June 6, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Xi’An Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque (Da Qingzhensi)

The third item on my Xi’an must do list was visiting the Muslim Quarter. Muslims have a very long history in Xi’an, over 1,200 years, and the Great Mosque (Da Qingzhensi) was founded in Xi’an during the Tang Dynasty in C.E. 742. The mosque is tucked away deep inside the Muslim Quarter, at the confluence of narrow and busy shopping streets. To get to the mosque involves a walk through one of the busiest, most colorful and vibrant parts of Xi’an.

The Muslim Quarter is the best place for souvenir shopping in my opinion. There are a wide variety of shops around the city, but most of the stores are either geared specifically toward to the local buying market or more Western stores. But the Muslim Quarter is packed with stores selling local crafts, trinkets, art, jewelry, knockoff clothing, and pretty much anything you could want to buy as a tourist.

There are a couple ways to arrive at the Great Mosque. The main entrance to the Muslim Quarter is directly behind Drum Tower. One way is to travel down the narrow covered alleyway filled with vendors on the first left. Another possibility is to travel straight down the main street of the quarter for a few hundred meters, and take a left and then another left down the other end of the covered alleyway (follow the signs). Eventually you will find yourself at the mosque.

Da Qingzhensi is a peaceful complex in the densely populated neighborhood. The mosque complex is filled with buildings built in an aesthetically pleasing blend of Arabic and Chinese architectural styles.

The prayer hall is towards the back of the complex, and it has a blue tiled roof.

The mosque has its version of minaret which is closer to a Chinese temple pagoda.

After visiting the mosque, it is very easy to just wander around the rest of the streets of the quarter.

The Muslim Quarter is brightly lit with neon lights at all hours, but it particularly comes alive at night. It is also one of the best places in Xi’an to indulge in a wide variety of street food. You could literally eat your entire day away in the quarter. There are so many different meats and seafood on a stick to choose from.

There are sweets and beverages of all kind. I even planned on eating at a restaurant, one that came highly recommended for excellent Muslim food, Jiasan Guantang Baozi. Likely the food is excellent, however, it certainly was not what I was expecting. I was expecting Middle Eastern Muslim food, which I love very much. Chinese Muslim food is radically different, offering up all sorts of dishes from all sorts of meat parts I don’t typically see on restaurant menus. While the food is probably delicious, since it certainly wasn’t what I wanted, this restaurant was one of the few restaurants I actually walked out of without ordering.

Instead of strange meat dishes, I indulged in a very tasty local specialty. It’s called rou jia mo, and it is finely chopped pork pressed between two halves of a solid steamed bun. I capped that off with some local delicacy. I don’t know what the name for it is, but it is some very sweet, dense cake dipped in honey. I had never seen anything like that before, and assumed it was pineapple until closer inspection.

As I mentioned before, definitely don’t miss the Muslim Quarter. It is very much worth your time.

June 4, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

A Bike Ride around the Xi’An City Walls (Chengqiang)

In my opinion, the second must do in Xi’An is a journey around the city walls. The walls in ancient times used to be much bigger, but now encircle what was the ancient center of the city. The walls were originally went back to the Tang Dynasty, but these city walls trace back to the Ming Dynasty, even though the city walls are now modern and new.

In the past few years, the walls have been completely reconnected again, so now it is possible to travel around the entire wall. The wall length is about 8.75 miles or 14 kilometers. The city wall is quite wide, and for the most part, fairly flat and easy to traverse. You can walk around the wall, you can ride in a golf cart, or you can do what I did and highly recommend, and bike around the wall.

The city wall is open from about 0800-2200 daily and costs about 54 yuan for admission. I chose to go up the wall around late afternoon to early evening. I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to see the walls and the city during daylight, but be around for after the sun sets and see the city and walls lit up at night.

Originally I figured I would walk around the wall, which would take about 3 hours at the speed I walk, not assuming lengthy stops for photos and enjoying the view. However, I am very glad I decided to bike around the walls. It only took me about 90 minutes to bike it, including stops for pictures. Of course I wasn’t just pedaling along at a leisurely pace. There are parts of the wall that are very scenic and the view is very captivating. However, there are also plenty of sections where the view wasn’t anything special. These times allowed me to get some speed going. There was something very freeing about speeding along the top of the wall with the wind whipping through my hair and the city sights speeding by.

