Let's go to the Cheonjeyeon Waterfall first. One of Jeju's top tourist attractions, Cheonjeyeon Falls does not only possess a 22-meter cascade but it is also surrounded by a beautiful park. Cheonjeyeon Waterfall, named 'The pond of God', consists of 3 parts. Around the falls, a variety of plant life thrives, such as the rare ‘solipnan’ reeds. To the east, there is a cave where cold water pours down from the ceiling to create a waterfall. The water from the first waterfall becomes the second and third waterfalls and flows into the sea. In Cheonjeyeon Valley, there is the “Seonimgyo Bridge” (arch bridge that has 7 nymphs carved on the side) and the octagonal “Cheonjeru tower”. The Seonimgyo is also called “Chilseonyeogyo”(meaning seven nymphs) and it connects Cheonjeyeon with the Jungmum Tourist Complex. On the surface of the Cheonjeru Tower, there is a painting that tells Cheonjeyeon’s legend of the nymph and mountain god. Every even-year, in the month of May, the Chilseonyeo Festival is held here.Located within Jungmun Resort, Yeomiji Botanical Garden is the best botanical garden in Asia that has a unique southern atmosphere. Yeomiji is home to a total of approximately 2,000 rare tropical and subtropical plants including Flower Garden, Water Lily Garden, Jungle Garden, Subtropical Fruits Garden, Cactus and Succulent Garden, and Observation Platform. The outdoor garden houses, Jeju Native Garden, as well as Korean, Japanese, Italian and French folk gardens.
We still have some time left before lunchtime Shall we go and see the dolphins at the Pacific Land Show? Dolphins and sea lions perform excellent shows in a pool with a transparent wall facing spectators. I just love the dolphins, they're so cute. The show is indoors, so it won't be hot. The same building has a small aquarium and souvenir shop. Then after the show we can have lunch at one of the restaurants somewhere around here. And after lunch we shall be proceeding eastwards towards Seopjikoji to the house of All In, before going over to Udo island.
The first place on our agenda this afternoon will be the Jeju Folk Village which is the island's main tourist attraction, where customs of the olden days can be explored. With a total of 117 houses and other structures, the museum has recreated scenes of village life in the 1800s from mountain villages to fishing villages. Most of the buildings are authentic and have been relocated stone by stone from their original location. Traditional folk crafts are also on display; there is even an area where you can experience what it was like to live in a traditional Jeju house.The buildings are constructed in such a way so that it retains the original atmosphere of the village. A few of the cottages, relocated to this village, are even more than three hundred years old, and which still maintains its original form today. The topography of Jeju Folk Village can be divided into three types: coastal land, plain land, and hilly regions. A number of folk crafts are available here in the Jeju Folk Village.
Since March 2006, the Daeganggeum Mini Theme Park located here in this museum, offers various things for visitors to see. Many of the scenes from episodes 27 to 32 of the historical drama, in which Jang-geum learns medicine as a maid were filmed at Jeju Folk Village. In order to fit the theme of Daeganggeum, the separate locations have joined together, and are now open to tourists. Visitors can appreciate the amazing scenic beauty of Jeju as well as experience the traditional culture of Jeju at this theme park.
We’ll be passing a few beaches on the way to Seopjikoji but we won’t be stopping because we want to spend some time in Seopjikoji, home to our favourite drama All In before crossing over to Udo Island. Just 100 meters away from the Jeju Folk Village. is the Pyoseon Beach, This beach becomes a circular sandy plain at low tide and a circular lake with less than one meter deep at high tide, creating a sort of beach playground. There’s a stretch of white sandy beach here. It is is like an arena, so children from neighboring villages play here when it is not so crowded with people. On its east side, there is a port and fishing spots where people can enjoy fresh raw fish and the lovely night scenery at full tide.
Sinyang Beach, which is nestled inside the cape of Seopjikoji. It is the last beach we pass before we arrive in Seopjikoji. . The water is so calm making it an ideal place for windsurfing. There’s even a training camp for windsurfing near the beach. Families come to this gently sloping beach for its shallow, warm waters.
