Features

Secrets of the South Korean Kingdom

1 Dec 2008 by intern22

Despite being one of the world’s most technologically advanced nations, South Korea is still a beginner when it comes to tourism promotion. While Seoul, itsluxury hotel-laden financial, political and cultural capital, only aggressively positioned itself recently to the foreign market as hip and happening, the country’s outlying reaches continue to languish in obscurity.

Yet, it is these pockets of the former “Hermit Kingdom” that boast a wealth of romantic seaside hideaways, dramatic mountain vistas and relics of 5,000 years of history. Those adventurous few, who go against the common Korean axiom, “all roads lead to Seoul”, often find themselves in places that few outsiders have ever seen, and are the richer for it.

Gyeongju

Travelling in the Korean countryside often feels like you have been transported back to an era when bow-touting warriors on horseback patrolled the valleys. Nowhere is that feeling more evident than in Gyeongju, which was the seat of the ancient kingdom of Shilla and a base of power for much of the first millennium.

With a strong bond to this mighty past, Gyeongju has grown to become one of South Korea’s most popular tourist destinations, both among locals and a growing number of international visitors.

When you arrive in Gyeongju, the first thing to do is pick a place to stay from among the traditional guesthouses that line the alleyways around the Eastern Historic District. There are larger hotels in the area, but it feels more in line with the atmosphere of the city to cosy up into one of the more-than-affordable converted hanoks or traditional Korean houses, which go for as little as US$20 per person per night. Sa Rang Chae (tel 82 19 520 4868; www.kjstay.com) comes recommended by many wayfarers, who have passed through Gyeongju and befriended the couple who owns it.

Once you’re settled in, the best way to take in Gyeongju proper is on foot or by bicycle. Bikes can be rented for reasonable rates at many different spots around the city, and there are several bicycle-only roads. Many of the main Shilla relics are concentrated within easy distance of each other, making the entire city a kind of open-air museum.

Emerging from the curved wooden eaves of your guesthouse, a sprawling park opens up before you are dwarfed by the gigantic burial mounds of the Shilla kings. In the same area, you will find the oldest observatory in the Far East, Cheomseongdae, which was built in 634 AD.

To this day, Koreans believe that the time of their birth is related to the positioning of the stars, so this ancient astrological structure holds special significance.

The Unesco-recognised Seokguram Grotto and Bulguk Temple are unmissables when in Gyeongju, and can be found just outside the city, at the top of Mount Toham. Widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest examples of Buddhist sculpture, Seokguram can only be reached by foot. It lies a winding, often steep 4km behind the temple.

HOW TO GET THERE: The high-speed KTX will whisk you from Seoul to Daegu in just under two hours, then transfer. The whole trip takes around three hours.

SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: Two days and one night is enough to take in the largest attractions, but an extra night would be needed for a more in-depth look at the Gyeongju National Museum or a wander around the Gyerim Forest.

WHAT ELSE? Around 6.5km east of Gyeongju proper lies the Bomun Lake Resort, which cushions the historical with ultra-modern facilities, and a golf course and an amusement park to boot.

CONTACT: www.gyeongju.go.kr

Anmyeon Island

An artificial island created when a canal cleaved this former peninsula from the west coast, Anmyeon Island remains easily accessible via the Yeonyuk Bridge. Despite its proximity to Seoul, it maintains a picturesque, countryside feel and is perfect for a quick romantic getaway.

Anmyeon Island’s fishing community did not come out unscathed from the country’s worst-ever oil spill that struck the nearby Taean Peninsula at the end of last year. However, with the help of thousands of volunteers who flocked to the area from all over the country, the region has made a remarkable recovery, and is once again ready to accept visitors.

Your first stop on arriving on the island should be the fish market. There, you haggle for the shellfish to barbecue once you reach your pension house. And while you’re at it, be sure to try some raw delicacies fresh from the ocean. Even if you normally wouldn’t go near raw seafood, it’s hard to resist when it comes straight out of the ocean and was often caught by a family member of your server.

