Luckily just south of Gwangju, Haenam County boasts some beautiful beaches for those who crave sand and sun, but not the crushing masses and poking umbrellas of Busan’s Haeundae. The water is calm, thanks to the protective islands scattered around the coast, and the scenery is spectacular, thanks to the fields of rice, garlic, and onion that spill out of the mountains in varying shades of emerald.

Grab a towel, brush up on your Korean, and don’t forget the sunblock. We’re going to the beach!

Sagu-ri (사구리)

Sagu-ri, a sleepy beach village (even by sleepy beach-village standards) is ideal for those seeking to get away from the bright lights of Gwangju and lose themselves in pensive contemplation, languorous relaxation, or rural Jeollanam-do. There’s not much to do here besides lounge on the long, sandy beach and, as long as you don’t mind sharing it with snoozing fishing boats and some discarded gear, chances are good you’ll have it to yourself.

A handful of small, clean minbaks stand idly on a narrow, quiet road behind the beach. A seafood restaurant and a mart are located at the entrance to the village near the parking lot, though both were closed when I stopped by. Bring your own supplies if it’s early or late in the season.

Songho-ri (송호리)

Songho-ri is another idyllic beach-village, though considerably less sleepy than Sagu-ri. It boasts the distinction of being the southern-most beach on the mainland, and so can be fairly popular in the high-season.

A small playground on the wide, sandy beach gets swamped at high tide, and at low tide you can walk out a thousand feet without getting your ankles wet. The village sees enough traffic on the road to Ddang-ggeut (“Land’s End”) that the lone restaurant and numerous marts remain open for most of the summer. A bunch of minbaks are scattered around, walk around until you find one with a room available.

A 20-minute walk along the road out of town takes you to Ddang-ggeut, the southern-most point on the mainland. It’s a resort-y place: neon lights and hotels abound, but it doesn’t have the feel of a real tourist trap. Dozens of seafood restaurants and a wooded park at the real Land’s End make it worth spending an afternoon here, but those looking for a beach should keep going.

Yesong-ri (예송리)

Yesong-ri is a gorgeous pebble beach, located in a protected cove on the island of Bogil-do. In the summer, families will set up tents right on the beach, grilling meat and drinking maekolli until the sun goes down. The water is calm and deep – only a few meters out from shore and you’ll find yourself treading water as a motorboat drags shrieking kids in an inner-tube around the cove. Don’t take any pebbles back with you – it’s illegal.

Buses run from the ferry terminal to Bogil-myeon, a small town with a couple restaurants, a bank and a motel, though for those going to Yesong-ri, a taxi (around 5,000 won) might be a better bet. There are minbaks in the village closer to the beach, but they can fill up during the busy season.

Getting there:

The easiest way to reach the beaches of Haenam is to catch a direct bus from Gwangju to Ddang-ggeut (땅끝) – it takes 2½ hours and costs 14,300 won. From there, hop on a local bus (1,000 won) going left to Songho-ri (2km away) or right to Sagu-ri (7km), or walk if the weather’s nice. A ferry from there to Bogil-do costs 5,700 won and takes a half-hour.

If you miss the bus directly to Ddang-ggeut, frequent buses from Haenam City can drop you off at either beach and cost about 4,000 won. The gentleman at Gates 7 and 8 will make sure you get on the right one.

By Jake Melville

Other Relaxing Places in Jeollanam-do

Many people are usually planning to go to beach for summer vacation. But there are other ways to enjoy summer in Jeollanam-do. There are many beautiful, joyful, restful places located in Jeollanam-do, or near Gwangju city.

Myeongsasimni beach (명사십리)

Myeongsasimni is located in Wando-gun on Sinji island, and is one of the beautiful beaches in korea Myeongsasimni is known for its beautiful sand. It’s breadth is almost 100m and length is four kilometers, and the white sandy beach is the pride of Myeongsasimni. The sand is said to be good for treating neuralgia, arthritis, and skin ailments.

To go by car, drive to Wando, and take the Sinji Bridge, or by bus, go to Wando Terminal (14,400 won, about 2hrs) and transfer to the local bus to the beach. In high season, occassional direct buses run from Gwangju’s U-Square terminal. Beware that this popular beach draws the crowds at peak times.

http://tour.wando.go.kr

(061)-550-5650

Gwanmae-do (관매도)

Gwanmae-do is one of the most scenic islands of the Jindo islands. It has pure nature; ocean, sand and trees, so it is a popular and famous place to rest. There is beautiful forest, made of pine trees, for sand arrestation. The forest is huge and fresh and it gives you a calm and good feeling. Gwanmae-do also have distinct sights, known as the 8 Sights of Gwanmae, made up of waterfalls, rock shapes, caves etc. Gwanmae-do is a great place to escape from it all.

To get there, take a bus to Paeng-mok harbor (팽목항, take direct bus to 진도, 11,000w, 3hrs,  then change), then a ferry (1 hr).

(061)544-0151

http://tour.jindo.go.kr/

PaengMok harbor (061-544-5353)

Damyang Juknokwon (담양 죽녹원, Damyang Bamboo Park)

In Damyang, there is a bamboo park named ‘Juknokwon’. Damyang is famous for bamboo and people made the park in 2003. There, we can stroll through the woods of the bamboo forest, called ‘jungnimnyok’. A lot of negative ions are produced in bamboo area, which are good for blood, and alpha waves, which relax us. Moreover, bamboo forest is cool because there are so much oxygen. If you want to avoid the heat, going to beach is not the only way.  There are 8 trails through the forest, named Good luck way, byway, love will never change way, old friend way, byway of memory, Seonginsan oreum way, philosopher’s way and Seonbi’s way, as well as an ecology exhibit hall, 4 gazebos, and 4 rest areas. Each trail has its own name and story, and takes 3 to 15 minutes.