Seopjikoji Beach is just ahead. "Seopji" is the old name for the area, and "Koji" is Jeju dialect meaning a sudden bump on land.
Green fields without a single tree spread beyond the cliff to where a rock called “seondol” protrudes. Also there are stonewalls along the road to block the wind on the way to the lighthouse at the end of Seopjikoji. Within the stonewalls, you may find the most brilliant rapeseed flower fields every April. Going up the metal steps of the lighthouse, you can view the whole seashore at a glance. On Koji hill, there stands a stone Bongsudae (4 m high, 9 m long and wide) that retains its original form. It looks so beautifu, it’s a sight for sore eyes! Seopjikoji is a famous location because of its amazing shore cliffs and fields of yellow flowers. But most importantly this romantic and beautiful place was also where the famous television drama series All In was filmed. Part of the set - a small cathedral atop a hill- still remains and is visited by fans of Korean dramas.
Shall we go inside the House of All In? I know I’m anxious to go in.
Until September 2003, the outdoor set location of All in included a church, convent, and daycare center on a beautiful landscape in Seopjikoji; however, that set was destroyed by Typhoon Maemi. Following numerous requests for reconstruction, the ‘All In House’ was built, this time including a casino. The new All In House is a collaboration between the All In production company and SBS Production. The reconstructed church and convent sets will be exhibited to the visitors. The All In house took 18 months to build, which included two underground floors (B1 and B2) and a ground-level floor. The reconstruction costs more than three billion Korean won. The ground floor displays include items from the drama, "making of the film", the film on the Grand Canyon set, and also the music box which served as the link between In-ha (Lee Byung-hun) and Soo-yeon's (Song Hye-kyo) love. The B1 level has a small cinema section showing an All In trailer using computer graphics, and a souvenir shop, café, and outdoor rest area. Other places of interest in Seopjikoji are the lighthouse and the signal mound called Yeondae.
From here we are going to Udo Island. Jeju-do’s treasure island is called Udo due to its unique shape that resembles a cow lying down! You have to take a boat from Jeju-do to visit it. Although it’s only a small island the scenery is so beautiful that it is often used as Korean movie settings.
Due to volcanic activity on the island, Udo’s coasts are filled with impressive black stones and rocks. Living up to its name as a mysterious island, Udo boasts many scenic views hidden throughout the area that are just waiting to be discovered. In Udo there are eight sightseeing wonders that you have to see and they are:-
• Juganmyeongwol: the "moon" during the day inside the cave.
In the southern region of Udo Island is a cave called Gwangdaegoji. There is an interesting phenomenon called the 'Dalgeurian' or the “day moon” which can be seen in this cave. This phenomenon takes place when the sun shining through the entrance of the cave is reflected on the ceiling. The reflection looks just like a moon and as it happens at 12 noon it is called the “day moon”. Visitors interested in this fascinating sight should time their visit around noon to observe this phenomenon. The cave is also known as the Kwangdaekoji and the process is also sometimes called 'Talgrian'
• Yahangobom: the sight of fishing boats at night
• Cheonjinkwansan: the scene of Halla-san from U-do
• Jiducheongsa: U-do beach seen from the peak
• Jeonpomangdo: U-do seen from the sea
• Huhaeseokbyeok: the cliffs of U-do
• Dongangyeonggul: whale cave of the East Sea
• Seobinbaeksa: white coral beach
The soft sands of Sebin White Sand Beach is a must-see as it is the only coral sands to be found in Korea. This beach's gorgeous white sands are formed by broken coral and emerald green ocean waters.
And so ends our excursion to Seopjikoji and Udo Island and also time for me to say goodbye because the competition ends today.
What impresses me most about Jeju are the beautiful beaches along its coastline and its beach roads. Perhaps its because I feel nostalgic for the place where I was born, in the island of Penang in Malaysia, sometimes referred to as the Pearl of the Orient. We also have some beautiful beaches but not that many as in Jeju.