The most scenic spots on the wall, and also the most crowded, are around the four main gates. The most common place for entry into the walls is at the South Gate (Nan Men), with the second most popular entry being the East Gate (Dorg Men). It is also possible to enter at the North and the West Gates, but they are not as popular. It seems like most visitors to the wall congregate around their gate of entry, enjoy the sights and then leave. Once you get past the gates, most of the wall is fairly empty, and it is easy to bike.

It was interesting to see the city from this vantage point and provided a good view of the contrasts of Xi’An. Before I came to Xi’An, I had visions of the city being sort of the Chinese version of an old, well-preserved walled city in Europe. I was disabused of that notion real quick, because Xi’An is a very modern city. Sure there are definitely remnants of Xi’An’s rich, ancient history, but they are tucked away or right next to something new and modern, so you have to search them out.

I could see the very modern buildings that populate the city center, and particularly outside of the walls in the surrounding suburbs. It really provided an overview of how Xi’An has evolved into the city it is. I could see the desperate poverty of buildings that could be best described as veritable slums juxtaposed against super modern Western luxury stores just several blocks away. I could see the contrast of the ancient city walls overlooking McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

After my bike ride around the city walls, I just relaxed and took in the view and waited for night to fall. Once it did, the walls lit up. The walls themselves are lined with lights, along with the rampart towers and red lanterns. The city looks bright at night, in contrast with the gray haze of daylight. The view was very beautiful, and peaceful, because by this point, most of the people weren’t on the wall, except around the South Gate and there was silence around me. The weather was also cooler after the sun set, and there was a mild pleasing breeze.

Once darkness fell, the view of the city walls was very entrancing.

Definitely don’t pass up the opportunity to visit the city walls when you visit Xi’An. It’s a unique opportunity to see the city, and biking is a great option. It only costs 45 yuan to rent a single bike for two hours, and that is more than enough time to ride around the walls and enjoy the views.

June 3, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Xi’An Bingmayong- Terra Cotta Warriors

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Xi’An, China. I have been to China before a couple times, and I was fascinated by the historical relics that reside in the area. China is home to thousands of years of fascinating history and cultures, some who have only been recently recovered in the past several decades.

There are a wide variety of things to see and do in Xi’An, and one of the things that should be at the top of the list is visiting Bingmayong, better known as the Terra Cotta Warriors.

The Terra Cotta Warriors are part of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, and they date from around two thousand years ago. After Qin Shi Huang died, supposedly part of the tomb site was plundered by the empire’s enemies, but the tomb soon enough passed into history and wasn’t rediscovered in modern times until around 40 years ago when local farmers were digging for wells In the past 40 years, three pits have been excavated and their treasures unearthed.

The easiest way to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors is with a tour group, and pretty much every hotel and hostel offers their own tour. The tomb is located about an hour’s drive outside of Xi’An, and is located about a 1500 meters walk from the parking lot. I liked that my tour guide had us visit Pits 2 and 3 first, because they are smaller. We finished up at Pit 1, so my viewing experience increased to end at the most spectacular site.

It would probably be best if you went early when it opened around 0830, but most tour groups don’t seem to get there until late morning or after lunch. So just be aware, if you go with a tour group, you will likely be one of hundreds of people on site at the time.

There are three pits on site to visit. Pit 1 is the largest and most famous, and therefore the most crowded. Wait long enough and a space by the railing overlooking the pit will open up, but it is definitely not a quiet, peaceful or solitary activity, unless you can block out the noise of the people around you.

Pit 1 covers an area of over 14,000 square meters on site. Over 2000 terra cotta warriors and horses have been uncovered so far, and it is believed that over 6000 warriors might still be buried. All the warriors’ heads were hand crafted over a period of around 30 years by around 700,000 workers. All the warriors represented the minority groups found in the empire at the time, along with a mixture of horses and military forces.

Pits 2 and 3 are smaller and there are less artifacts to see. Pit 2 consists of a mixture of military forces: archers, charioteers, infantryman, and cavalrymen. There are still plenty of warriors, some broken, some intact in Pit 2, along with remnants of wooden chariots.

Pit 2 hasn’t been fully excavated yet, but some of the intact warriors have been removed from the pit itself and displayed in cases around the pit.

