Coastal Heritage and Tea Rituals in Gyeongsang
South Gyeongsang Province is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan.
In this province , We visited Busan (There is a separated post about Busan in the blog). Besides Busan, We went to Tongyeong. It is a coastal city in South Gyeongsang Province and a population of 139,869 people. It consists of Goseong Peninsula, Hansan Island, Mireuk Island [ko], Yokji Island [ko] and other islets. It was formerly known as Chungmu, after the posthumous name of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. The name Tongyeong means “command post” and is itself associated with Admiral Yi, as it refers to his principal base that was located on nearby Hansan Island.
We walked around Tongyeong and had dinner in a local traditional market.
The next day, We visited Geoje Panorama Cable Car. There are spectacular views from there. Geoje Panaroma Cable Car is a must if you want unforgettable photos. Even though it is not a high mountain, it offers gorgeous views of the ocean and many islands that belong to the Hallyeohaesang National Park.
After the lunch, We visited Tongyeong City Museum where We found exhibits, artefacts, documents, photographs and ephemera related to local and natural history . We also went to Pak Kyongni museum. Pak, Kyongni or Bak (October 28, 1926 – May 5, 2008) was a prominent South Korean novelist. She was born in Tongyeong. She is, however, most well known for her 20-volume story Toji (토지, The Land), an epic saga set on the turbulent history of Korea during 19th and 20th century.
We stayed at traditional tea house or Chajip in Hadong with an amazing view of several peaks of Jirisan Mountain. We had a great breakfast and enjoyed the traditional tea ceremony that typically follows a series of meticulously steps (Setting the stage,purification,preparing the tea, pouring the tea,receiving and sipping and concluding the ceremony). Korean tea culture goes beyond the simple act of brewing and drinking. It is an intricate dance of man and nature, a symbol of the deep-rooted respect and love Koreans have for the natural world.
Later, We went to see some tea fields in Hadong. Hadong is a legendary place of tea in Korea. Hadong is the cradle of Green Tea culture in Korea. The first green tea crops, however, were planted in Hadong by the order of King Heungdeok in 828 A.D. The tea fields around Hwagae Stream and the foot of the mountain exist in harmony with the surrounding natural environment, maintaining excellent biodiversity.
During the morning, We also went to Boriam Hermitage that sits atop Geumsan Mountain (alt. 704 m). The mountain was once called Bogwangsan Mountain as it was home to Bogwangsa Temple, founded by Monk Wonhyo. The name Geumsan was bestowed upon the mountain by King Taejo after he founded the Joseon dynasty. Along with Bomunsa Temple in Ganghwado Island and Hongnyeonam Hermitage in Naksansa Temple, Boriam Hermitage is known as one of the most prestigious prayer spots in Korea.
That day, We had pizza for lunch in Namhae. And later, We passed by Namhae German Village. It was a ranny day and We didn’t leave the car. The German Village was built for Korean residents who returned from living in Germany. Many Koreans lived in Germany where they earned foreign currency during the modernization of Korea in the 1960s. The area is now a unique tourism spot related to German culture.