I forgot to mention about Hyeopjae Beach which is one of the top 12 beaches to visit in the summer in the whole of Korea. The other one, Jungmun Beach I have already spoken about. So now I'm going to tell you something about Hyeopjae Beach. Located just next to the Hallim Park, the Hyeopjae Beach is a great family destination. Not only is it noted for its white sands, the Hyeopjae Beach is particularly known for the numerous sea shells that get washed up ashore. In fact, picking sea shells off the beaches is a major activity in Hyeopjae Beach in Jeju. So if you like to collect sea shells then this is the place for you. The presence of these sea shells make the sands of the Hyeopjae Beach in Jeju unique as you will find a lot of shell powder mixed with the white sand. The beach is also quite extensive, with the length stretching to around 20 meters. A bird’s eye view of the Hyeopjae Beach in Jeju is a truly entrancing sight with the pristine white sands forming a wide partition between the cobalt blue sea and the green evergreen woods inland. This is also one place where you get see for yourself how many shades of blue and green there can actually be. The depth of the waters is uniform and reaches down to about 1.2 meters. The Hyeopjae Beach in Jeju is truly a tropical haven.
Adjacent to Hyeopjae Beach is Geumneung Beach, where the scenery is similar.
Hyeopjae Beach is better known whereas Geumneung Beach is the quieter of the two.
Hyeopjae / Geumneung Beach was the location for several scenes from Jewel in the Palace. Those who saw it will recall the scene in which Janggeum leaves on a boat arranged by Min Jeung-ho and the touching moment as he looks out to sea after she left. The scene in which Janggeum rushes towards her dugout was also filmed here.
Three other rock formations I didn't talk about suddenly came to mind and I have to speak about them. Who doesn't like legends?
Legend of Seopji Koji
Legend has it that nymphs used to bathe at Seopji Koji. One day, the youngest son of the King of Heaven saw the nymphs and begged his father to arrange a marriage. The king promised him to do that if he waited for 100 days. The nymph did not show up on the 100th day because of wild waves and gusts of wind. The king told his son that his dedication was not good enough to move Heaven. The sorrowful son then became a rock, “seondol” standing upright at Seopji Koji.
"Yongduam", a rock showing a writhing dragon with a grudge
A dragon living in the Dragon Kingdom wanted to ascend to heaven, but it wasn’t an easy thing to do. Realizing that he could be a real dragon with a precious pearl of the mountain god of Halla, the dragon stole the precious pearl from the god and successfully descended to the valley of Yongyeon. However, he was discovered and shot by the god arrow while flying. He landed on the beach where he turned into petrified stone, crying and wreathing with agony and a grudge.
Yongduam itself shows a roaring dragon which is about to ascend from the sea. When the day is windy and waves are strong, it’ll make you feel like a dragon is going spiraling up to the sky. With 30 meters of the body submerged, the 10 meter high tall rock will cast a spell if you steadily gaze it at sunset.
The 100-meter point from the rock is one of the best distances if you really want to appreciate Yongduam Rock. In particular, when the waves are splashing, it is the day to watch this rock. It will make you think that the world is turning upside down or the dragon is about to rise from the sea, making roaring sound under the wrath of a god.
Oeodolgae
With the unusual rocks surrounding the Haekum River at Namju and the Chilsipri coast of Seogwipo, the 20-meter stone pillar "Oeodolgae" stands out. Standing at the beautiful beach of Samebong Peak and located 2 km from the west of Seogwipo, it was formed by volcanic activity at the same time as Jeju Island 1.5 million years ago. A group of pine trees inhabit the top of the pillar.
Oedolgae was named for its isolated location on the sea. It is also called Grandmother rock (Halmangbawi) as legend has it that an old woman waited for her husband to return from a fishing trip. When he didnt come back, she became a rock. On the tip of the rock, some trees and grasses grow, resembling human hair. It will givfe you the impression that the old woman forehead, sorrowful eyes and nose can be faintly seen on the left side of the rock. The open mouth will make you feel like the old woman is calling for her husband.
There is a rock right under the Oedolgae that looks like it is floating. It is said that the rock is her husband body before she become a stone pillar. Spreading like a folding screen, the oddly-shaped Fairy Rock (Seonnyubawi) cliff surrounds the rock as if it is trying to embrace the stone couple.
And so I end my last post here. Thank you for stopping by.
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