Admission: Adults 2,000won/ Youth 1,500won

You can take bus from U square (2,000won) and it takes 40minutes

Phone: (061)380-3244

www.juknokwon.org/ (Korean)

Boseong Yulpo (율포)

Yulpo beach, in Boseong, was designated as a national tourist attraction in 1991, and is well equipped with convenience facilities. There are beach, pool and green tea hot spring bath, and nice scenery. The pool was made so that people could enjoy swimming regardless of tides. Additionally, in Boseong there is the only green tea hot spring bath in Korea. (Boseong being is famous for green tea.) The green tea hot spring bath was made in 1998 and designed to watch beach and ocean while bathing. Around Yulpo beach, there are many other attractions such as Boseongdawon (green tea field), Yongchu valley falls.

You can take bus from U square, costing 8,800w and it takes 1hour and 50 minutes to go there.

www.boseong.go.kr/ko/culture/tour/travelmap/t_course/yul_beach/ (Korean)

Phone: (061)853-4566

Beach Pool: Adults 14,000won (peak season 20,000) / Youth 10,000won (peak season 15,000won)

Yulpo Green tea hot spring bath: Adults 5,000won/ Youth 3,000won

Summer already come to us. Hot and humid weather will be annoying us during this summer time. But don’t worry, we have resting place to go, and just feel, enjoy and love this summer.

By ROHINWOO, YONGHOON JANG

ROHINWOO is sophomore in Chonnam National University

YONGHOON JANG is a home-school student

]]> http://gwangjunews.net/2010/07/pick-up-and-go-beaches-of-haenam-county/feed/ 0 http://gwangjunews.net/2010/07/suncheon-south-korea-%e2%80%93-a-first-class-%e2%80%98green%e2%80%99-city/ http://gwangjunews.net/2010/07/suncheon-south-korea-%e2%80%93-a-first-class-%e2%80%98green%e2%80%99-city/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:09:07 +0000 Maria LisaK http://gwangjunews.net/?p=1183 Na Ok Hyeon

Suncheon City: International Cooperation Manager

The 2013 Garden Expo Team

Located in the southern part of South Korea, Suncheon City is a small urban-rural city with a population of 270,000. The city is spread over an area of 907㎢ of which 70% is mountainous.

It is a popular place for living as it offers spectacular nature (mountains, fields, lakes and the sea). It also offers a wide variety of local products.

As an eco-city, Suncheon is blessed with three rivers, the Dongcheon, Okcheon and Isacheon, all three of which run through the downtown area.

Suncheon Bay (a protected wetland area just outside the city) is accredited as one of the world’s five shore-wetlands. In 2006 it was registered with the Ramsar Convention and became a first for South Korea. Within Korea it was designated as ‘Beautiful National Site No.41.’

On October 26, 2008 Suncheon hosted the Ramsar International NGO Conference. More than 150 people from 50 different countries participated.

Suncheon Bay is seen as a natural-ecosystem-treasure. It’s a region formed by a field of reeds that reaches out for more than 21㎢ into the wide shore of Korea’s South Sea. It is home to 200 kinds of birds and 120 different species of salt plants as well as a variety of fish and shellfish.

Summer at Suncheon Bay

Suncheon Bay is a very popular eco tourism destination. As many as 2,600,000 people visit the Bay every year.

Suncheon’s goals are to transform itself into the Ecological Capital of Korea and to be ranked as one of the best green city of the world. To be able to do this the City has set clear goals to preserve Suncheon Bay as a natural heritage for future generations.

The City also decided to host the International Garden Expo in 2013. This Expo will focus on green industry development such as solar energy, sustainable garden development and electronic transportation. It hopes that through the Garden Expo it can transform Suncheon Bay from a local tourist attraction into an international, world-class, tourist destination. This, the city hopes, will result in an increase of available job opportunities for local women and senior citizens.

The Garden Expo will be held over a period of six months, starting April 20, 2013 and finishing on October 20, 2013.

Suncheon is also setting out to enhance the quality of life for its citizens. It started to implement Carbon Level Monitoring Systems so that citizens can benefit from reduced city carbon levels.

Every school in the city, from primary to high school, has started a 1-hour environmental awareness class per week, and on Saturdays, organic flea markets are held in the downtown area. The city is currently in the process of developing four huge public parks. This will include the area set aside for the Garden Expo.

As a prominent area of the South Coast of Korea, Suncheon’s goal is to maintain a pleasant urban environment that will correspond positively to climate change caused by global warming. The city seeks to establish sustainable, economic progress by enhancing the skills and abilities of all its citizens. This means the development of progressive health policies, first class global-education, and a supportive, convenient residential environment.

Please join me, and the citizens of Suncheon in stepping into our ‘garden.’ Together we can make it one of the best green places on the planet.

As summer is heading into full swing and a holiday may be beckoning, there is one coastal city that every visitor to Korea should visit at least once. That city is Busan. Situated on the southwest coast, Busan is only 280 km from Gwangju and provides nothing less than a great escape.

As Korea’s second largest city, Busan boasts a wider population of 4.5 million. It shares the title of “sister city” with many across the globe, including Chicago, Montreal, Western Cape (South Africa) and Auckland (New Zealand). It’s also home to a growing number of foreigners. According to a study conducted by the Busan City Government, one in a hundred residents are expats, with Busan’s foreign population reaching out to over 40,000 this year. It’s easy to see why. Attractive scenery, great cuisine, efficient public transport, and an attractive nightlife are but a few reasons to claim a memory or two.

