Consumed by wanderlust
By Lee Hyon-soo
Wanderlust is a strong desire to travel and explore the world. I don't think that wanderlust is something that is necessarily innate or predetermined at birth. Nevertheless, I have had a natural inclination toward travel and adventure since adolescence. And I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunities and resources to satisfy my wanderlust.
Not only have I traveled the world over the years, but I have also written many accounts of my travels. But there are some journeys about which I have neglected to write. In this regard, my journey to China springs to mind.
I thought that I had better go see Mount Paektu and the Great Wall while I sojourned in Korea. So I set out on a journey to China with a few friends several years ago. On our way to Mount Paektu, we stopped over in Shenyang to visit Mukden Palace and Zhao Mausoleum, among other historic sites. We also took a tour of Yanji, the administrative seat of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture which is home to the descendants of Koreans who had moved to China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to seek a better life or fight for the independence of Korea.
Mount Paektu rises 2,744 meters above sea level. We ascended the Chinese side of the mountain by jeep most of the way and walked about 100 meters uphill to reach its summit. The crater at the summit was much bigger than I had imagined and it was filled with sparkling water. Indeed, it was a picturesque lake and seemed worthy of its name, Cheonji (Heavenly Lake). According to our tour guide, Cheonji is shrouded by heavy fog more often than not and we were extremely lucky to see it on a clear day.
From Mount Paektu, we traveled to Beijing and visited the Forbidden City which is an old palace complex. Our guide informed us that it consists of 980 buildings and covers 178 acres. It exemplifies the opulence of the residence of Chinese emperors and traditional Chinese palatial architecture. It is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
After spending several hours exploring the Forbidden City, we made our way to the Great Wall which was built from the third century B.C. to the 17th century as the military defense project of successive Chinese empires with a total length of more than 20,000 kilometers.
As I made my way up the winding path, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer size of the wall. When I finally reached the top, I was rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The wall stretched out as far as the eye could see, snaking its way up and down the hills and valleys like a giant serpent. I walked along the wall for several hours, marveling at the craftsmanship that had gone into building this incredible structure.
As the sun began to set, I made my way back down to the base of the wall, feeling grateful for the opportunity to have experienced such an incredible piece of history.
Mount Paektu, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China exceeded my expectations.
The writer (tomhslee43@gmail.com) is the author of “Tales of a Korean Globetrotter.”