes the giant Katsura tree each night, little-by-little, until the shadow across the moon gets smaller and smaller and a full moon appears in our sky. The Katsura tree grows quickly however and soon the shade from its leaves blocks out the moon once again. Katsura-Otoko’s task is never finished and he remains an eternal gardener.”
https://www.castlehoward.co.uk/DB/blog/tree-of-the-month-katsura
The reference to the joining of the earth and sky reminded me of the picture of the tree in the opening credits, as well as the mention of the sky & ground in the legend of the Four Tiger Sword. I thought it was interesting that the other legend is linked to the moon, we do see other references to the moon in the show (TE talks about the rabbit on the moon on the helicopter, & the reflection of the full moon is shown in a puddle during the scene when TE meets LG on 11/11. )
GYESU (Cinnamomum pedunculatum, Japanese cinnamon): This is the part I am confused, as while TE talks about the trees smelling like cotton candy, Jangmi’s double says the smell is probably from cinnamon trees. Both are sweet smells, but I don’t think cotton candy smells like cinnamon?? Anyway, I’m including this here since the gyesu is linked to folklore about rabbits in the moon.
Folklore: I wouldn’t copy the entire story here as it’s long, but it’s basically the legend of the moon rabbit, who sacrifices itself as a meal for the Great Emperor.
“Another symbol is that of the smoke that was placed around the rabbit in the moon by the emperor. As mentioned earlier, the smoke has been interpreted by some as appearing to be a gyesu tree. Gyesu trees are known for their sturdiness and longevity of life and their bark is also used to make cinnamon, a spice that has long been used for medicinal purposes.”
https://gwangjunewsgic.com/arts-culture/korean-culture/daltokki/
I assume this is the legend that TE refers to when she asks LG about rabbits in the moon. I wonder if this is a foreshadowing of her death, since she is the white rabbit in a sense, & she might sacrifice herself to save LG?
Anyway, I’d like to think the inclusion of these symbolic trees might be for purpose of comparison: LG’s portal is near Ginkgo trees, which symbolize longevity & endurance. He is, after all, supposed to be the eternal monarch, & his legacy will continue to live on. LL’s portal is in a grove of katsura, which might point to the futility of LL’s plan. He is like Katsura-Otoko who is trapped in a never-ending cycle: he is going to try over and over to obtain the other half of the flute & create his own world order, but he will not succeed because he is going against the flow of nature & disrupting the balance of things.
Argh I typed a looooong comment about the folklore behind the gyesu, katsura & ginkgo trees… but it can’t seem to go through! I don’t think I used a banned word… hmmm. @packmule I will just drop an email with the info to you ok?
Wow @JT7.sounds very interesting. I love this kind of research on trees and flowers, just like we did for that magic lily😃 Would love to read about katsura and gingko and the mythology behind them.
A tip I use for long posts – I usually type entire post on OneNote first and then come and paste it in the blog. That way, I’m not going to lose what I’ve written if wi-fi goes off midway or laptop shuts down etc. Also helps me re-read and spell check long posts. For shorter comments of course, I get impatient and just post using my phone, which is why there may be spelling errors sometimes because my phone has a mind of its own🙄
🙂 It’s okay. I approved it already.
Yay thanks @packmule!
@phoenix Thanks for the tip!!
I just took a closer look at the tree in the opening credits. I’m positive its a ginkgo. If you look closely at the moment when the lightning hits the tree, the top leaves are illuminated & they are in the shape of ginkgo leaves.
That’s interesting too, mychoiyoung. The gyesu or katsura tree.
Thanks. 👍
Let me think about this and post on the blog.
@JT7 I love those folklores! I’m in awe of the writer if she truly used all that symbolism, which I’m sure she had well thought out on how to weave into our story. I sinply love the Katsura-Otoko story and the one about the moon rabbit sacrificing itself for the emperor. Wonderful!
Interestingly, almost all cultures have moon related folklore. Unrelated to TKEM but I can’t resist sharing. Greek/Celtic folklore have a myth about the Moon Spinners who were goddesses/spirits on the moon who wind up the moon into yarns of silver thread as it wanes, winding its light in their spindles. On the new moon night when they had wound up the entire moon and it was no longer in the sky, they eould descend to the sea to wash their spindles, and begin spinning light into a new moon again. I find that just so beautiful.
That palace garden is indeed a ginkgo garden, if this article is to be believed:
https://channels.vlive.tv/C7A6F1/vtoday/1.14556466
@packmule3
Dont know if it was intended but your point (a) made me think of Buddha.
He attained enlightenment by meditating under a tree 🙂
Aw, shucks, @Packmule! I’m so honored.
Please check your email. I’ve sent you a project I just finished: a compilation of all known world crossings, time stops, and people transferred. I hope it is helpful.
Yes. 👍👍 I intended Point A to be a reference to Buddha. 🙂
Thanks, Welmaris. Will look at them tonight.
The yard by Na Ri’s cafe and the taekwando center, where Maximus was stabled, also has at least one large ginko tree.
Yes @Welmaris, I read a shooting related post too that the courtyard of TE’s house has a gingko tree. Also the first episode where LG rides on Maximus along a tree lined avenue – those are all gingko trees. Apparently that was day 1 shoot for the unit
Yeah I believe KES said in an interview it was a ginkgo tree (before the drama aired). They had to use a crane to move it to the spot or something. I think I mentioned it in an earlier post when I was still watching.
This is interesting. Initially I perceived the tree’s purpose was to show the passing seasons and anchors of the footage… after looking at the screenshots that @packmule3 has shared – I see the roots in each footage and how it never change, stable as time goes… how things will revert back its roots, its origins (or even root of a number)
@phoenix @JT7 love the share and its symbolism! Thank you! Went to do some research too on the possible trees. Because pine tree is a national tree for Korea but the leaves didn’t show the needle like look. So was wondering what it was.
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@pkml3 Looks like I missed replying to this post. You asked a question in your article. Since in Ep 9, LG went to the sea front and met his Uncle Buyeong there, like he does every year, it sounded more like a set date like New Year’s Day Jan 1st. They called it the first sunrise of the new year.
In between this scene, LL hears from Minion that SJ and TE are investigating Yeon Ji and decides to go back to KOC.
Soon after in Ep 9, LG is in his courtyard watching the snow and wishes TE an happy New Year. So this is the same Jan 1st New Year. As LL passes through to KOC, time freezes and LG goes to confront LL in Haeundae.
Seems to be some time after this, in Ep 10, we have LG riding like crazy to see TE in ROK and he gets back to KOC just 2 days before the Lunar New Year.
Later TE and her Squad 3 team are resting after a Lunar New Year night shift, while in KOC LG is making a New Year speech on the year of the White Rat. 🙂
@phoenix: it’s intriguing to see how different cultures have different myths about the moon!
@nrllee you are like the BoD’s current affairs department! Quite amazing that they even crane-lifted a tree to the site.
@haengbok9: Ooh, I didn’t know that Korea’s national tree was the pine!
Oh, I just noticed, there are also ginkgo trees at the site where they shot the scene where Lee Sang Do’s double’s body was found in the boot of Kim Bok Man’s car. They seem to be everywhere around LG and TE!