Due to its geographical location, Busan was always destined to become an important trading port in Asia, primarily with Japan. When the Japanese invaded Korea in 1592 Busan’s importance soared and the ports saw a massive reconstruction. The city was exposed to the rest of the world in the late nineteenth century and became Korea’s first international port. During Japanese occupation (1910-1945) Korea’s infrastructure advanced and trade flourished. This included materials such as iron, steel, paper and ceramics.

During the early days of the Korean War (1950-1953) Busan was named the temporary capital for one week after the initial fall of Seoul to the invading North Koreans. During this brief period Busan was never captured by the Communists.

Today Busan holds a piece of everything that is magical in Korea, from the rugged hillside surrounding the city and dropping onto the coastline, to the marketplaces and regular cultural performances that are scattered throughout. It is the perfect place to spend a holiday in Korea, particularly if you love the embrace of the ocean.

One place that is worth a mention is Haeundae. With the beautiful backdrop of hills behind it and a top array of cuisine and nightlife, Haeundae Beach has proved to be a popular tourist destination. It provides a great break particularly for those residing away from the coast. Summer tends to draw the masses and will see the beach packed with volleyball games, water sports and other general mischief that comes with the territory. However, if this sounds uninviting, then try to plan a midweek trip when the crowds have dissipated. You may also be able to get a better rate on accommodation. Motels can be pricey the closer you want to be to the beach, but there are a few gems if you look hard enough. Expect to pay around 50,000 won a night for decent accommodation. There are also camping grounds and even traditional hanok houses for a great traditional experience in your trip.

The cuisine in and around Haeundae will not disappoint. Buccella’s on Haeundae Beach makes some insane sandwiches that will rival any in the city. A stone’s throw away on a neighbouring beach, Gwangalli holds a fantastic selection of restaurants. Make sure to drop by Breeze Burns for breakfast – they have some fine burgers and an all-day breakfast that will have any mortal man salivating.

Haeundae creates an amazing nightlife atmosphere. If you want to find some banging clubs then head to Busan National University or along Texas Street. Besides the nightclub scene, Haeundae Beach can put on a real show. Blazed up with neons, all along the beachfront you can find something for you. The weekend of Korea’s opening World Cup match against Greece saw the beach packed with thousands of screaming Red Devil fans, cheering on the historic win on the big screen. It was a very impressive display of unity which gripped the emphatic fans.

The boardwalk along from Haeundae to Gwangalli is a must for visitors. Snaking its way along the coastline, you will eventually reach the APEC House (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation). In 2005 Busan hosted the summit and erected the building especially for the meeting. Right on the water’s edge, leaders from the region were greeted with breathtaking views as they exited the meeting room. A wonderful display of typical Korean hospitality. Gwangalli also hosts the Annual Busan Fireworks Festival. Witnesses of last year’s event described it as the best show of fireworks they had ever seen, and is watched by an estimated 1.3 million people. The event takes place on the 22nd and 23rd of October this year. Definitely worth checking out.

Busan certainly is a city of contrasts. It holds all the hustle-and-bustle typical of any city culture but, on the same token, also provides a relaxing atmosphere with its grand beaches and coastal climate. It also has an ambitious outlook. These include plans to expand the port harbour and also placing a bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games (based on the back of the hosting of the 2002 Asian Games). Busan has a lot to offer any taste and will leave you wanting more. The great thing is the accessibility from Gwangju. The buses are frequent and no mean stretch for a ride just a little over three hours.

By Julian Raethel

The Gyeongju guide books and travel literature can be a bit overwhelming at first because there are so many things listed as “a must see”. Don’t get me wrong, everything in this city deserves attention, but on a weekend trip the average sightseer will have to pick and choose which of the many wonders they will witness. Luckily, when you get off the bus, there is a tourist information booth around the corner and to your right which provides visitors with a very good map of the city. It identifies a few different zones in and around Gyeongju, and for us, it grouped them together by area so we could begin to plan our precious two days of exploring.

It was then that we set our sights on the Mt. Tohamsan area, which houses both Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. After conversing with some helpful locals, we found ourselves headed East on the #10 Bus. After about 30 minutes on the crowded, stuffy bus, we arrived at what would be the most amazing temple I had ever seen. The entranceway was several stories high and seemed more like a gigantic fortress than a Buddhist temple built over 1000 years ago. It is comprised of a massive double-sectioned staircase with a bridge and 33 stairs leading into the temple compound. Bulguksa has been named “Historic and Scenic Site No. 1” by the Korean government, and the reasoning for such a designation becomes apparent when you see this astounding piece of history.

Inside the compound, there are several temples with especially impressive Buddhist statues, each seemingly more beautiful than the last. Within the main courtyard there are some incredible stone pagodas, fountains, a central study hall, and many other notable examples of ancient Buddhist art, all of which are surrounded by breathtaking mountain views. Bulguksa Temple alone holds seven of the Korean National treasures in Gyeongju, each providing insight into the kingdom that once ruled most of the Korean Peninsula. It is also currently the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism; we had the pleasant surprise of seeing a smiling group of female monks pass the crowds to an unknown destination, leaving what appeared to be a private wedding ceremony.

