According to historical data, kings used to present goosefoot canes to long-lived elders, starting in the Unified Shilla era. Nowadays the tradition in Korea is for the president to give Cheongryeojang to 100-year olds on Parents’ Day. Thus it is nicknamed “President’s cane.” Cheongryeojang is lightweight and sturdy.
While serving Gwangseok Jungang Methodist Church for the past 41 years, Rev. Choi has always looked for extra work to do.
“Almost all the elders in our village use canes. But I noticed many using just an umbrella or a wooden stick. That made me sad.”
That’s how he began using his hands to make goosefoot canes.
He showed me a pile of dried goosefoot stalks in the corner of his workshop. During the summer months, the green-leafed goosefoots grow somewhat thicker than ordinary reeds in the field. Rev. Choi searches for goosefoot throughout the nation in early October. He burns off the hairy roots and trims the stalks with a saw. The stalks are boiled in water and dried. This process takes until December.
Starting in the spring, the well-dried canes are colored. This takes up about half of the time required for the entire process. Rev. Choi paints them nine times; each time the paint dries, he sandpapers the stick and repeats the process.
Choi’s goal is 50,000 canes, so he needs to make only 400 more.
Around the time when the interview ended, heavy rain was pouring down. Choi looked outside and said, smiling, “When the rain stops, the goosefoots will grow one foot taller.”
Article and photos by reporter Jang Chang-Il (jangci@kmib.co.kr), from Nonsan, with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Original Article in Korean:
[미션&피플] 어르신들 ‘하나님의 지팡이’ 잡고 걷기를: ‘대통령의 지팡이’ 청려장, 20년째 선물하는 최병남 목사
