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Jungnyeong is a mountain pass in Mt. Sobaek. During the Joseon period (1392-1910) / Korea Times |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
In Spain, there's an 800-kilometer walking route called the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James). Thousands of people from all over the world come to the walk the route every year along a path in the country's northwest corner.
The route follows the path taken by ancient pilgrims making their way to the city of St. James as a religious rite. Today, modern pilgrims can take the same route and have a similar experience as those who walked the path more than a thousand years ago.
In Korea, travelers and trekkers are finding their own meanings in some trails, although they are not like the pilgrimage paths. Not only for travel purposes but also for health reasons, more and more people are hitting the road to walk through ecological trails between mountain ridges and picturesque landscapes. Here are some routes for walkers to trek down.
Jeju Olle
Jeju Olle-gil is one of the best known walking courses which was established in 2007 and came to be widely known to the public from last year.
Over 215 kilometers, the 12 trekking programs of Jeju Olle help travelers discover the untouched natural landscape of the island blessed with a mild climate, rare species and beautiful scenery.
In 2008, about 30,000 visitors traveled the routes and double the number is expected this year.
``Olle'' is old Jeju dialect word for the narrow paths on Jeju Island. Olle roads come in various forms ― some are paved with asphalt while others are marked by rocky, even risky paths near cliffs or peaks of ``oreum,'' ``small mountain'' in the Jeju dialect.
The trails are discovered from the hidden roads of the island and restored from old paths that are inaccessible by cars.
It takes between three to six hours on average to complete a single trail.
Among the 12, you need to choose what you prefer ― sea, cliffs or small mountains. If you want to see the wild yet beautiful nature of the island, highlighted with its uniquely shaped rocks and cliffs, course 8 is the recommended route. The 27.6-kilometer-long stretch goes from Wolpyeong Harbor to Daepyeong Harbor, and here you can find the natural beauty created by Jeju Island's spectacular pillar-shaped rocks, grass and seashore.
Jungnyeong Old Trail
Jungnyeong is a mountain pass on Mt. Sobaek and reaches a height of 689 meters. During the Joseon period (1392-1910), the Jungnyeong path was a main roadway, halfway between Seoul and Busan.
Although the path was so steep that everybody had trouble walking, it was widely used by many scholars and merchants traveling to Seoul. If you have an opportunity to walk along the path, you may feel the emotions they felt as most scholars walked with the lofty dream of going to the capital to take the state examination. The footpath was shared by many people including nobles and peddlers.
 It takes about one hour to traverse the old path on Jungnyeong Hill, which was one of the roads leading to Hanyang, then the capital of Joseon Kingdom. These days it has turned into a popular trekking course. Visitors can discover nature's utmost beauty as they pass under a tunnel formed by dense fir trees covered in ivy. The path was formed 1,800 years ago.
Jungnyeong was one of the three major gateways connecting the east and the west along with Mungyeongsaejae and Chupungnyeong. In the old days, there was a tavern travelers used to drop in to take a rest.
It takes about one hour from Huibangsa Station to the tavern located on the top of Jungnyeong Hill. Thanks to the shade under the dense forest, visitors can stay cool as they walk along the old path and pick wild berries on their way.
Currently, the spot is getting fresh attention from family tourists who come with their children.
Dulle Trail on Mt. Jiri
The trail called Dulle-gil or the side road, is a 300-kilometer walking path connecting three provinces ― North Jeolla, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang ― and more than 100 villages in one great route for trekkers who can't climb steep and tough mountains.
The project now under construction was initiated by Supgil, an incorporated body, in 2007 and will be completed by 2011.
Currently, one fourth of the trail, which spans about 70 kilometers from Jucheon in North Jeolla Province to Sancheong in South  The Gyeongsang Province is open to the public. rest of the trail is currently being restored.
The trail is intended to restore the old paths passing ridges, forests, riversides, rice fields and villages. About 50,000 walkers used the open trail this year.
With the popularity of the walking tour, relevant books are being published. ``Walking Tour on Mt. Jiri'' by Lee Hye-young introduces details on the route of the whole path. Also ``Playing on the Road'' written by Kim Hwa-sung deals with the walking tour to Dulle-gil on Mt. Jiri and Olle-gil on Jeju.
Ecological Walking Tour Zone
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is seeking to launch an ecological walking tour zone in seven areas from a path in Mt. Sobaek in North Gyeongsang Province to Incheon all the way back to Hadong in South Gyeongsang Province.
The tour route will include a foothill road (Jarak-gil) on Mt. Sobaek spanning 34 kilometers and Myeongseung Road of Jungnyeong.
In Incheon, the side road (Dulle-gil) of the Ganghwa region, 52 kilometers long, has several courses for tourists including the historical high-ground road (Yeoksa Dondae-gil) and the Simdo travel road (Simdo Gihaeng-gil).
In South Jeolla Province, there is the 55-kilometer Southern Exile Road of the scholar Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836) that stretches from Gangjin to the southern region. Jeong, whose pen name was ``Dasan'' was one of the great scholars of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), who later went into exile for political reasons. He headed a school of thought called Silhak, or practical thinking.
The walking tour starts from Dasan Relic Exhibition Hall up to Well-being Ki Road (``Ki'' meaning life force) of Mt. Wolchul and then on to Gurim village.
Author Park Kyung-ni's (1926-2008) Toji Road, which traces the Seomjin River of Hadong in South Gyeongsang Province is 31 kilometers long. This section will be designated as a culture and art walking zone, and people can look around the houses, the marketplace and other scenic areas nearby that were the background to Park's award-winning 16-volume saga ``Toji'' (The Land) written from 1969 to 1994. The course takes five hours to walk. Organizers are further considering linking the tour with the annual regional festivals, such as the Hadong Wild Tea Festival, the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Buckwheat Festival.
Park is one of the greatest contemporary writers in Korea and her books were adapted into a TV series, movies and an opera.
chungay@koreatimes.co.kr |
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