Jeju Island Full of Interest

By Oleg Kiriyanov

Contributing writer

Jeju Island is arguably the most famous resort of South Korea. On the one hand this fact makes it easier to write a story, but on the other makes it more difficult ― so many facts and impressions have already been told.

Let us start with some general information. Jeju Island is Korea's biggest island (about 1,770 square kilometers) and situated to the south in the subtropical belt. That means its flora and climate is quite different from the rest of Korea.

Well, Jeju has an unbelievable number of different attractions, all of which have equal rights to be called the symbols of the island: South Korea's highest mountain Mount Halla; women-divers who are recognized as a living national treasure; horses which have live here since long ago; dark pigs; mandarins; volcanoes; and shamans ― to name just a few.

In general Jeju can be also called ``the island of interesting places'' ― both artificial and natural. If you decide to see them all, say goodbye to your friends and your job for at least several weeks. So the places of interest are numerous but it does not mean that all of them are worth seeing.

Personally, Jeju is remembered as the island of museums ― you can find ones dedicated to green tea, Teddy Bears, stones, chocolate, sex and health, modern art, ethnography, natural history and so on.

Among them, at least four museums are definitely worth visiting.

First of all is the Museum of Miniatures. There you can see a very good, detailed and very close (in appearance) to the original models of famous buildings of the world including the Eiffel Tower, Sydney's Opera House, Moscow's Kremlin, Beijing's Imperial Palace, London's Big Ben and many more. Funny photos are guaranteed ― a good chance to feel like a giant when the building of the U.S. Congress is of a similar height as you.

Then find time to see the Museum of Health and Sex. It appears that the word ``health'' in the name of the museum was added just not to make it too provocative. But at the same time it shows such delicate topic as sex in a very scientific and at the same time interesting way from different angles ― from philosophical to medical and historical. But remember: the museum is off limits for those aged under 19. It is understandable, as some explanations, models and even photos are too, well detailed, at least for kids.

At the same time your kids will definitely forget their grief for not being taken to the ``adults only'' museum when you bring them to the Museum of Chocolate. It shows the history and the modern state of the chocolate-making process. You can observe it with your own eyes live, as the museum has its own chocolate factory where all the stages of production can be seen through windows. The museum also has a shop where visitors can buy products from the factory.

We have already mentioned women-divers as one of the most famous symbols of Jeju. To see all aspects of the life of these living national treasures, visit the Museum of Women-Divers situated in the northeast of the island.

The story about Jeju will not be complete without mentioning some interesting places created not by human beings but by nature. Definitely No. 1 here is Mount Halla, the former volcano standing in the middle of the island. As it is the highest peak in South Korea (1,950 meters above the sea level) it requires considerable effort to climb to the very top. But if you manage to do that, the unforgettable landscapes are guaranteed ― especially the crater itself.

The other natural wonder of the island is also the crater of a former volcano, standing on the seashore. It has a very poetic name, the Sunrise Peak (Seonsan Ilchulbong). It is also one of the most popular places in Korea to see the rising sun as it appears above the sea's horizon. To add some points to your scores of the peak, it should be mentioned that UNESCO registered the peak as a World Heritage.

On the seashore of Jeju City, in the northern part of the island, you can see another famous place, Yongduam or the Rock of the Dragon's Head. It does resemble the head of that mythical animal.

Among another places worth to be mentioned are the famous Manjanggul lava tubes (also among UNESCO World Heritage sites) through which the lava ran in the middle of mountains when Mount Halla was an active volcano; a funny human-made bush labyrinth Kimnyeong Miro where you can lose some time until you find the right way out; and two ``mysterious roads.''

The roads have a more terrifying name ― ``goblin's roads.'' Due to an optical illusion of the surrounding landscape, cars moving downhill roads look like they move uphill. So all visitors check whether the roads really go down: people usually either stop the engine and let the car roll ``upward,'' or put a round object (a bottle, can, etc.) on the road to see it roll in the ``wrong'' direction.

Probably it would be correct to say that Jeju has too many interesting places. So if we were to try and write even a few sentences about all of them, it would take a book. You can find on the island almost every imaginable places ― volcanoes, beaches, mountains, botanic gardens, museums, small islands, monasteries, and caves, alongside outdoor pursuits such as scuba diving, mountain climbing, yachting, and paragliding. Or you can just lie on a beach and be completely sure that the life is beautiful.

If you want to visit Jeju, get some detailed information about those interesting places and decide what to see or do before you reach the island. Otherwise it is easy to become lost among the numerous attractions.