Then, head out of the village, where, along the seafront, you’ll find a series pensions with private patios overlooking the ocean. As Anmyeon Island is still primarily frequented by locals, English information is hard to come by, but some pensions can be found at www.tourod.com. Don’t fret, however, these places are easy to find once you’re there, and anywhere you stay will provide the mini barbecue for your clam bake.

The patios also invariably offer views of Anmyeon’s famed sunsets and remarkable tidal flow. When the tide is out, the waters disappear into the distant mist, revealing mud flats, oyster farms and underwater roads. From your patio, you can watch gangs of stalwart shellfish gatherers heading out with the tides toward the horizon.

The low tides also leave the craggy islands that speckle the view high and dry. A short nap by the window later, they are once again surrounded by water. The high tides nestle up against 14 different beaches around the island, all of which make for pleasant walks in any season.

HOW TO GET THERE: Rental car is the best option as it allows you some freedom on the island itself, but express buses also run from Nambu Terminal in Seoul.

SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: Three days, two nights.

WHAT ELSE? For those not content with just gazing at the sunset, there are also more adventurous options such as ATV and small plane tours. Such activities and services are being offered by Zioland (http://cafe.naver.com/zioland). The company can also set you up with over 20 pensions all over the island if you have a friend who speaks Korean.

CONTACT: tel 82 70 8256 4884

DMZ

Korea’s most renowned site, or rather its most notorious, is the DMZ that splits the North from the South. As the most heavily fortified border in the world and the last bastion of a Cold War that is seeing a recent revival, it’s an important stop on any trip to the peninsula.

Tours to the DMZ are a dime a dozen, but are not all created equal. You will often find yourself spending more time in a jewellery store owned by associates of your tour guide, who will get a little something for bringing you (and your wallet) there.

These lesser tours will do in a pinch, but can’t really compare to the United Services Organisations’ (USO) option. Run by this group, which takes care of entertainment for American soldiers, it provides behind-the-scenes military access not available on other tours. This is a fairly widely known fact, and the tour is heavily subscribed as a result, requiring reservations sometimes weeks in advance.

Connected with the military as it is, the USO tour has an air of authoritarianism about it. A glance at the strict dress code enforced on all participants lets casual visitors know that a trip to the DMZ is no joke, particularly with the USO. Sightseeing near one of the most heavily land-mined parts of the earth’s surface is a stark experience, as is peering into one of the last fully closed countries in the world. Quite a lot of peering goes on at the DMZ, including through the tattered messages from separated loved ones hanging from fences, down the tunnel dug by the North to infiltrate the South, into the North Korean propaganda village, or through binoculars into the lush green of the border area.

Ironically, with humans kept at arm’s length for over half a century, the DMZ has become a beautiful nature preserve, and many environmentalists visit just for this reason. A variety of endangered birds such as the black-faced spoonbill call it home, along with deer, wild boar, and a range of other wildlife that have not fared so well in other parts of Asia where the engines of human development are in top gear.

HOW TO GET THERE: The USO tour leaves from Camp Kim in Seoul at 0730 sharp.

SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: You’ll be back in Seoul by the afternoon.

WHAT ELSE? Be sure to check the dress code before you leave – people have been left behind for wearing flip-flops, reservation or not.

CONTACT: www.uso.org/korea

Seoraksan

In a country that often finds itself creaking under the weight of its own development, the Seoraksan National Park serves as the antithesis of Seoul. While stepping out of one of the new low-emission buses in downtown Seoul is often like emerging into a fictional futuristic world, each footfall on Mount Seorak’s many paths takes you further into a traditional Korean painting. Craggy peaks wreathed with ancient pines tower above, temples nestled in their crevices, as you breathe in the mountain air adrift with the scent of azalea.

Recognised by Unesco as a Biosphere Preservation District for the wealth of wildlife it houses, the quiet corners of the highest mountain in Gangwon province’s Taebaek Range are host to such animals as the Asian black bear and the mountain goat. There are rotating closures around the park in order to preserve the natural environment, so be sure to check to see what portion of the park to avoid during the time you will be there.

