Byeonsan Peninsula: Harmonious Combination of Sea and Mountains

By Oleg Kiriyanov

Ccontributing writer

The Byeonsan Peninsula, North Jeolla Province, is one of the most popular and beautiful regions of the western coast of South Korea. Numerous tourists visit this area year-round, particularly from July to August, the peak of the vacation period. The peninsula attracts visitors with its natural and historical-cultural monuments and places of interest. Byeonsan also has many areas ideal for walking, yet roads running through many beautiful spots can satisfy those who love driving tours.

Nature and natural monuments are probably the peninsula's best aspects from a tourism perspective. A considerable part of it is designated as national park land and harmoniously combines the sea and mountains.

It is difficult to speak for all tourists but most probably visit because of the sea. The part of the peninsula close to the sea is called OeByeonsan or the ``Outer Byeonsan.'' The Byeonsan Peninsula is washed by the waters of the Yellow Sea, or, as they call it in Korea, the West Sea, which is not as deep as the East Sea, but its water is quite clean.

The peninsula's two main beaches, Byeonsan and Gosapo Sonnim, are famous among Koreans for their clean sand and pleasant pine tree forests, great for those who like swimming in clean warm water and sunbathing and picturesque rocks descending steeply to the sea can be seen along the seashore resembling huge stone books on a shelf.

NaeByeonsan, or the inner part of the peninsula, is famous for its mountainous park. Its mountains are not that high ― the biggest peak barely exceeds 1,000 meters above sea level ― but they all of them are beautiful and have a lot of tracks for hikers. Depending on your physical shape and availability, you can choose the one that fits you the best. Besides ``classical'' mountainous places of interest, such as canyons, rocks, cliffs and so forth, some peaks boast an outstanding view of the Yellow Sea and the seashore.

As the peninsula is situated in the western part of Korea, you can enjoy the sunset, as do many local tourists, from mountain summits. The view of the sun descending into the sea is considered super and with a little luck you'll have weather good enough to see it in its entire beauty.

Jikso Waterfall is also a contender for NaeByeonsan's best point of interest. A four kilometers walk, some people say the waterfall and the mountainous Chaeseok River are the park's most beautiful scenes.

The pool of water at the bottom of the fall has a unique emerald color that becomes more intense toward the center. Local people say it's very deep but its exact depth has yet to be measured. Dozens of meters away are two smaller falls and the mountain's river water is very clean and full of small fishes.

In the middle of the mountainous park at the foot of Kwaneum Peak is the Buddhist Naeso Temple. Built in A.D. 633 by a monk named Haegu, the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times and undergone several name changes. It acquired an appearance similar to its present one in 1633 and was once again repaired in 1865.

The temple has a few items designated as National Treasures due to their high historical and cultural value. The temple was proclaimed in 1986 a historic area protected by the state.

In front of the buildings forming the temple's complex is a 20-meter-high, 1,000 year-old tree, believed by some to be of sacred origin.

A few words should be said about the alley running from the entrance of the park to the temple, a great spot for walking. The trees on both sides create a kind of a green tunnel. Neaso Temple and its territory are beautiful year-round but especially in spring and autumn. In spring, blossoming flowers create a fantastic view while in autumn a yellow-red carpet of trees covers the surrounding mountains.

A few kilometers east of Naeso Temple is the private Geumguwon Sculptural Park and Observatory, built in 1991 to become the first private astronomic observatory in Korea. All of its approximately 30 sculptures were made by local artist Kim Oh-seon and have been in the area since 1966, when the observatory was relatively new.

It would be probably fair to say that marine products claim the title of ``the best local food.'' If you want to go 100 percent local, go to a restaurant on the seashore and order a set of mollusks, said to be the best in Korea. Though Koreans who live in other points near the sea may doubt it, their taste is truly original and will give you an opportunity to understand the uniqueness of Byeonsan Peninsula.