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Unforgettable Tour of Korea during Gorgeous Autumn

Korean Language Fellows, like me, enjoyed a three-day trip to Jeolla Province under clear autumn skies. Far more leisurely and pleasant than the previous outing in spring, the recent tour enabled us to experience a wide variety of Korean culture, from history to traditional music.

We left Seoul on Thursday morning and arrived in Iksan, about two and a half hours later, to visit the site of Mireuksa Buddhist Temple. According to our tour guide, when Mireuksa was built around 601, it was one of the largest Buddhist temples in Korea. King Mu of Baekje is said to have filled up a pond and built the temple there at the request of his queen. Today, however, only a partial stone pagoda remains standing on the site of this former temple of Baekje.



Scenic Landscape
We then departed Iksan for Jeonju, which is wellknown for its Korean specialty: bibimbap. After having lunch in Jeonju, we toured Jeonju Hanok Village, which had been built in the 1930s, and visited Gyeonggijeon Shrine and Pungnammun Gate.
The scenery of everywhere we visited was simply beautiful. I felt all my stress being relieved when I viewed such gorgeous sights. The most memorable places included Gwanghalluwon Park, in Namwon; Suncheon Bay Ecological Park; and Naganeupseong Folk Village in Suncheon. Gwanghalluwon is famous for being the setting of “The Story of Chunghyang,” a representative love story of Korea. Different from rainforests in Malaysia, the Suncheon Bay Ecological Park is noted for its vast reeds fields and being a resting place where rare birds pass through during winter. We took many photos of the ecological park’s various scenes. In addition, we enjoyed a new experience at Naganeupseong Folk Village, where people actually live, somewhat like the Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul. We had a meal there and toured the village to see how people lived in this fortress community. It was a great and memorable experience to stay overnight at Naganeupseong Folk Village.

Korean Food and Culture
Accommodations and food, in addition to the sites you visit, are an important part of traveling. The food was far more delicious in the provincial cities as compared to Seoul. Especially, Jeonju bibimbap was incredibly flavorful. In addition, the charcoalbroiled meat we enjoyed in Gwangyang and roasted pork ribs on Jindo Island were so great that we ate every piece. It was delightful to have such convenient accommodations at the end of each day. We could relax in comfort and were able to fully enjoy the entire trip.
The final destination was Jindo Island on the very tip of the Korean Peninsula. We also visited the National Center for Namdo Performing Arts that strives to promote local cultural arts as a tourism resource. We not only enjoyed traditional Korean music but also had a chance to play the janggu, a traditional Korean drum. We had lunch on Jindo before returning to Seoul on Saturday. Although somewhat tiring, I had a great time on the trip, enjoying new experiences and having fun with friends.
I have now been living in Korea for almost a year. I once went to jjimjilbang, a Korean-style sauna and public bath, with a fellow student. Seeing her surprise with her first experience of this aspect of Korean culture, I suddenly realized just how accustomed I had become to life in Korea. I also realized that I had to return home after this semester. When they say that time flies, this is so true.

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