Terra Cotta Warrior senior officer

Terra Cotta Warrior midlevel officer

Terra Cotta Warrior infantryman

Terra Cotta Warrior archer

Terra Cotta Warrior cavalryman

My tour guide stated that Pit 3 is thought to represent the headquarters element of the military formation. Comparatively fewer warriors have been unearthed in this pit (only around 68 senior officers), possibly because the pit might have been raided at some point throughout history.

After the visit to the terra cotta warriors, we took a shuttle bus over to the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, which is about a 10 minute bus ride away. On first glance, the tomb looks just like a forested hill, but the hill is definitely man made. The tomb has not been excavated yet. Part of the legend is it is booby-trapped with lakes of mercury. That hasn’t been independently verified, though my tour guide stated that mercury levels in the water around the tomb are higher than normal, so it is a possibility.

As I mentioned earlier, the Terra Cotta Warriors are an absolute must do when visiting Xi’An. Even if you aren’t into archaeology, this is a historical site that should not be missed.

May 22, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Under a Moonlit Sky: A Night Tour of Changdeokgung Palace

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to do a moonlit tour of Changdeokgung Palace. I had visited the palace the past fall, but this was an opportunity to see the palace in a new light (literally). During this year from April to November, the palace offers up moonlit tours twice a month, on the full moon and one day next to it.

I love evening tours, and figured this would be a good opportunity to do some night photo shooting as well. The tour started at the main gate at 2000, at which point, it was almost completely dark. Luckily for us, the weather was good, though a tiny bit hazy, so it wasn’t a perfectly clear moonlit night.

At least it didn’t rain though. We were taken through parts of the palace grounds, from the main hall, to different out buildings. We didn’t actually enter any of the buildings, but we were able to look inside. We had lanterns to guide us on the trail, which was convenient for some of the stairs.

After seeing some of the buildings, we were taken back to the Secret Garden. We didn’t see the full tour of the Secret Garden like I did during a day tour, but the most scenic places of the garden, like the Buyongjeong Pavilion were shown. All the buildings were very lushly lit and it was made for some nice photography.

The actual walking tour of the grounds took about 90 minutes, and the last 30 minutes was a sampling of cultural performances. We were treated to a variety of Korean dance, opera and traditional music in an open air setting, so it was pleasantly cool by this point in the evening. It was a good opportunity to see different aspects of Korean culture you might not be able to see. We were also given some traditional Korean tea and sweets to enjoy the performance.

This tour is geared more toward cultural awareness rather than photography, which is why tripods are specifically banned in the advertisement for the tour. However, in my group there were numerous people who brought and used tripods and the tour guides did not prevent anyone from using them. I know my pictures would have turned out better if I had brought my tripod.

This is not a tour open to just anyone. This is a tour just for foreigners, so no Koreans are allowed to attend. Three languages are offered for the tours: English, Japanese and Chinese. The tickets are easy to buy online through Interpark, and you pick up your ticket at the venue after 1930 the day of the event. Tickets cost 30,000 won per person, and I believe one person can reserve two tickets at a time. Make sure you bring some form of an ID, such as a passport to prove your identity when you check in at the palace. The total tour lasts around two hours, so figure you will spend 2000-2200 in the evening there. Changdeokgung Palace is easily reached from metro line 3 (Anguk stop, exit 3), and it is a few hundred meters up the road, or you can walk to the palace from metro stop Jongno-3(sam)-ga (Lines 1,3,5, exit 7).

If you like moonlit tours, particularly of palaces, and would like to see a different aspect of Korean culture, I highly recommend the tour.

May 21, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Luscious Fall Colors at Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden

Last fall I took my mom to visit Changdeokgung Palace when she came to visit Korea. I had visited the palace on a previous tour, but not during fall. At the time, the fall leaves were just a bit past peak color, but they were still vibrant enough to make you stop and stare.

We got to the palace relatively early, because we had a full day planned of palace visiting and walking around Seoul. We first did the Secret Garden tour, which is to the rear of Changdeokgung Palace, and actually makes up the bulk of the complex.

You can only access the garden via a guided tour, of which there are multiple ones throughout the day, in both Korean and English. However there are only two tours in English, at 1130 and 1430.

