Surfing the Korean Wave: Day 10-13 - Wrapping things up in the Republic of Korea

Night falls over Jeonju

For our penultimate stop on our nearly two-week excursion around South Korea my wife did some research online and settled on Jeonju, the provincial capital of Jeollabuk-do. No, I had never heard of it, either, but it sounded interesting from Shu-E's description. As there were no direct railway lines to Jeonju from Busan, a bus ride was in order, and we departed soon after lunch on Day Ten from the Busan Western Bus Terminal:

Taking a break at a highway rest area while en route:

The scenery from the highway bus was remarkably similar to the non-descript landscapes one sees along Taiwan's highways:

It isn't easy to make out in the photo below, but I was able to capture a picture of a small Buddhist temple beside the highway as we sped past:

Almost 3½ hours later we pulled into Jeonju's main bus terminal, and hopped into a taxi for the short ride to our next accommodations. Unlike where we slept in Gyeongju, the Gohyundang was an authentic traditional Korean house, which in practice meant hard floors, a low ceiling, warped doors that were difficult to shut and a bathroom in which the shower was merely a hose connected to the sink. The latter touch was also reminiscent of many homes in Taiwan. No wonder my spouse immediately proclaimed to like the room:

As it was late in the afternoon when we checked in, we sought to get some photos of the sun setting over the town, though we just missed it going down from our vantage point in the tourist information center:

That evening's dinner:

What attracts the punters like ourselves to Jeonju is the Jeonju Hanok Maeul, a village of more than 800 traditional wooden homes called hanok (with our guesthouse being one of them). Though it was already dark the cobblestone streets were still thronged with visitors. Naturally, there were local snacks to try, such as the PNB Choco Pie (number eight on this link):

There was also a break dance performance being staged, which failed to impress Shu-E, though your humble scribe thought the dancers displayed a lot more talent than a certain Australian Olympian:

We ended the evening with a beer at a cafe. Cafri is yet another light mainstream Korean beer. It's claim to fame lies in its being the first South Korean brew to come in a transparent bottle with a twist-off cap:

The view from the cafe's balcony. Note the number of crosses visible in the photo - after the Philippines and Timor-Leste South Korea is the most Christian country in East Asia, with nearly 30% of the population professing to be either Catholics or Protestants:

Breakfast the next morning at the guesthouse:

This photo was taken by the woman whom we presumed ran the establishment. She didn't speak any English (and we knew almost no Korean), but Google Translate did what it was supposed to do:

After breakfast we headed over to a nearby hill overlooking the entire village:

Omok-dae is a historic pavilion where General Yi Seonggye threw a party in 1380 to celebrate his defeat of Japanese pirates in a battle. The general would later overthrow the Goryeo dynasty - the succeeding Joseon dynasty would last until 1910:

Back at ground level in the village:

Buying an amulet corresponding with my Chinese Zodiac animal from a vending machine:

In this instance Google Translate wasn't much help, but I assume its overall message had to have been a positive one so as not to scare off the tourists:

The village is home to a number of small museums. We had a look in one devoted to Jubangmun: 

However my attention was drawn to the Japanese gibberish on the back of this woman's shirt:

We also had a look at a guesthouse that had some rooms open to visitors:

Our next stop would be the highlight of our time in the village. It wasn't in my guidebook, but Shu-E learned about the Jeonju Nanjang and Memory Museum online and was keen on visiting. It wasn't easy to find the entrance, and the relatively expensive entrance fee was initially off-putting, considering how small and ramshackle-looking everything appeared at the ticket window. However, the museum would turn out to be very Tardis-like, an amazing journey going back in time to what South Korea must've looked like in the 1970s and '80s. We ended up spending more than 90 minutes there, starting with this depiction of a typical schoolroom:

"Labyrinthine" was the most apt description as we followed red arrows taking us through the museum and its contents:

A journey back in time to when most households prepared their own kimchi:

A calendar with a photo of Park Chung Hee, the authoritarian strongman credited with overseeing South Korea's remarkable industrialization. until he was assassinated by his own intelligence chief in October 1979:

A typical family meal from the era:

A studio apartment, bereft of kitchen and toilet:

A Go board and set, a game our daughter enjoys playing:

For Shu-E the museum was a nostalgic experience, as apparently life in Taiwan during that time was remarkably similar. Both countries were under authoritarian regimes, and both faced (and are still facing) existential threats from a closely-related enemy. My wife was given lessons in how to fire a machine gun while she was in high school:

The exterior of the museum, which took us out onto a main street. Should you find yourself in Jeonju this museum is well worth seeking out:

Lunchtime. Jeonju is noted for its bibimbap and so I indulged:

The restaurant where we had lunch was very close to the Jeondong Catholic Church, a red-brick house of worship completed in 1914 on the site where Korean Catholics were executed in 1781 and 1801. We were allowed to go inside to worship but photography was strictly prohibited:

Across the street was the Gyeonggijeon, a palace established in 1410 (and reconstructed in 1614) and now home to guardrooms, shrines and storehouses:

A replica portrait of Yi Seong-gye, founder of the Joseon dynasty (see above):

This storehouse, the Jeonju History Archive, was originally home to the official histories of the dynasty. Copies are visible inside today:

Unfortunately the Royal Portrait Museum was closed for renovations, so I had to make do with the smaller exhibitions in the basement:

After finishing with the palace, the two of us took a break in one of the village's numerous cafes:

We then went back to the hanok before heading out again for dinner:

After our meal we took another evening stroll through the area. In one shop window I noticed that this couple had decided on an unusual way to "celebrate" their relationship:

We returned to the cathedral to watch a lightshow, and then called it a night:

Day 12, our last full day in the country. I took another stroll after breakfast, passing one of the many shops renting out hanbok to visitors:

I ventured out to the edge of the village, demarcated by the Jeonju River:

 

Based on the sheer number of shops seen in Gyeongju and Jeonju I drew the conclusion that having yourself drawn in caricature and getting your fortune told were essential components of any sightseeing trip for South Korean travelers:

Eventually it was time to leave, so we took a taxi to the main railway station, where I lunched on Korean-style sushi while waiting for our train:

The station building opened in 1914, but was difficult to appreciate with all the construction going on around it:

We rode the train as far as Gwangmyeong Station, from where we took a bus to Incheon Airport:

Approaching the airport, which is sited on an artificial piece of land created between two islands:

We would spend our final night close to the airport at the Best Western Premier Incheon Airport, where we were apologetically given a "Korean-style" room:

My final dinner in country was in the first-floor restaurant, where I ordered a fried pork cutlet:

After dinner I walked across the street to have a look at Paradise City, a resort complex meant to look stylish and contemporary, but which felt about as appealing as an urban shopping mall. No wonder it was a hit with Chinese visitors:

Our last day, waiting to board our Asiana Airlines plane for the short flight (only 90 minutes) back to Beijing 北京:

Snacking while waiting for the call to get on the plane:

A last photo op for the tourists:

The weather that greeted us after returning to Beijing. Following some very nice days in South Korea, the AQI in China's capital has frequently been at dangerous levels, as if someone in Beijing had set the clock back to 2007:

And so that was the end of our longest-ever R&R trip - three weeks in the U.S. visiting my sister and seeing off our daughter as she started her college studies, followed by an almost two week-long tour of South Korea. The first part of the journey was bittersweet, though at least Amber seems to be doing well settling into her new environment. The latter part of the trip enabled a smoother transition coming back to Asia. South Korea isn't often mentioned as an east Asian destination (at least not in comparison to Japan these days), and when it is it's usually only about Seoul. But the ROK has a lot more to offer than its capital. It took a quarter century for me to seize the opportunity to explore more of the country, and I don't regret for a moment not reaching Jeju Island (though visiting there is always an option). As I get older the notion of bucket lists is starting to take firmer hold, so it's with some sense of satisfaction that this was one box that has benn successfully checked. 

감사합니다 for coming along on this journey!