Discovering Gyeongsangbuk-do – Pohang City Part 1

Since there’s a ferry going to Pohang from Ulleungdo I thought we might as well kill two birds with one stone by taking that ferry and at the same time do some sightseeing in Pohang City before we head for Yeongdeok-gun to the north.

Pohang Port, then and now

Pohang City, the city of "Dreams and Hope" is a city in the North Gyeongsang Province. Resting on the built-up area of the alluvial plain at the mouth of the Hyeongsan River, sits the Port of Pohang. Today, the Port of Pohang is the hub of rail, road, and sea transportation routes.The office of the Port of Pohang only serves general maritime businesses such as shipping, construction, control of port and management of aids to navigation over the area of Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu Metropolitan City. There is an administrator to deal with the regional maritime affairs and other matters connected with the port.

Just a small fishing village at the dawn of the 20th century, the earliest steps towards developing Pohang into a place of greater significance were taken in 1930 with the construction of a modern harbor. With that, Pohang grew rapidly attaining the designation of a Town in 1931 and then earning the status of a City in 1949. By the 1960s, Pohang was a small coastal city with a population of 50,000.

Today, iron and steel producers and shipbuilders help support the local economy of Pohang . These past four decades have seen its rapid rise from a small fishing village into an advanced industrial city and today it is the number one industrial city of Gyeongsangbukdo. It is the home of POSCO (the Pohang Steel Company), one of the largest steel producers in the world, and a host of other related industries like INI steel and Dongguk steel.

The Pohang of today presents itself as having an eye to the future, striving to become a diversified city of environmentalism and advanced learning, as well as a centre of arts and culture. The administration behind Pohang is a very determined and dedicated one with regards to its goals and visions as envisaged on its web page. Just take a look.

Vision

Emblem

It was developed in written form using the Roman alphabet, including the vision of Pohang city, the central city of international exchange and maritime culture.

It expressed the exchange of information and culture, and the purpose was to detail the global network centered on East Sea Rim.. It also developed unique handwriting over the image of Pohang city which portrays ordinary citizens’ culture and the lively potential of the city

Slogan

It shows the aspirations of citizens longing to make a dynamic city where everyone is happy.

It presents Pohang city as joyful and happy by drawing sprouts and heart shapes on the letter P.

It delivers people’s hope for Pohang city to become a city of happiness and joy by renewing the city’s brand and pursues increasing the quality of life and encouraging people’s participation.

Mascot

It symbolizes the sun (Yeon-o) and the moon (Sae-o), which comes from the tale of Yeon-o and Sae-o, which describes the identity of Pohang.

This symbolizes light and hope. The red sun image expresses the city’s vigor, joy, freedom, hope, and passion, and the blue moon image expresses high-tech, global, unlimited growth, dreams, and energy.

It is designed in a way to pleasantly reach out to the public with the joyful look and cheerful motion of its harmonious sun and moon images.

Official bird of the City – Seagull

- This bird portrays the image of a seaside city, and it is one of the Pohang's eight famous sceneries, symbolizing the great love for the city.

- Their tendency to live in groups, represents the diligence, industriousness, and unity of the citizens, and the progressive civil spirit,

- They embody the strong will and grand ideals of the citizens, who live in the vast expanse of the ocean filled with wild waves. They are always clean and dignified, leaving us with the feeling of affection towards them.

Official flower of the city – Rose

- Rose is a perennial plant which symbolizes passionate love and beauty.

- Its beauty and fragrance embodies love and it represents the wish that the citizens will be generous and giving.

- It depicts the passion of the citizens, that is just like the red-hot burning furnace of a steel city leaping towards the global stage.

Official tree of the city – Beach Pine Trees

- It is an evergreen needle-leaf tree, which grows by the seaside, hence the name beach pine tree. It is also known as black pine and is a local plant found throughout the East Sea coast.

- It is an evergreen, maintaining its greenness and freshness for thousands of years while overcoming any hard rain, wind, and storm the nature might present, hence symbolizing the adamant endurance and bravery of the citizens.