The garden was designed for the private pleasure of the king and his family. It has a wide variety of buildings, gardens, ponds, flowers, and trees, some of which are hundreds of years old.

The highlight of the Secret Garden tour is the Buyongjeong Pavilion on the Buyongjeong Pond, which was restored a couple of years ago.

The tour of the Secret Garden lasts about two hours, and it moves at a leisurely pace. You definitely have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, listen to the tour guide and take pictures.

This was definitely one of the most beautiful places to see in Seoul in the fall. There are many places that have colorful leaves, but the Secret Garden has some of the greatest concentration of fall beauty.

Changdeokgung Palace is easy to get to, since it is centrally located in Seoul. You can reach it via metro line 3 (Anguk stop, exit 3), and it is a few hundred meters up the road, or you can walk to the palace from metro stop Jongno-3(sam)-ga (Lines 1,3,5, exit 7). There are separate English language tours for the palace (though you can walk through most of the palace grounds on your own) and the garden (guided tour required). It is open from 0900-1700 (winter) or 1830 (summer).

If you like palaces, and especially if you love beautiful gardens, this is definitely a palace to visit. And if you have the opportunity to visit it in the fall, that is even better.

May 20, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Jirisan Baraebong Royal Azalea Hike

A couple weekends ago, I finally was able to go on the Baraebong Peak Royal Azalea hike in Jirisan National Park. I read about this hike last year, but wasn’t able to do the hike. Since this year is my last spring in Korea, I knew I really needed to do this, because the pictures I’ve seen of this hike are absolutely beautiful. Luckily for me, in my online searches about this hike, I discovered the Seoul Meetup group that was planning to do this hike, and I eagerly signed up.

After signing up, I realized that the hike the meetup group does, is only a short version of the hike. The true hike is the Jeongnyeonchi Hill Baraebong Peak Course. It starts at the Jeongnyeonchi service area and ends at Undong village. That hike is about 12.6 kilometers, and most of it traverses a ridgeline and passes through numerous passes that are covered in colorful azaleas. Unlike most hikes I have done in Korea, that hike has very little in the way of steep inclines, and the one steep decline is at the end of the hike.

The shorter hike we did started at Undong village and continued up the hill to Baraebong Peak with a diversion to Pallangchi Pass, with a return to Undong village. The hike we did was around 8 kilometers. This hike was also the steepest part of the whole hike. The hike starts at Undong village and ascends sharply to Baraebong Samgeori. The altitude gain on this hike was over 400 meters in a brief period of time.

I was definitely feeling the hike in my legs. It was in the middle of the day, and the sun was bright and overhead. There was only minimal shade on this hike, but I took advantage of it whenever I could. Surprisingly, all of these spring hikes I’ve done this year have felt easier than the fall hikes I did. I’ve actually been passing Korean hikers on the paths. My knees certainly feel better. I would like to think that I am simply fitter now than I was in the fall. Or maybe I am just missing all the fitter Korean hikers. But the more likely answer is that I’ve been hiking on easier paths. Sure, the trails are steep, but the trails are wide and surprisingly well-benched. At times I even felt like I was hiking in New Zealand.

This hike is very popular, particularly this time of the year. There were scores of tour buses at Undong village, and even more groups hiking in from Jeongnyeonchi pass. This popularity is probably why the trail is so well benched, but it also means it is VERY crowded.

For most of the trail, that is not really that big of a deal, but parts of the trail around Pallangchi pass are rather narrow, so there were times a long line formed on the trail. Sure that make the walking slower, but this also allowed a greater opportunity to take in the beautiful azaleas.

The azaleas at lower altitudes already passed their blooming season, but as I ascended in altitude, there were more and more azaleas on the path.

Once I reached Baraebong Samegori, I ascended to the top of the peak. Most of the trail was relatively flat, but the last 250 meters before hitting the peak were so steep, but the view from the top was worth it. I could see all the surrounding mountains, and I could see further down the trail, where the patches of azaleas were abundant around Pallangchi pass. I had plenty of time before having to return to the bus, so it was a pretty easy walk out to the pass.

Pallangchi pass was definitely worth the walk. All around the areas were thousands of bright purple azalea flowers. The hills were fields of pink, and I had never seen anything quite like it.