After we had soaked in Bulguksa’s splendor, we were ready to make the 4-kilometer hike up to Seokguram Grotto. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for a steep walk up the mountain, especially over a path that had been traveled for thousands of years (You can also take bus #12 from Bulguksa if you aren’t feeling so adventurous or motivated). As we approached the gates of Seokguram, we could hear the bell sounding. We later realized upon arrival, that it was the visitors who had been lining up to get their chance at striking the temple bell. What I also didn’t realize is that Seokguram Grotto is located amidst another smaller temple overlooking the valley below. The actual Grotto has been constructed to protect a 3.48-meter seated Buddha, which has been referred to as “the world’s greatest Buddhist art”.

The wonderfully preserved granite carvings within the grotto are enough to make anyone stand in awe. There are 40 small statues of Buddha on the left and right walls of the antechamber and round chamber leading as a pathway to the giant and beautiful Seokguram Buddha. There were hundreds of people there waiting patiently like us to see such a monument, so our time inside was short, but it was an adequate amount to appreciate what stood before us.

The trip back to downtown Gyeongju was interrupted by a short stop in the Bomun Lake Resort Area. This is the “modern” area of town equipped with a lakeside Hilton, an amusement park, an expo park, and Gyeongju Tower, which is a very cool reverse pagoda. Once we were back at the bus station, we took a taxi to Han Jin Hostel to offload our cargo and get a late lunch. The owner of the hostel was extremely helpful; he had more maps, restaurant recommendations, and on that particular night, information about a festival on the beach.

As the sun set, the festival began. It was the first full moon after the Lunar New Year and there was a giant tower of bamboo and foliage topped with flags written in black paint. The tower was then set on fire by members of the community and continued to burn uninterrupted for hours. The festival happens every year to rid citizens of the previous year’s bad luck, and simultaneously bring in good luck. There were food tents stocked with soju and fireworks and traditional Korean drummers, an added treat to an already outstanding day.

The final order of business for the day/night was to rent bicycles and tour the downtown area under the full moon. The hostel owner had told us that downtown is best traveled by bicycle, and he was correct. As we rode towards our desired locations, we started to see huge mounds of dirt filling all the green space in the city. Then we arrived at The Daerungwon Walled Tomb Park, which boasts 23 ancient tombs, including one standing 120 meters long and 25 meters high. Most of the tombs are lit with ground lights so they can be seen from a distance. These “mounds of dirt” were actually quite impressive and their presence reiterated Gyeongju’s historical past.

From the walled tomb park, we rode through the Banwolseong Fortress, or “Half Moon Fortress”, built in 101 AD, and through the Gyerim Woodland Forest. Both were built close to the old Silla Palace in what is now downtown Gyeongju and served to protect the King. I would recommend cruising through this area on a bicycle as it is impressive to see, though it is spread out over a large area.

After about a 10-minute bike ride, we arrived at the entrance to Anapji Pond. As we entered, I was filled with excitement and began reaching for my camera immediately. This place was like nothing I had ever seen – a fortified stone wall linking together several stunning pagodas encompassing the pond and the three small islands. Seen from afar and lit from beneath, the pagodas, the wall, and the forest canopy all created a flawless reflection in the pond. On this calm, clear, moonlit night, it was incredibly peaceful and serene. Anapji Pond was initially created within the actual palace perimeter in 674 AD and has since been reconstructed for visitors.

Knowing our night was coming to an end, we reluctantly jumped back on the bikes to visit our final destination. This time, it was the ancient Cheomseongdae observatory, the oldest known celestial observatory in the East. With its bottle-shaped rounded edges, it stands 9 meters high. All 27 levels of brick are very beautifully lit from around the base of the structure. From there it was time to say goodbye to our bikes and make the 20-minute walk back to the hostel (which is very close to the bus station). After a long but satisfying day, I came to feel that Gyeongju was both a photographer’s and historian’s dream come true.

The next morning our tentative plan was to hike the Mt. Namsan region. We had been told that a traveler must see Mt. Namsan to fully experience Gyeongju. Here lies over 150 mountain peaks and 40 valleys all packed with temple remains, stone pagodas, and 80 impressive carved Buddha reliefs. The most famous of these is the Chilbulam Carving, which displays seven Buddhas carved into a flat rock face. Buseok Stone is another noteworthy relief, which appears to be Buddha’s head floating in the sky. At the base of the mountain, the lotus covered Seochulji Pond and adjoining folk villages offer even more aesthetic enjoyment.

Unfortunately we weren’t able to explore the Mt. Namsan region, as well as a number of other areas around town, due to unfavorable weather. In the downtown area, there is also Bunhwangsa Temple, possessing the oldest pagoda in Korea, and the site of Hwangyongsa temple, which at one time was the largest temple in the East. There is also the Gyeongju National Museum, which holds thousands of the uncovered cultural relics, closed on Mondays. Furthermore, there is the East Sea region and the Northwest vicinity of town, both with an abundance of interesting locations, best seen in fair weather.

We left Gyeongju that day feeling disappointed that we couldn’t experience all it had to offer, but excited for the day that we could soon return.

What is the Pureungil?

Gwangju was first connected by railroads to speed the exploitations of the area as part of the Japanese colonial policy, causing an influx into Songjeong-ri in 1922. After being established, the railways connected Gwangju to Damyang, Yeosu and Naju. At the beginning of the 1970s, railways found themselves surrounded by the ever expanding Gwangju city. However, because of a lot of noise pollution, traffic jams and train accidents, the Gwangju government decided to move the railways from the centre of the city to the suburbs. Subsequently, Gwangju considered using the abandoned railway lines as a 2nd railroad, but instead, Gwangju citizens, NGO’s and other experts asked to change the former railroad areas into a vibrant green park.

