Shopofkorea guides
Sipjangsaeng Bookmarks as Thank-You Gifts After Overseas Volunteering
Official product names are shown in Korean. Product pages are in Korean; prices are in South Korean won (KRW).
After finishing overseas volunteer work, you need to prepare thank-you gifts for twenty local collaborators. You are grateful for the time spent together, but everyone has different tastes. When you have to hand something to each of several people, you also have to think about the luggage you will be carrying.
In situations like this, a sipjangsaeng (십장생, the Ten Longevity Symbols) bookmark catches the eye. The idea is to put a heartfelt thank-you into a small Korean keepsake. The remaining question is how to convey the meaning of the pattern, and actual reviews that welcomed the English explanation offer a clue.
A Small Item to Hand to Each of Twenty People
When looking for gifts to share among several friends or colleagues, the weight of what you have to carry comes to mind first. Shop of Korea's introduction to gifts for foreign friends also separates items to give a host from items to share among several friends, because the right thing to choose changes depending on who is receiving it and the circumstances of giving. This particular thank-you is closer to handing something individually to collaborators you worked alongside.
The 금장책갈피-십장생부채 (Geumjang Chaekgalpi–Sipjangsaeng Buchae, gold-plated bookmark in a fan shape with sipjangsaeng motif) weighs 10 g. Its dimensions are 2.3 cm wide by 8.5 cm tall. A metal base is finished with gold plating and accented with a traditional Korean knot. For someone who has to pack several of them, this small size and weight is likely the first thing that stands out.
Its function as a bookmark also helps with the decision. A collaborator who reads will be able to slip it into the page they are on. A small keepsake received at a farewell ends up being used in everyday life. That said, size and weight alone may not be enough to make up one's mind.
A Wish for Peace and Well-Being Conveyed Through Sipjangsaeng
This bookmark is a metal ornament made in Jeonju. A fan-shaped form is intricately decorated with landscapes, the sun, clouds, and a taeguk (태극, the yin-yang symbol used in Korean tradition) pattern. Even in a small object, Korean traditional motifs are present.
Sipjangsaeng is a gilsangmun (길상문, auspicious pattern) symbolizing longevity, peace, and good fortune. When handing it to a collaborator, it can be explained as a wish for their health and well-being. It is a way of adding to the gratitude for working together a hope that they will continue to thrive.
If that meaning resonates, another form carrying the same sipjangsaeng motif also comes into view. The 둥근 금색 책갈피 - 십장생 (Dunggeun Geumsaek Chaekgalpi–Sipjangsaeng, round gold-colored bookmark with sipjangsaeng motif) measures 4.5 cm in both width and height. It is a metal bookmark bearing the sipjangsaeng pattern, finished with a blue traditional knot cord.
The same wish can be conveyed in a round form as well. When deliberating between the two bookmarks, what divides the choice is whether the meaning of sipjangsaeng alone is appealing, or whether the fan shape is also to one's liking. Once the shape is chosen, the next step is preparing what to say. Whether the meaning can be explained easily is the remaining question.
A Buyer's Review Praising the English Explanation
One buyer of the 금장책갈피-십장생부채 wrote: "I also like that there is an explanation in English." The same review also included the response: "My foreign friends love it."
What this buyer appreciated was not only the appearance. They specifically mentioned that an English explanation was included. This is worth noting for anyone who finds it difficult to explain Korean traditional patterns in English, because it means the person giving the gift does not have to prepare every word themselves.
The positive reaction from foreign friends also lends weight to the decision. However, this response is the experience reported by one buyer. Whether the reason was the symbolism of sipjangsaeng or the English explanation cannot be determined. Thinking about the individual tastes of twenty collaborators is still necessary. Even so, the review welcoming the English explanation and the positive reaction from foreign friends are worth taking into account.
A Final Word to Add at the End of Time Spent Together
Thinking about the recipient makes the reason for choosing a bookmark clearer. A collaborator who reads frequently can use a bookmark right away. For a collaborator who has shown interest in Korean patterns, the story of sipjangsaeng becomes the start of a conversation.
In fact, a review for the 금장책갈피- 대한민국전도 (Geumjang Chaekgalpi–Daehanminguk Jeondo, gold-plated bookmark with a map of Korea) mentions choosing it for someone who reads a great deal. The same review also notes the thought that it would make a good gift for introducing Korea. It is a real example of someone choosing a bookmark with the recipient's reading habits in mind.
What this particular thank-you most wants to convey is a wish for peace and well-being. In that case, there is reason to set one's heart on the sipjangsaeng motif and the fan shape. All that remains is to add the words: "Thank you for being with me, and I hope you stay healthy and at peace."
The reasons for choosing the 금장책갈피-십장생부채 do not end with it being small and light. There is also a review that welcomed the English explanation and a positive reaction from foreign friends. Add to that a short prepared remark conveying the meaning of sipjangsaeng, and the expression of gratitude at the close of overseas volunteer work becomes all the more clear.
If You Want to Compare a Broader Range of Products
The pages below link only to product categories that connect directly to the selection criteria in this article.
- Bookmarks – Metal — Other patterns in metal bookmarks can be viewed here. It is a category worth comparing once before making a decision based on the meaning of sipjangsaeng and the review praising the English explanation.
- Gifts for Foreign Friends — A collection of small items to give to foreign friends. It is useful to browse alongside this article when first looking for small thank-you gifts to share among several local collaborators.