https://www.facebook.com/109288814537115/

Harry's excursion, Ulsan (2026)

21/03/2022

There's mid March snow in South Korea and spring is yet to come.

No sign of azalea blossom in Namsan mountain located south Kyungjoo.

I took a route where tracking lane is less walked just to see a beautiful 3 story pagoda built thousand years ago. Siping a cup of coffee there is a small happiness.

From there I had to climb to a nearest ridge to get to the pick. On my way to the top of the mountain the 5 story pagoda where I used to take snacks leaning against the column of the relic was seen remotely.

It was a good hike. At the end of the hike trail there's a poem inscribed in wooden panel , a poem written by a hermit in Chosun period.

18/05/2021

A view from front yard of Naewon-sa.
Enjoy the chime of wooden percussion.

18/05/2021

Cheonseong mt.

Cheonseong means 'a thousand saint'. The mountain is 30km from Ulsan, located in between Pusan, second largest city in Korea, and Ulsan.

The mountain has one of the best valleys in Korea. At the center of valley, there is a beautiful temple, named Naewon-sa. Naewon-sa is famous for female monk temple.

At the front yard of the temple, you can enjoy tranquility and rhythm of wooden percussion, that will make you calm and peaceful.

04/04/2021

It was supposed to be rainy. But it was clear at 10 AM saturday morning. A Parking lot owner told us it is quite unusal that weather forecast is found to be wrong.

Wild peach flower was about to bloom soon. We parked one of our car at the parking lot where we want to exit the hike.

We drove deeper down to Youngnam Alps valley. Right. It was named after the famous European Alps. Far lower still beautiful. Height is around 1000 meter all around area and about 10 mountains are positioned along side the valley.

The entry of the hike was extremely steep. My son and me backpacked this route when he was kid. So I texted him with the picture to remind him. 'Do you remember this place'?
He replied back. 'I will never going there!'.

From the mid point to the peak there were silver grass field. Since the weather turned drizzly, we walked through foggy field.

Before the peak we decided to pass the peak. It might be slippery due to the rain. Fountain cabin, in Korean Saemmul Sanjang, was seen nearby. We got dried with wood fired bunner at the cabin. The owner of the cabin was upbeat and down right. He said he bought the area around cabin, which measures about 16ha in 70s. It was quite likely story, but subsequent talk seemed to go into his balloony. Then we left for the still rain soaked road.

28/03/2021

Azalea is everywhere in Namsan.

I hiked with my usual hike buddy, a physics professor to Namsan.

All along the uphill azalea was in full blossom. Budists used to plant bamboo trees around temples to demarcate their areas. Bamboos have become wild and get shorten. Azalea lives with bamboo. Pinkish red looks stark among all green bamboo.

One azalea tree that attracted me most was one surviving on the edge of a cliff. With no aboundant soil and enough water only one tree branch was able to bloom. But it was too tough to survive and looked elegant.

We came down to the final place of the route and realized that a famous novelist in Chosun dynasty wrote the first novel ever written by Korean in Chinese charactor nearby this place 500 years ago.

14/03/2021

West Namsan hikes start from a parking lot nearby Poseokjeong, a garden famous for its small canal which was built in Silla dynasty.

This hike route is filled with emotion. Dad and me used to walk this track several times while he was able to walk. His hand-eye coordination was poor because of handful of medicine he had taken for his several illness.

Once a month I called him for a hike, he asked me whether I am not busy. He had been stubborn throughout his life but gentle and childlike at his last months. His sons and daughtors also made a short hike at the 49th day after his funeral, the date when Korean people believe spirits of deceased finally go to heaven.

Leaving my emotion aside, my wife and me took a hike along famous West Namsan track.

Weather was nice and gentle with occasional chill from March wind. We took the pass along the valley. Azalea which was about to bloom made us stop for enjoying the spring.

30 min strenuous hike took us the top of a hill where a five story stone pagoda is located. My wife seldom go past this destination. We just looked down with cups of coffee. I sat cross legged while she was busy taking calls.

28/02/2021

Day 2 at Jeju Island

My son said 'Jeju has become more nuanced'. That's true. Once considered as 'No.1 destination for Korean honeymooners', it has housed museums, exhibitions, and buildings.

Podo hotel, Bangju church, and Bonte museum are masterpieces of Asian architects. Itami June, Korean Japanese, designed former two. Tadao Ando, winner of famous Pritzker Architecture Prize, designed the latter.

Podo means grape in Korean. The hotel looks like bunches of grapes from the sky.

Bangju means Noah's Ark in Korean. It is not unusal for them to use Bangju as their church name.

Bonte means original form in Korean. Its exhibition is quite unique, since the museum houses Picasso, Dali, Korean Budhist sculptures, and Korean calligraphy by famous Kim Jeong Hee. He had been exiled at Jeju island during his most prolific career.

One note from him took my eyes.

'I still think my calligraphy had a long way to perfection. But during my whole life I have puctuated 10 ink stones and shorten 1000 writing brushes'.

24/02/2021

This page is not for business.

I just wish to share Korean outdoor activities and scenary.

Korean mountains are lower and less magnificient. But as UNESCO fairly acknowledges, they have own charm and beauty. Korean budhist temples located in mountainous area are chosen as one of World Heritages.

I happen to be live nearby Ulsan and Kyungju. Ulsan has Tongdo-sa, 1st temple in Korea, which has remains of Butdha himself.

If you visit Korea and my town, I am more than happy to guide you!

21/02/2021

East Namsan Spring Hike

Kyungju is considerd as a museum without wall by National Geography. Royal tombs, pagodas, remains in ancient periods are scattered everywhere in Kyungju.

Namsan is a 5 mininutes ride from Kyungju and considered as essence of Kyungju. There are numorous National Treasures, let alone unfinished works of ancient artists.

It is divided into two geographic areas. West Namsan and East Namsan. West Namsan is famous for Korean native pine tree forests. Unlike Japanese species, Korean pine trees are all curved and intertwined.

East Namsan hikes normally start from Tongiljeon, shrine of unification heros, built in 1970s. The building itself is terrible, only revealing modern day copy of ancient masterpiece. But parking lot is free of charge and spacious.

Hikers first pass, Seochul-ji, pond of book revealation. The pond is beautiful with an adjacent small ancient building, Ihyo-dang.

Because of gentle weather, people who don't want be suffocated by COVID 19, seem to go out. A 10 min hike from the pond takes you an entrance of Kyungju Namsan national park east section.

When you take the right signal at the three way crossroad, you will get to the fourth temple remains of Kuksa-gok, valley. At the height of 250 meter sea level on a ridge, there stands a fine three storied pagoda. As I have done ritually, I walked alongside the pagoda counter clockwise three times. Why do I do this? I wish to be born again as human being at my next life. Do I mean it? No!

Going uphill 30 min, you can get to the Namsan park main trail. Turning left and going uphill again you will get to the peak. But today my route is not for the peak but for another pagoda on my way back to the pond.

A valley next to Kuksa-gok is Jiahm-gok. Downhill trail is slippery and my wife keeps asking 'go down with me'. My eagerness to see another statues has driven me walk quicker than usual.

Jiahm-gok three storied pagoda is much smaller. The pagoda is built upon natural stone base. A couple who just get there ahead of us was arguing over whethe the base is monolithic or not.

A total 5k trail walk is done within two hours. Alongside the pond bank, people were chatting and watching wild ducks diving down for their prey.

Harry's excursion

21/03/2022

18/05/2021

18/05/2021

04/04/2021

28/03/2021

14/03/2021

28/02/2021

24/02/2021

21/02/2021

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category