In December 2000, the Gwangju government announced a project named ‘Pureungil’. That was a great endeavor of Gwangju citizens who were trying to build Gwangju’s own park. There was no precedent of changing abandoned railroads into green ways in Korea. Additionally, this project attracted the eyes of many experts, not only in Korea, but also abroad, as a citizen-run remodeling. Nowadays, discarded railways are coming back to the citizens revived into lively spaces and active lands providing a beautiful natural environment for citizens as a connection between past and future.

What is the ‘Pureungil Gardening Movement Headquarters’?
The Pureungil Gardening Movement Headquarters was organized by local citizens, NGOs, and experts to independently manage abandoned railways in March 2003. It was established to lead locals’ own participation, not only to plan, but also to design. To accomplish this purpose, Pureungil’s Headquarters is working to organize a Citizen Autonomy Committee which will be composed of people regardless of age or gender. It means everybody – children, teenagers, university students and other citizens – has the same opportunity as a member of the committee. Furthermore, they always welcome new and innovative ideas from locals. It definitely nourishes the power to move forward the Pureungil movement. Also, the Headquarters develops the ‘planting a million trees movement’. This movement is to create more green space and to increase access between green ways and the surroundings of the city. Especially, there is a program in which leading citizens volunteer to plant a tree and attach their name tag on the trees by themselves.

What is Pureungil’s “Planting a Million Trees Movement?”

Pureungil’s planting a million trees movement is a citizens’ participation movement which plants a tree on abandoned railroads. Organizations, enterprises, and every man and woman who loves Gwangju, regardless of age, gender or occupation, are able to join. The program lets participants get firsthand experience, such as planting the trees by themselves directly on the green ways, attaching their name tags on their trees, and carving each participant’s name on a memorial sculpture when the green ways are established. The entire membership fee will be used for making greenways in Gwangju. In addition, it will be used to purchase private lands surrounding the abandoned railways and to connect divided forests into huge forests around the city.

Someday when you open the door and go to a school, company, or somewhere else, you will see beautiful trees that have come from your heart and your hard work. How beautiful it will be when you take a walk in the park, just a short way from your house. And imagine discovering your name on a sculpture with your families and friends in your city where you live. If you want to make this scenario a reality, please do not hesitate to join. The door is always open.

The bus continued onwards through the idyllic countryside. A couple of ajossis in front of us chattered like schoolboys, pointing out the window at unknown sights as the bus drove on. Muddy brown rice fields spilled down the side of the mountains before settling into valleys. A girl in a pink sweatshirt watched us indifferently as we passed through her small farming town: a cluster of houses and sheds, a mini-mart, a school, a salon and a norae-bang. The two-story buildings were dusty and faded, and I was reminded of a drive through the town in the Shenandoah Mountains in western Virginia where my Mom grew up.

After an hour or so, we arrived at a bustling tourist village nestled in between two large mountains. A short hike through the woods brought us to the entrance to Haein-sa, one of the Three Jewels of Korean Buddhism. Haein-sa, the 1200-year-old temple of Dharma represents the teachings of Buddha. It is home to the Tripitaka Koreana, the oldest and most complete collection of Buddhist scriptures carved onto 81,258 wood blocks sometime during the 13th century.

Tourists and the faithful shuffled through the gate and up the steep stone steps to the entrance. An elderly woman stopped at the top to bow before entering the temple courtyard that was bathed in sunlight.

Administrative offices, an information center and two separate gift shops occupied the buildings surrounding the courtyard. In the center, a large maze-like design made from stones was set into the ground. Parents walked through the labyrinth slowly and quietly, with their hands together while their children scampered around the twists and turns, their peals of laughter ringing through the courtyard.

The woodblocks are kept in four 700-year-old storage halls at the top of the temple complex. Inside, tall racks of woodblocks stretched down the long halls loaded with hundreds of woodblocks. Official-looking people walked around, warning us to put our cameras away; there would be no pictures of the woodblocks. A man hawked prints in the courtyard.

Though the halls’ varying shades of brown were aesthetically simple by Korean temple standards, the methods to construct them and preserve the woodblocks are surprisingly complex.

Large windows were spaced at even intervals around the buildings, and when I peered into the darkness for a better look at the woodblocks, a soft cool breeze blew through thick wooden bars that obscured my view – strange because the air outside was perfectly calm.

Our guidebook noted these methods and others, and, with some awe, pointed out that they have yet to be matched by modern science. An attempt was made in the 1970s, but abandoned after test blocks began to mildew.

That I was peering through the windows at these blocks in the first place struck me as the greater miracle. These blocks had survived 700-some years of Korean history: the fires that had destroyed the temple time and again, but left the storage halls untouched, foreign invasions that sought to wipe out Korean culture but ignored the woodblocks, and a civil war that bombed and shelled the country into rubble but spared Haein-sa because of an insightful, observant Korean pilot who remembered what treasures it held.

 It’s easy to forget the length of Korean history when most buildings I see were built in the last 60 years, when ancient temples still smell of fresh paint, and when Gyeongju seems more modern resort than historical capital.  

Peering through the bars at these woodblocks, however, I saw tangible evidence of that history. Just as the Gutenberg Bible is remembered not only as the first printed copy of the West’s Holy book, but as the beginnings of a printed revolution that would culminate in the Enlightenment, the Tripitaka Koreana seems significant, not as a complete, errorless copy of Buddhist scripture, but as proof of an ancient history; cultural relics to remind Koreans of their past.

 To get to Haein-sa, take a bus from Daegu’s Seobu Bus Terminal (1.5 hours) to Haein-sa. When you arrive, walk back down the road, then follow the signs up the path to the temple. Admission is free. Temple stay programs are available, call (055)934-3105 for information.

