As we near closer to the date of Valentine’s Day where single women over 30 are driven to near suicide with the “dinner-for-two” specials and men are forced to buy crap for their significant others that they clearly don’t need (oh, but how it makes them feel so loved), let’s take a moment to celebrate the art of the penis.
Outside of Samcheok City is Haeshindang Park, otherwise known as Penis Park. The story goes that a couple, madly in love and soon to be wed met a tragic end when the high tide swept the young woman into the sea. The next day, fishermen did not catch any fish. After that the sea dried up. Believing they were cursed, the townspeople wondered what to do, until a local fisherman relieved himself in the sea. The fish returned. And because of this so-called “miracle”, penis statues were erected (pun intended) and placed in view of the shore. Not sure why they didn’t also create a bunch of statues of men peeing into the sea, but whatever.
Today nearly fifty sculpted phallus, from a totem pole ding-a-ling to a penis-shaped nose, greet visitors who can sit on dong projectile benches and admire the sea while honoring the old folk tale. Small shacks house anatomy-esque art collections dedicated to genitalia; like a wang wind chime and a giant, orange joystick. There is also a penis shaped cannon and three penis soldiers standing guard. Considering the United States gets uptight about a nipple accidentally shown on television, well, I don’t expect a Penis Park in our nation’s capitol anytime soon.