- It lives for more than 300 years and has a magnificent appearance and masculine beauty compared to regular pine trees. It is considered as a symbol of integrity and high principle, and is one of the oldest plant species on earth, hence symbolizing the eternal growth of our city.

Do you know that there are 7 beautiful beaches here in Pohang? But since we’ve been spending so much time in the sun on Ulleungdo lately I think I’ll save these for last. Instead we’ll start our tour in Pohang by going to the mountains for some cool mountain air.

Mount Naeyeon is about 80 kilometers southwest of the Port of Pohang. This 930-meter mountain at the southern end of the Taebaek Mountains faces the East Sea and is home to the Bogyeongsa Temple.

Starting with the Ssangsaeng Waterfall, there are several gorgeous waterfalls like the Sambo Waterfall, Boyeon Waterfall, Jamyong Waterfall, leading to the Gwaneum Cave . At Gwaneum Falls, you can cross over an elevated bridge to the Yeonsan Falls which is the most magnificent and beautiful waterfall among the 12 waterfalls in this area. The mountain attracts many tourists because of its beautiful scenery of the valley, river, and the surrounding forest.

Dedicated to preserving valuable arboreal resources, including native trees, and to serve a role as a creator of forest culture through academic researches and a natural learning site, the Mt. Naeyeon Arboretum was opened on September 17, 2001. It is located in the highest lands of Mt. Naeyeon (550~780m), the back land of Pohang and on a basin surrounded by high mountains. As of 2004, it has 77,500 pieces of 720 species, including 430 species of trees (15,800 pieces) and 290 species of herbs (61,700), and consists of five buildings, five ponds, a garden plaza, two parking lots, and a main arboretum.

The arboretum has 22 sections, including an arboretum, a theme garden, an iris garden, a conifer garden, and a broadleaf garden. The arboretum is also divided into:

• Highland Botanical Garden that is located on the highest spot;


• Ulleung-do Naturally Native Botanical Garden;


• Edible Botanical Garden with Allium senescens and Pimpinella brachycarpa;


• Aquatic Botanical Garden with waterside or water-grown plants planted along a valley;


• Fragrant Botanical Garden with fragrant flowers and herbs.

The theme garden has flowers from all seasons divided into each section and the iris garden consists of Russian iris, Iris savatieri, Iris pallasii var. chinensis, etc. The conifer garden has mostly evergreen conifers and the broadleaf garden has trees with broad leaves for shading.

The Bogyeong Temple is a major Buddhist temple nestled in a steep green valley at the foot of Mount Naeyeon (710 m) in Songna-myeon, an area in the extreme northern part of Pohang. It is a branch of the Bulguksa Temple , the 11th branch of the Korean Buddhist Jogye Order. It was built during the reign of King Seongdeok when monk Madeung and Chukbeubran from the countries bordering Western China presented an eight-sided mirror to Iljo, saying ‘if you find a propitious site in a noted mountain by the east sea, bury the mirror, and build a temple on it. Then, Buddhism will spread everywhere, lasting forever.' Monk Iljo buried it at the bottom of the 30-meter deep Yongdam Lake. That's why the temple was called ‘Bogyeongsa.’ It is one of the eight best sites in Gyeongbuk province. After that, Wonjinguksa expanded the temple. Originally it had 14 buildings and was later increased to 38, with massive renovations being made to the buildings. Inside the temple, is Budo (National treasure # 430), Wonjunguksabi (National treasure #252) and a 5-storey stone pagoda. There are hiking trails leading from the temple up into the mountains. Bogyeongsa also has a number of mountain hermitages in the vicinity

Mt. Unje (478m) was named after an elevated bridge that a monk named Wonhyo used to cross over between two temples which were separated by a deep valley. It has also been said that Unje mountain was named after Queen Unje, the wife of King Namhae, who was the second king of the Silla dynasty. In the past, old monks such as Jajang, Wonhyo and Hyegong used to train themselves on this mountain. There is a prohibition period for mountaineering on this mountain, from Feb 15 - May 15 and from Nov 15 - Dec 15

The O-Eo Temple is located at the foot of this mountain. It was built by a monk called Jajang during King Jinpyeong's rule and was originally called the Hangsa Temple. The origin of its current name can be found in the history book Samguksagi (Korean history of the Three States). According to legend, the monks Wonhyo and Hyegong were having a contest on Bandu Rock in which they fished and released the fishes they caught and ended up by arguing about who originally caught one of the released fishes. The name O-Eo was given because of that incident.