Independent travel for this hike is not exceptionally easy or cheap, but it is doable. The quickest way is probably to take a train from Yongsan to Namwon station, and then a taxi to Jeongnyeonchi service area. At the end of the hike at Undong village, there were plenty of taxis waiting, to get a ride back to Namwon station. There really aren’t any buses in the area, so you really have to take a taxi or be part of a tour group.

If you have the opportunity to do this hike, I highly recommend it. I have never run into the opportunity to do a hike that afforded an opportunity to see so many wild, colorful azaleas in one place. Parts of the hills were all pink, and even the parts that aren’t, offer up so many beautiful views of the surrounding Jirisan National Park.

A couple of tips for this hike. If possible, I would highly recommend you start this hike early, particularly if you are doing the full 12.6 kilometers. This will hopefully allow you to get out in front of the bulk of the Koren hiking groups, though there will be the really dedicated hikers out there. Definitely take plenty of water, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, because the bulk of the hike is very much exposed, and the sun will beat down on your head during a sunny and bright day.

May 19, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Morning Calm Arboretum Spring Flower Festival 2014

The second half of my day trip to Nami Island was a visit to the Morning Calm Arboretum. I had visited before a year ago for the winter Lighting Festival, but wanted to see it in the full light of the spring blooming season.

It is actually reasonably easy to combine the two places into one day trip. They are linked by the Gapyeong Resort Shuttle Bus that runs from Gapyeong Station to Morning Calm Arboretum on an hourly basis, and it takes a little over an hour to get from Nami Island to Morning Calm Arboretum under normal traffic conditions.

I was done with Nami Island by noon, so I figured I would hit the arboretum by 1330 and be on the train back to Seoul by 1700. Well…that was the intention anyway, but the reality was far different. The next shuttle bus was due at 1215, but over an hour and a half later, that bus still had not arrived. Finally a bus did arrive, and I got on it, but it only went as far as Petit France, which is a fake French theme park between Nami Island and Morning Calm Arboretum.

Eventually a bus did arrive, and I figured I was home free to get to the arboretum and enjoy a couple hours of viewing before heading home. Again, that was the plan. However, this was a day when the bus ran into the absolutely horrific Korean traffic in places. Due to the VERY long line to get a parking space, it took the bus well over an hour to arrive at the arboretum. By this point, I had about an hour and a half to enjoy the flowers before having to catch a bus back.

After all this waiting (which isn’t something I am particularly good at) in the hot sun, my mood was a bit surly, and wasn’t helped by the hordes of crowds at the garden. But once I was able to relax and take in all the colorful flowers, my blood pressure stopped dropping.

The one upside to this extended delay is that I missed the harsh overhead sunlight in the middle of the day, and instead was treated to the softer, more attractive light from the setting sun. I still wish I had more time to enjoy the garden, because there were so many beautiful flowers. The azaleas were about at peak bloom. The multi-colored tulips were throughout the garden, and a wide variety of other wild flowers was interspersed throughout the gardens.

The arboretum is a very beautiful place to visit, though you will definitely have to fight through the considerable crowds in the afternoon.If I had to go again, I would go in early morning right when it opens around 0830. I’ve found that the best time to visit any popular place in Korea is in the morning, because crowds don’t tend to show up until late morning/early afternoon.

Getting back to Seoul from Morning Calm Arboretum is pretty easy. There is a bus that leaves on the hour heading toward Cheongpygeong Station, which is a stop on the metro line and the ITX line back to Seoul. If you love beautiful flowers, this is definitely a great place to see them.

May 17, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Nami Island Zipline and Gardens

I had been wanting to visit Nami Island for a while now. My goal was to visit last fall, because Nami Island in autumn is supposed to be a spectacularly beautiful place, but due to weather and competing activities, I didn’t make it. So I decided to wait until peak spring bloom season and combine a trip to Nami Island with the Morning Calm Arboretum, which is located not that far from the island, so it makes for a full and satisfying day trip from Seoul.

So the first Saturday in May, I decided to take advantage of the sunny and beautiful weather to make it happen. I hopped on the ITX train from Yongsan Station to Gapyeong and was soon at the dock for Nami Island. I always planned on taking the zipline to Nami Island. I love zipline rides, and this particular ride is the longest in South Korea. The zipline is over 3,000 feet long and it goes over the river from the dock to Nami Island. The zipline tower is located right next to the dock, and it’s the tallest structure in the area, so it can’t be missed.

