[UPDATE: I’m led to believe this site was cleaned up some years ago. Consider this a remnant of what was. Alas, this was but a temporary site…]
Let’s call this one NSFC — Not Safe For Christians.
And now, for something completely different — the abandoned site someone could actually stumble across without even trying. Presenting what’s left of the Songdo Bible Park in the Songdo Central Park. A little history is in order here, especially for the sake of posterity. According to ticket provider Interpark, the Songdo Bible Expo opened on August 27, 2010, shortly before Typhoon Kompasu came through and ravaged the area on September 1st and 2nd. The website UER.ca (Urban Exploration Resources) reports that “A poor attempt was made to repair the mannequins, then they were all just left out, exposed to the elements.” I’m far from the first to photograph the sorry state of what’s left (see Flowerprint’s look at the expo before the typhoon, Cesar Harada’s post just after the typhoon or daehanmindecline’s look at the place). The fact that it still hasn’t been cleaned up looks bad for both the organizer and for Songdo — especially considering the tens of billions of won going into the area.
While some sights are somewhat undisturbed, it’s still disturbing to see so many Sunday-school lessons overgrown by weeds.
Because it’s no fun when that guy at the party that loses his head.
Sometimes it’s interesting just to pass by and see what survived (and what didn’t).
Oh, dear. It almost feels like I’m covering a frat party the morning after.
Sometimes it’s a little harder to look at a scene and know what’s going on. While some of the signage has survived, I didn’t see anything around this exhibit.
Only two crosses? Now I know something’s going on here… Not pictured nearby was a full-size Noah’s Ark — made of beer bottles.
Ahh, there’s the other one. I thought he was supposed to take up the cross, not be riding on it.
Jonah, meet the whale.
Looks like the creation story got off to a rocky start.
A building made of tens of thousands of plates — yes, plates. If you wanted, you could head there now with a knife and leave with enough dinner plates for a lifetime.
Daniel in the Lion’s Den — apparently time and the typhoon was less kind to him than the lions were.
Egyptian slaves never looked so healthy and well fed.
To be blunt, this is blasphemy of the unexpected variety. If you went to Sunday School as a kid, you may chuckle with the Biblical references someone else might otherwise miss. While it doesn’t seem intentional, it is surprising that whatever entity was in charge of putting the exhibits up never took them down. Since they’re not likely to stay up forever (the Songdo Central Park area is otherwise in wonderful condition), come on out to see it as soon as possible. It’s a weird combination of surreal and ‘what-the-kimchi?’ you’re unlikely to see anywhere else in the world.