Located in Sangeup-ri Mt Bihak is one of the most beautiful and historical mountains in Pohang. The mountain rises up to 762ｍ above sea level and is called Mt. Bihak as it resembles a crane flying up to the sky from its nest. At the peak of the mountain is a broad summit and on the eastern mid-slope is another small mountain-shaped summit, which is called Deungjanhyeol. It is often said that if an ancestor is buried on the peak of the mountain or in Deungjanhyeol, his/her descendents would prosper and that the descendents should live away from Deungjanhyeol after burying their ancestor in Deungjanhyel in order to prosper. On the other hand, there are others who say that burying an ancestor on Mt. Bihak would bring drought.

Once, when there was a severe drought in the summer, the government and the people held a ritual praying for rain together and some desperate farmers even came up to Mt. Bihak and dug up all the graves. Today, it is visited by many mountain hikers who are attracted by the luxurious trees and plants and the beautiful scenery.

The Beopgwangsa located at the entrance of Mt. Bihaksan was built by the Buddhist monks Wonhyo and Euisang at the command of King Jinpyeong, the 26th king of the Shilla Dynasty. The temple had 525 sections; however, it was burnt during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. The current temple was rebuilt in 1952. Existing relics include a stone tower, a lotus pedestal, and a pair of stone turtles. The sarira tower, which is currently four levels, was excavated and robbed in 1968, but two pieces of stone-engraved chronicles were found within the tower after the robbery. The chronicles were created in the late Shilla Empire and were made from limestone. They were stone monuments with great pedestals and roofing stones. They thoroughly explain the history of the Beopgwangsa Temple and are currently preserved at the Dongkuk University Museum. The lotus pedestal is 2.2m in diameter and 7.3m in circumference and we can assume that there used to be an enormous Buddha on this pedestal. The Stupa Establishment Monument, made during the reign of King Yeongjo, shows the importance of Beopgwangsa. According to the "Record on the Beopgwangsa Stone Tower," archived in a three-story stone tower, Beopgwangsa was a royal temple built by Kim Gyun-jeong in AD 828, the third year in the reign of King Heungdeok, the 42nd king in the Shilla Dynasty. The temple was prosperous during the reign of King Munseong, the 46th king. Its name and location are accurately stated in the books written in the Joseon Dynasty, such as Sindonggukjeojiseungram and Donggyeongjapgi. The Geumdangji is a closed building with a double structure consisting of a hidden pillar, a visible pillar, and stones. It has a building structure typical of the Unified Shilla Age, which has entrances and steps in all directions, just like Geumdangji in Gameunsa and Daewungjeon in Bulguksa. In addition, the monument Buddha Stupa, which was built in the latter half of the Joseon Dynasty, states that Geumdangji was a building consisting of five sections of medium height. The Buddha Platform is assumed to be the platform for the burned Buddhist statue in Daewungjeon.. The turtle base is the platform of a monument. The Buddha Stupa keeps Buddha’s 22 bones, and is said to have been built in order to pray for the unification of the Three Kingdoms and the "Sunganjeon", is 150m away to the north of the Beopgwangsa.

