The Bamboo Cathedral

By Isaiah Winters

Aesthetically pleasing churches are among the rarest structures to find abandoned. Churchgoers tend to be older, conservative, and tenacious, so it usually takes an extended period of die-offs and depopulation for a rural house of God to shutter and fall into disrepair. In all my years of providing the Korean public with unsolicited appraisals, I can recall only a handful of churches I’d call quasi-charming. This year’s first photo essay features one of these rarities: the bamboo cathedral.

After a long winter hike in Gokseong-gun, I spotted this church on the drive home just before sunset and nearly salivated upon arrival. Entombed in towering bamboo, the external structure gave off a dignified, almost elegant ambiance. By contrast, the inside was dark, drab, and dilapidated. I found an unsecured crucifix on stage and hurriedly used it as a photo prop before daylight faded. This delayed my discovery of a bevy of printed materials in a backroom, which will have to remain unread until I return. In the meantime, I wonder when architectural troves such as this church will finally get “discovered” as cool and turned into overpriced café-bakeries.

The Author
Born and raised in Chino, California, Isaiah Winters is a pixel-stained wretch who loves writing about Gwangju and Honam, warts and all. He particularly likes doing unsolicited appraisals of abandoned Korean properties. You can find much of his photography on Instagram @d.p.r.kwangju.