I arrived at the dock around 0930, and was ready for the 1000 zipline departure. It was good I arrived when I did, because the crowds started growing shortly afterward. The view of the surrounding areas was really beautiful .

The zipline ride itself is a lot of fun. The ride only lasts about 90 seconds, but it is very peaceful. It’s not exceptionally thrill seeking, just because it’s not very fast or dangerous, though people who are afraid of heights would probably be very nervous.

Once I got to the island, it was pretty easy to walk around. Nami Island is only about 3 miles in circumference, so you can cover the island in a relatively short period of time, depending on any stops you want to make. There are only a few vehicles on the island, vehicles that support the hotels on the island, plus the electric vehicles that provide tours of the island. There are some paths, with parks and gardens to enjoy the area, have a picnic, relax and play. There are some art exhibitions, restaurants and stores. Nami Island is the setting of the TV show “Winter Sonata” , and it’s not that far from Seoul, so it is packed with tourists on the weekends, particularly in the spring and the fall when it is the most beautiful.

There wasn’t much else to do on the island, particularly since I was on my own. Most of the people there are in groups who were just up there to play and relax, and not necessarily see any particular sights. I walked around, I saw the sights, and I was ready to leave after about a couple hours. I can absolutely see why this would be a photographer’s paradise in the fall when peak autumn color hits.

It is actually very easy to reach Nami Island from Seoul. The quickest way is to take the ITX train from Yongsan or Cheongnyangi Station to Gapyeon Station. Both Yongsan and Cheongnyangi are off subway line 1. The ITX train departs approximately once a hour. An alternate way is to take a metro train from Sangbong Station (line 7) to Gapyeong. The ITX train from Yongsan takes approximately 45 minutes, while the metro train takes a bit over an hour. From Gapyeong Station, you can easily take a taxi, the Gapyeong Tourist Resort shuttle bus (departing once an hour) or city bus 33-8 to the Nami Island dock. The two options for arriving at Nami Island are the ferry (approximately every 15 minutes during the day), or the zipline (costlier, but way more fun). Admission to Nami Island is 10,000 won, and that includes the ferry rides to and from the island. The zipline costs 38,000 won, is open from 0900-1800, and includes admission to the island and a ferry ride back.

May 14, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Goryosan Hike and Gangwha Market

A couple weeks ago, I went to my first Seoul Meetup. I have lived in Seoul for a year and a half, but I decided to seek out different options for activities, particularly for activities that aren’t as easy to do independently. In particular I love hiking, and some places aren’t easy to reach via public transportation.

The first activity was a day trip to Gangwha Island to hike part of Goryosan Mountain and finish up the day visiting the Gangwha Traditional Market. The met up early in Seoul and traveled by bus to Goryosan. The point of the hike was to see all the wild azaleas that bloom throughout the hillside in the spring.

This particular day was cloudy, gloomy and rainy. It’s always best for a hike when the weather is good, but you can’t control nature. We set off up the trail and started around a Buddhist temple, but up the hill we went. For the most part, the first part of the hike was boring, but relatively easy. There wasn’t much of anything particular eye catching in the beginning, but soon enough we hit the major plateau with the viewpoint of the surrounding area, all the way out to the sea (assuming the weather was clear).

Once we got to the plateau it was fairly obvious we missed the azalea season. The warm weather causing an early spring in Korea had another casualty, so all the spring flowers bloomed a few weeks earlier than the previous year. By this point there were only sporadic blooms of azaleas, but enough to give a hint of the beauty of the hills at peak blooming. But I did get a picture of a large picture in different years of what the hills looks to capture my imagination.

After we passed the azaleas, we kept hiking for several more kilometers. The weather was pretty cloudy and hazy, so the view wasn’t as vibrant as it would be in good weather. But the hike was fairly easy, because most of it was traversing the ridgeline. Yes, there were some steep uphills at time, but they were fairly short.

We finished the hike at the Jeokseoksa Buddhist Temple, which is a small temple, but it was beautifully decorated with a variety of lanterns in preparation for Buddha’s Birthday coming up in a few weeks.

After the hike, we had some free time for a couple hours at the Gangwha Traditional Market. The market was mainly food, and it was all sorts of things. Lots of fresh seafood, colorful fruit, and different Korean concoctions I couldn’t readily identify.