The Gobun (Old Tomb) of Naengsu-ri is from the Shilla Dynasty and is the largest Gobun with a lateral stone chamber among the ones found to the south of the Han River. Considering that it has some unique interior features, including a secondary room containing various relics, including coffin ornaments, accessories, and gold rings, it is assumed to be a tomb of a local authority. According to the geographical notes of the Samguk Sagi, Singwang-myeon used to be known as the Dongingeum-hyeon of Toihwa-gun in the Shilla Empire during the age of Three Empires. In the 16th year of the reign of Shilla King Gyeongdeok Toihwa-gun became known as Euichang-gun during an administrative reorganization and Dongingeum-hyeon became Shingwang-hyeon. “Shingwang" was named after a legend. When King Buppeung of Shilla stayed here, he saw the moonlight shining down on Mt. Bihak and called this light the “Shingwang, or the light from the gods.” It was also known as Eojin and was later renamed Shingwangjin after a castle was built in the 13th year of the reign of the Goryo King, Taejo. In the 9th year of the reign of the Joseon King Hyeonjong, it became a part of Gyeongju-bu and remained so until the fall of the Joseon Dynasty. It was zoned into Yeongil-gun in 1994 and finally became a part of Pohang as Pohang and Yeongil-gun were integrated in the administrative rezoning of 1995.

The stone-chamber tomb of Naeng-su-ri is currently located in Naengsu-ri Shingwang-myeon Buk-gu, Pohang, Gyeonghangbuk-do. on the border of Gigye-myeon and Shingwang-myeon where there are broad fields stretching to the north and the south.

I don’t want you to go hungry while you are busy sightseeing so I shall tell you something about the type of food available here in Pohang City.

If you are a lover of raw fish, there are two famous places to go for Sasimi (Sliced Raw Fish), the Jukdo Market Raw Sliced Fish (Sasimi) Town in the city center and the Bukbu Raw Sliced Fish (Sasimi) Town in Bukbu.

The Jukdo Market is a large, bustling traditional market near the centre of the city close to the port, some 500m away from Ogeori, the central street of Pohang city. The Port of Pohang’s Jukdo Market is famous across Korea for its fresh seafood. The fish here is cheaper than in Seoul or Daegu. You can buy fresh raw sliced fish from the East Sea at low prices anytime during the year. There are more than 200 raw sliced fish restaurants where you can eat the fish right away if you pay just a little more for the side dishes needed to enjoy the fish, such as Chojang (soy sauce mixed with vinegar and pine-nut meal).

More than 50 raw sliced fish houses are crowded around Bukbu Beach. Ask for the Modeum raw sliced fish, the local specialty in Pohang.To the right are Songdo Beach and Pohang Steel. The beach stretches for 2km, 50m wide with an average depth of 1.5m. Around the beach there are more than 70 stores, including raw sliced fish restaurants, Karaoke bars, and other restaurants.

And now something about the special food of Pohang. Fancy something to go with your drinks? Gwamegi is supposed to be the best side dish while you’re drinking. What is it? In winter when the weather is getting colder, herrings or mackerel pikes are put in the shade outside. They will freeze and thaw over and over again. After 10 to 15 days, the peels will become wrinkled and the meat dry. This is called Gwamegi. The method of eating this food is unique. First, carefully remove the bones and skin and add raw seaweed or string shallots for a better taste.

Pidegi is made from squid caught in the East Sea and dried in the cold air. While the skin is dried, the meat is left raw. You can eat them as they are, or fry them lightly with pepper bean paste.

Mulhoe, (slices of fish in water,) a local Pohang dish, was developed by fishermen in the area. First, slice up raw fish and add pear slices, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and pepper paste. Mix them well and pour into cold water as if you're cooking roll noodles. This dish is best for people tired after working hard on the rough sea.

You’ve had too much to drink last night and you have a hangover now? Go to the Guryongpo Jungang market and have some inexpensive swell fish soup at one of the restaurants there and you’ll feel fine again.

Fresh and large Daege (crabs) are sold at the Guryongpo market at a low price. As these crabs are larger than those in any other areas and the quality and taste are better, there’s always a big demand for them here.

One of the special products in Pohang is a kind of handmade bread known as the Pohang Haemaji Bbang. It is a type of Korean traditional bread. The skin of the bread is very crunchy like biscuit but not sticky at all, coming straight from a specially designed small oven made out of iron. With time, the bread gets moister and the taste, richer. The taste is totally different from the taste of the bread when it was warm. Also, you can enjoy the bread like an ice cream after freezing it. Although no preservatives are used, the bread can keep for a relatively long period of time.

Looks like our visit to the beaches in Pohang will have to be on hold for the time being. So if you want to hear more stop by again for my next episode.