I began the journey quite early in the morning. When the bus finally came, I enjoyed a very picturesque view of the Gwangju scenery on the way to the cemetery. I was worried because as I checked the English signs outside against the Korean map I had, I found they contradicted each other. I survived by asking each person that got off if this was the right stop. I was keen to see what kind of memorial had been erected in memory of the victims.

I was finally about to get off the bus and asked the bus driver if this was the right stop. He nodded “yes”, and I got off the bus, walking not even 10 feet when the bus driver pulled the bus alongside me and opened the door. He motioned that I had to walk to the right and not to the left of the fork in the road up ahead. I nodded very cautiously. I continued along the route the bus driver had indicated and to my luck a sign saying “May 18 Democratic Cemetery” was ahead. I figured I was on the right track.

As I walked up the lane into the cemetery, I got the feeling of a park and not so much a cemetery. There were lots of trails, trees, shrubs and other beautiful plants. I walked further and came to realize that this was indeed the cemetery I was seeking. I was trying to find information so I looked for the tourist information office. I was curious to see if they had English pamphlets for education and other kinds of information, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

I had done as much research as I could online to try and understand the events that led up to the incident. The one fact that is absolutely indisputable is the inconsistency in the number of people reported to have died in the uprising. For this reason, it is impossible to determine how many died during this particular period in Gwangju’s history. What I discovered during my visit, however, did not necessarily change my views but instead made them much more concrete.

I walked into what was called the Office of the Cemetery and quickly looked in. After, I briefly inquired about finding some information, some five younger men abruptly arose to their feet in order to try and assist me. When they realized I was looking for information, one man ushered me outside and very politely said “Follow me please.” How could I refuse?

He asked me why I was there, and I began to explain that I’d seen a movie about 5.18 and was now visiting the memorial. He asked if the movie was 화려한휴가 (‘Hwa-ryeo-han Hyoo-ga’). “I was an extra in that movie,” he calmly added. In that moment he became the proudest that I’ve ever seen a Korean.

We came to a building that housed a theatre. As he took me inside, he told me there was an English Documentary I would watch. The documentary was in English and was very educational. It talked about not only the incident that took place from May 18-27^th but also about those responsible and how they were brought to justice during the 1990’s. I was happy to see that South Korea as a nation recognized the Gwangju incident as a national incident and publicly announced who orchestrated it.

After watching the documentary, I walked quickly through the historical memorial, trying to ignore a large number of students on a field trip that were making a considerable noise. I left the historical hall and went outside to observe some more inspiring sights. There were two major divisions before the actual cemetery and although it wasn’t May 18^th, it was quite well kept. I didn’t feel that it was a place that was lacking respect at all.

When I began taking pictures of the murals and the large monument in the centre of the entrance to the cemetery, I noticed that the students who were so rambunctious before were now being educated on how to respect the customs of the graveyard. The class president had to put a certain incense into a special bowl and let it burn while the entire class held their heads down in a sort of moment of silence and the tour guide announced the school and grade they were from.

After seeing the students get a lesson in respecting the memories of the fallen, I wandered into the actual cemetery. I noticed workers doing maintenance on the graves themselves. At first I thought it was family or friends that were responsible for each grave site. But after quietly asking a worker for an explanation, he told me that there are a group of workers that maintain the graves year long. It was interesting for me as I too have worked in a cemetery pruning the graves of others in Canada. Compared to Korean cemeteries, it’s very different.

In Korea, it appears to be very important to have a specific shape of mound when trimming the graves. Out in the country I’ve seen graves of ancestors before and they are a lot more round. The graves I noticed today are a lot longer and narrower, and almost remind you of a body. There are also three sections to the cemetery itself. The first is the area with burials. The second is an area with markers but no burials, which I am guessing is to honour the people who died or are missing and whose remains were never found. The third section is interesting because it is empty. It is a flat piece of land perhaps reserved for people who were survivors of the Gwangju incident and are still living. When they too pass away, they might be honoured in this cemetery.

A few things have resonated well with me since I left the cemetery. First, the people who are taking care of this cemetery want both Koreans and non-Koreans to know about what happened, as the educational areas are not only in Korean, but also in English and Chinese. Second, the documentary that I watched in the theatre showed the magnitude of the demonstrations that occurred. It was very informative because it gave real footage of the day depicting the tanks and protesters in the streets. And third, it connected with me because it was not a sad place for people to grieve. It’s a place for people to come and remember what happened and not to forget.

As I walked out of the cemetery, I felt like I had experienced the full weight of the May incidents and I now feel more connected to Gwangju than ever.

Travel Information- To get to the cemetery, take bus number 518.Yes, I know the irony of naming a bus after the date of the incident.

Cost of Bus- 1000 won each way.

Travel Tip- The wait time for the buses on the way back is considerably longer than it is to get there. Be sure to bring a book or mp3 player to pass the time.