Catching a glimpse of the shy forest creatures is not a common occurrence, however. The paths of Seorak are well tread by the locals.

Mount Seorak is renowned among Koreans as one of the most beautiful places in their country, and it is especially striking in the autumn, when the foliage puts on a final show before falling to the forest floor for the winter. But Korea prides itself on the distinctness of its four seasons, and Mount Seorak has some of the best vistas for any of them.

The area is renowned for its hiking, and many consider it a point of pride to have made it to the top of Daecheongbong, Seorak’s highest peak. But for those who would rather take in the view without breaking a sweat, there are also bus tours that will take you past the fields where, in winter, acres of Alaskan pollack are hung to dry, as well as cable cars that will scoot you up to the best viewpoints.

HOW TO GET THERE: Renting a car is again the best option, but buses run regularly from Dong Seoul Terminal and Sangbong Terminal in Seoul to Seokcho, where you’ll be able to transfer. You’ll reach there in just under five hours.

SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: Because it takes a little longer to get there, and because the park is so large, it’s worth staying up to three nights.

WHAT ELSE? Even if you don’t feel like hiking, you can take the cable car up to Gwongeum Fortress, which was built to keep out marauding Mongolians, and then do the last little climb to the top for a spectacular view.

CONTACT: http://seorak.knps.or.kr/Seoraksan_eng

Jeonju Hanok Village

Lesser known among the travel destinations on the peninsula, at least for the moment, is the Jeonju Hanok Village. Hanoks are the traditional Korean houses, commonly used as guest houses in Gyeongju. With peaked roofs, heated floors and courtyards at their centre, they are a great source of national pride among Koreans. In fact, the Hanok Village in Jeonju sprouted up as a reaction to the Japanese colonial masters at the turn of the 20th century.

Discerning travellers needn’t fret, however, as almost all have been upgraded with modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs and wireless internet.

The village maintains its rustic feel, however, with pine-tree lined streets and green tea gardens between the buildings. The main highlights are all oriented around taking you back to the way things were during the Joseon Dynasty, which reigned for centuries before the Japanese colonisation.

One of the most aromatic time machines is tea, which has a long tradition for both its flavour and healing properties in Korea. Small teahouses speckle the village, such as Seondawon in the Hakindang Guesthouse, offering tea ceremonies along with teas, tea sets and all the trappings necessary to take a little piece of Korean tea culture with you when you go.

There are several hanok hotels in the village with moderate to luxury rooms. As rooms are limited, reservations are a must. Many are very economical and offer cultural experiences as well as places to stay, such as Yangsajae (tel 82 63 282 4959; www.jeonjutour.co.kr), where rooms including breakfast and tea are under US$25. Seunggwangje (tel 82 63 284 2323) is actually run by a descendant of Joseon royalty.

Almost every aspect of life as it was under Joseon can be attempted somewhere in the village. The Jeonju Traditional Culture Center offers one-time classes on everything from Korean cuisine and crafts to tea ceremonies and martial arts, but they need to be booked at least a week in advance (tel 82 63 280 7000; www.jt.or.kr).

The grid layout of the village, courtesy of the Japanese, makes the area easy to navigate by bicycle. A quick bike tour will take you past the Traditional Oriental Medicine Cultural Center (tel 82 63 282 2500), and other centres offering traditional liquor tastings, carpentry classes, hanji (traditional Korean paper) making and a wide range of other old-time pursuits.

HOW TO GET THERE: It takes a little over three hours to get to Jeonju from Seoul via train or express bus.

SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: Start with a weekend; but you may want to stay longer for more traditional Korean drumming classes.

WHAT ELSE? Jeonju is renowned throughout the peninsula for its food. The most famous local dish is Jeonju bibimbap, a fiery mix of rice and fresh vegetables that is seemingly served at every corner.

CONTACT: http://hanok.jeonju.go.kr


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