Nature, History, and Snow in South Jeolla
South Jeolla Province is a province in the Honam region, South Korea, and the southernmost province in mainland Korea. Suncheon is the largest city in the province, closely followed by Yeosu. Other major cities include Mokpo, Gwangyang and Naju. South Jeolla was established in 1896 from the province of Jeolla, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea, consisting of the southern half of its mainland territory and most outlying islands. There are almost 2,000 islands along the coastline, about three quarters of which are uninhabited. The coastline is about 6,100 kilometres long. Some of the marine products, in particular oyster and seaweed cultivation, are leading in South Korea.
We stayed one night in Yeosu. Yeosu is the second largest city in the province. Yeosu is renowned nationally for having some of the most picturesque places for driving, walking, trekking and bathing, as well as for appreciating the sunrise and night-time panoramas. Expo 2012 (International Exposition recognised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE)) was held in Yeosu.
The next day in the morning after breakfast, We visited Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve. Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve is a natural habitat for birds of over 140 species, including migratory and endangered bird species such as the hooded crane, white-naped crane, Oriental White Stork, black-faced spoonbill, Eurasian Oystercatcher as well as birds designated as natural treasures. The reed fields in Suncheonman Bay are thickly covered with reeds taller than a full-grown man. It is the biggest colony of reeds in Korea. The scene of the entire field swaying in the wind is like watching waves on the sea.
We walked along the trails in the reserve, admired the serene natural beauty and climbed to the hilltop viewing platform, where the view of the bay and wetlands is superb!
Later, We visited Naganeupseong Folk Village. It is a Korean historic village located in Nagan-myeon, Suncheon, South Jeolla. This well-preserved walled town served as an administrative core for the county during the Joseon Dynasty and it is designated as historical site. It consists of three neighborhoods located inside fortress walls, on a level field surrounded by mountains. It has well-preserved buildings such as a fortress, government buildings, and a cluster of private houses. The houses are hanok-style: they have straw roofs, clay rooms, and Korean-style verandas.
It was a cold and rainy day, We had Hoteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes). These Korean sweet pancakes are perfect as a snack on a cold day!. The dough for hoteok is made from wheat flour, water, milk, sugar, and yeast. Handful-sized balls of this stiff dough are filled with a sweet mixture, which may contain brown sugar, honey, chopped peanuts, and cinnamon. The filled dough is then placed on a greased griddle, and pressed flat into a large circle, this is done with a stainless steel circle and wooden handle as it cooks.
That night, We stayed near Baekyangsa. The next day , We visited Baegyangsa Temple. It was founded during the reign of King Mu of the Baekje Dynasty (632), Baegyangsa Temple is located within Naejangsan National Park. The combination of the mountain and valleys on both sides creates beautiful scenery. Nature reveals its beauty throughout all seasons here, especially through the red maple leaves in fall. Walk along the wood path lined-up of white oaks and maple trees, go through the entrance of Baegyangsa Temple, and the sight of Ssanggyeru Pavilion will come into view.
We were lucky visiting the temple in a perfect time. It snowed the previous night, so We admired snow-covered Baekyangsa temple and it was still in the fall foliage. It was a very picturesque place!