Date: April 17th (Saturday) 2010
Where: Naju, Jeollanam-do

Itinerary
10:00 Depart GIC
10:50 Arrive Naju downtown
11:00-12:00 Walking tour of historic Naju center (Provincial Governor’s residence and administration center, Naju Museum)
12:00-12:45 Lunch (Naju gomtang – traditional beef soup at a one-hundred-year-old restaurant)
12:45 Walk to the Naju Confucian Academy, the second oldest in the country
13:00-14:45 Traditional drinking tea ceremony
14:30-15:00 Visit Wansa Cheon (Historic well where Wang Geon once stayed)
15:00-15:30 In transit
15:30-17:00 Vistit Bannam Go Bun (Historic Mahan tombs that predate the Baekjae dynasty) and then walk to a traditional soy sauce and bean paste farm/factory
17:00 Depart for Gwangju

For more information: www.gic.or.kr/eng/

Tour cost: 20,000 won (25,000 won for non GIC members)
Transportation, lunch, and travel insurance are included.
*please make a reservation and pay the tour cost before April 12th to Kwangju Bank 134-107-000999 (Depositor: 광주국제교류센터)
For more information, contact Singsing KIM at 226-2733/4 or gwangjuic@gmail.com

***Late cancellation within 3-days of the departure date will result in a cancellation fee.

To sign up, please submit the following:
-Your contact information (email, phone number)
-Your full name
-Nationality
-Alien registration number (77xxxx-xxxxxxx)
-Gender

It would seem only appropriate that, while knee-deep in reading Jack Kerouac’s Dharma Bums, I should travel to the Buddhist temple at Songgwang-sa. Resting just two hours southeast of Gwangju, Songgwang-sa offers a quiet respite outside of the city limits. The voyage to this wholesome site is cleansing – if not for the soul, then certainly for the lungs – as the impressive temple, nestled in the lower range of Jogye Mountain, reminds the body what it is like to breathe fresh air once again.

Easily accessible by public transportation, the trip to Songgwang-sa is a manageable jaunt for a Sunday afternoon. Buses run from the Gwangju Bus Terminal (U-Square) directly to the base of the temple grounds, taking around one and a half hours.

A short ramble up the mountain path positions you in front of Jogyemun Gate, also known as Iljumun (or One Pillar Gate), the first threshold to Songgwang-sa. Passing through this gate signifies that “one has deserted their carnal and worldly desires, as well as their distracted souls, to enter the world of truth, and thus, one should act and think in a pious manner.”

Truthfully, entering through this gateway seems to quiet the mind – whether consciously or not – as you are suddenly in the midst of an archipelago of brilliantly adorned temples.

Songgwang-sa, translated as “Spreading Pine Temple,” is the third of the Three Jewel Temples in Korea. Songgwang-sa represents sangha, the Buddhist community. The sister temples, Tongdo-sa and Haein-sa, both located in the southern part of Gyeongsang province, represent the Buddha and the dharma, the Buddhist teachings. It is traditional in the Buddhist faith for practitioners to initiate their journey to enlightenment by visiting the Three Jewels in succession: the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha. As such, all Buddhist temples are created as a collection of three.

Master Chinul built Songgwang-sa in 1190 to fulfill his dream of creating a place for ‘like-minded’ people to worship together. Legend says that in searching for the ideal place to build the temple, Master Chinul carved a crane out of wood which took flight and landed in the exact place where Songgwang-sa is found today. Many famous monks have lived at Songgwang-sa, and a collection of pagodas house the ashes of these great masters.

Although Songgwang-sa is nationally recognized as a historical landmark, it is still a fully functioning Buddhist temple. Therefore, as frequently as you may notice fellow visitors touring the sacred grounds, you will recognize the resident monks of Songgwang-sa, dressed in the modest garments of worship, engaged in the tasks of daily life. As is commonplace in visiting most places of religious rite, photographing the monks (particularly their faces) is not permitted. Likewise, guests are reminded not to take photographs inside the temples. However, the exterior of each sacred building and the mountain landscape provide numerous picturesque vistas.

Like many active Buddhist temples, Songgwang-sa offers the opportunity for a ‘temple stay’ for a period of the visitor’s choosing. The lifestyle of a Buddhist monk includes waking up every morning at three o’clock to the sound of a wooden gong. The day is filled with prayer and textual studies. Although the mountainous location of Songgwang-sa is quite cold during the winter months, spring will undoubtedly prove to be the ideal time to enjoy the outdoor activities, such as the monks’ drumming ceremony and call to prayer at the great hall, which happens every evening at seven o’clock.

True to the Buddhist beliefs, the path to enlightenment is paved with the harmonious union of teacher and student. Thus, visiting Songgwang-sa is a fulfilling experience for any devout practitioner or traveler, simply to celebrate a sacred ground so near to home.

Now obviously I’m not here to write about Suwon’s swanky station or its obligatory dodgy area, but to regale you with my stroll around its claim to fame: Suwon is Korea’s only walled city. Known as Hwaseong (not to be confused with the neighbouring city by the same name), the fortified walls were built just over two hundred years ago by King Jeongjo in a failed bid to relocate Korea’s capital to Suwon. The fortress was largely left to fall into disrepair and was destroyed a lot during last century’s wars, but was restored accurately and almost completely in the 1970s and is now on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites, so surely it’s worth a look.

And so I trudged along the street a couple of kilometres (There are plenty of buses, of course, but I thought I’d have a look at the town.) until Paldalmun, the south gate of the fortress, loomed up in the middle of the main road in the distance. Hwaseong has four main gates and the north and south ones are big two-storey affairs, so Paldalmun dominates this bustling district of town and is a big, obvious landmark and great starting point for a trip around the walls as it’s easy to get there however you choose to do so. The only trouble is that it’s stranded in the middle of a busy thoroughfare and is, as a result, entirely inaccessible!

If you’re ready for lunch then this is a great place to grab a bite as there are plenty of cheap holes-in-the-wall for Korean or western fare, and it’ll be about an hour before you find anything else.