Overall, my first meetup was a good experience. I didn’t sign up to readily make friends or to socialize. But it enabled to me to enjoy an experience I wouldn’t have easily done on my own.

May 12, 2014 by mysocalledcreativelife

Seonunsa Buddhist Temple Stay

A few weeks ago, I decided to visit Seonunsa Temple for another temple stay. I wanted to try another Buddhist temple stay, and I was intrigued by Seonunsa Temple in particular. The temple is deep within Seonunsan Provincial Park, in the Jeolla-Do province, which is located in the deep southern part of South Korea. In particular, the temple is renowned for its 500-year old red camellia trees that bloom in early spring. Being a sucker for beautiful nature, and beautiful flowers in particular, I had to visit Seonunsa at some point before I left Korea.

Like all other major Buddhist temples in Korea, Seonunsa Temple offers their own Temple Stay Program. They offer a weekend experience program the second and fourth weekends of the month, so I went the second weekend in April, figuring that it would be maximum bloom season for the camellias.

I took the train and then a bus to Seonunsa Temple and arrived on site around lunch time. I took the available hours before check-in to do some hiking in the area. There are numerous trails in the park, and I selected one that wasn’t very long, but ended up at a nice viewpoint. Most of the trail was surprisingly easy, with the exception of a very short, very steep incline up some stairs to reach the top. The weather wasn’t that great, so it was a bit hazy, but at least it wasn’t raining.

After my hike, I toured around Seonunsa Temple grounds on my own. I saw the camellias, but I think I missed peak blooming season. Like every other flower this spring, it bloomed early. But there were still enough beautiful, red camellia flowers in huge trees to get a hint of what it likely looked like at peak bloom (plus I’ve seen pictures, which is why I wanted to visit Seonunsa Temple in the first place).

The temple stay program for Seonunsa Temple is very similar to the program at Haeinsa Temple. I checked in mid Saturday afternoon and was given my own room for the night (only because there weren’t any other female single travelers). I thought I would be about the only one on site, since Seonunsa Temple is not as popular as Haeinsa Temple, but there was a group of high school students from the USA participating in the same program as I was.

After orientation and dinner, we had the evening drum ceremony and the evening service in the temple. After that, we retired to a ceremonial hall for the 108 bows. I don’t know if I was just fitter than I was at the Haeinsa Temple, or if it was just mentally easier, because there was a countdown with the presentation, but it was much easier this time around. After the 108 bows, we all made a Buddhist prayer necklace as a souvenir.

The morning dawned very early at 0400 with the morning ceremony and breakfast. Originally, the morning program included a hike to the Dosolam Hermitage, but since it was raining pretty heavily, I decided to cut my trip short and head back to Seoul early. It is amazing how long your day can be when it starts at 0400, but I made it back to Seoul in time for an early afternoon showing of Captain America: Winter Soldier (my backup plan). So everything worked out for the best. If I had known the weather would be crap on Sunday, I would have done the Dosolam Hermitage hike, but the one I did was enjoyable enough, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Getting to Seonunsa Temple is fairly easy. I chose to take a KTX train from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Jeong-eup Station. From there, I walked a few blocks to the Jeong-eup Bus Station to catch the bus to Seonunsa. There is a direct bus from Jeong-eup to Seonunsa about four times a day, and takes 50 minutes. However, the bus only comes every two hours, so depending on when you arrive, it might actually be quicker to take a bus to Gochang and transfer to another bus to Seonunsa. It is the same coming back, because there were earlier buses connecting through Gochang that got me back to Jeong-eup quicker than waiting for a direct bus from Seonunsa to Jeong-eup.

My So Called Creative Life

Independent world traveler who loves art, food, books and photography

Xi’An Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque (Da Qingzhensi)

A Bike Ride around the Xi’An City Walls (Chengqiang)

Xi’An Bingmayong- Terra Cotta Warriors

Under a Moonlit Sky: A Night Tour of Changdeokgung Palace

Luscious Fall Colors at Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden

Jirisan Baraebong Royal Azalea Hike

Morning Calm Arboretum Spring Flower Festival 2014

Nami Island Zipline and Gardens

Goryosan Hike and Gangwha Market

Seonunsa Buddhist Temple Stay

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