And so then to the fortress. To find the wall it’s easiest if you head west first (that’s left as you face the gate from the direction of the station and bus terminal). Along here at the bottom of the hill there’s an information booth where you can pick up a map in any of a variety of languages. You really can’t get lost, though, as it’s a big wall and it goes more or less in a circle. There’s also a public toilet here for any last-minute needs. So, map in hand and a little lighter than before, I now progressed with confidence to begin my climb. Well I say climb, but Paldalsan, the hill over which Hwaseong passes, really isn’t at all high, being a rise of only a hundred metres from the gate below. It is, however, extremely steep, the scene of much panting, and also, as I now discovered, treacherous in snow. Being so steep, though, you’re up it in no time at all, so that’s a blessed relief.

At the top of the hill I stopped to make sure I was still alive and indeed to admire Seonam Ammun, the south-west secret gate. Yes, it turns out that Hwaseong not only has its four main gates, but also has a series of bonus “secret gates” thrown in at no extra cost. These were apparently to deceive invaders, so they could get soldiers in and out, umm, secretly. However this particular entrance is tall, grand, colourful, and doesn’t actually lead out of the fortress at all but instead takes you onto a spur, so it would surely be better named something like the South-west Rather Obvious Junction, though this perhaps has less of a ring to it. The walk along the spur comes as a pleasant stroll after the slog up the hill and it’s especially nice in crunchy, cooling snow, so take some if you’re there at the wrong time of year. Of course, being a spur, you have to come back the same way, but it’s only short and is well worth it, as there’s a good but foliage-dependent view from the end, where there’s also a nice pavilion, ideal for picnics.

I was, however, picnicless, so back along the spur it was, back through the unsecretive gate, and along the wall to the north, following the top of the hill. Along here there’s another loo (Take note in case of post-picnic troubles.) and then an enormous bell. Here, there’s a booth where you have to pay 1000 won to pass. (It costs to walk around the walls, but you pay for the day and there are other checkpoints, too, so keep your ticket.) There’s a further 1,000 won fee to ring the bell. Well how could I resist? Lots of excessive monk-style swinging later, then bang! Blimey what a noise that thing can make. If you were in the vicinity then please accept my apologies and I will pay for any damage to your windows.

Just after the booth I came across my first proper secret gate. It actually really is very secretive indeed. No fancy colours – just a little opening at an angle in the wall. I can confirm that it also functions spectacularly, as the person outside it hadn’t expected me to emerge at all, judging from their reaction. That, then, was pretty much it for Paldalsan, but it had a final shout at the end with two fine structures standing in a clearing at the northern end of the ridge overlooking most of central Suwon. Take note of the palace below to the east, too, as this, half a kilometre from both the north and south gates, is a nice possible extension to a trip around the walls, as this was where King Jeongjo lived when he was in Suwon.

From here, then, I skidded down the snowy hillside, wishing I had crampons, or more precisely wishing I’d come the previous week, to Hwaseomun, the west gate. This, along with its eastern counterpart, is much less grandiose than the north and south gates, being only one storey high, but is still very nice and has a tower right next to it, too, though sadly the like of you and I aren’t allowed in that. There’s another public toilet just outside the gate, by the way in case you’re taking notes. It’s a short distance to Janganmun, the north gate, from here, and it rises above everything else beckoning you onwards, for this is the largest gate in the country, even bigger than Namdaemun used to be. It really is quite a sight, actually, and there’s a good place for mandu just over the road, too. You’ll be asked to show your ticket here, by the way. I mean at the gate, not the mandu restaurant.

Refuelled again, I headed on to one of the prettiest sections of the wall. Here, it crosses a stream at another bonus gate called Hwahongmun. This stands beside a little hill with a pavilion atop, and another secret gate, through which I now inadvertently slithered downhill at an alarming pace to a very nice pond known as Yongyeon. This place was intended to be a military camp, but was so nice that they decided to use it for picnics instead, which I think rather symbolises the whole fortress. It was never attacked and ended up being a very nice feature. From this pond, which was definitely worth the tiny detour, I went back to invade the fortress through its no-longer-secret gate, and headed east to a big building called Dongjangdae, which was apparently a military headquarters but which now appears to be a shed in a car park. I’m not sure whose idea it was to carpet the surrounding area in concrete, but, well, thank God for the snow covering it up. Oh, there’s another ticket check here, by the way, and yet another toilet, but by now you’d need to have some sort of medical condition to still need to be taking notes about the latter.

The wall now went around a field where people practise traditional archery, which was interesting to watch but not for long in the snow because standing still just wasn’t a good idea at all. There are a couple of nice structures, then the east gate (another toilet outside), which is very pretty and which has the benefit of not standing right beside a main road, so I’d say this was my favourite. From the east gate the snow deepened significantly and I ended up knee-deep in the stuff at one point, as the wind had caused little drifts. Less than entirely amused, I grumbled my way to Bongdon, which was a smoke signal station. My grumbling was entirely unfair, as this is actually a very interesting place, but by now I was far too cold to appreciate it properly, as I’d lost all hope of ever having any sensation in my extremities again. Not even taking note of the toilet for your benefit cheered me up.

From here, the wall continued around and back down to the stream, and it was a short walk through a traditional market and along a very tackily decorated “Fine Art Street” (note: final toilet) back to Paldalmun, my starting point. I was nithered to a ridiculous degree, but very glad to have seen this really very pretty fortress, to which I shall definitely return on a much warmer day.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Direct train to Suwon: 3½–4 hours

Express bus to Suwon: 3½ hours

City buses between Suwon Station and Paldalmun (팔달문):

Blue: 400

Green: 2–2; 10–5; 46; 50–6; 66; 82–1

City buses between Bus Terminal and Paldalmun (팔달문):

Green: 46; 64; 64–1

Hwaseong Admission: 1,000 won (free at night)

Hours: Open 24 hours a day, though the palace closes at 6 p.m.