If I go to Jeonju city, where do I have to visit? >>Hanok village, Jaman mural village, Maisan temple

Jeollabukdo province(전라북도) is located in south west of South Korea, is far from within 3hours from Seoul by car. Jeonju city(전주) is the capital city of this province, has been an important regional center in province for centuries, located in the fertile Honam plains and thus cherished beautiful charm in many way.

 Hanok Village(한옥마을) is located in the heart of Jeonju city, housing area over 700 traditional style houses and buildings. You are going to see the rich tradition, cultural heritages and enjoy plenty of notable traditional foods such as Bibimbap, Kongnamul gukbap, Jeonju Hanjeongsik and crude liquer ( moju in Korean).
               

The Jaman Mural Village(자만벽화마을) is located just next to this Hanok Village. After seeing the traditional village, you can reach there just across the Omokgyo pedestrian overpass(오목교 구름다리) on foot. You can enjoy the sense of color fully by the wall paintings with beautiful and well-made artworks. One day is enough to visit these two villages. They are so close together.  And then you are able to stay at the Korean Hanok guest houses within Hanok Village. Don’t miss the calm night views after many tourists gone away.

The Maisan mountain provincial park(마이산도립공원) is located just one hour away from Jeonju city. You are going to get spectacular scenes in there, specially forTapsa( stone pagodas) temple. Why don’t you put down all of your dusts in your mind in unique temple, do you ?

1.Jeonju Hanok Village…click here !!!

2.Jaman Mural Village….click here !!!

3.Maisan Mountain Provincial Park..  click here !!!

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The Jaman Mural Village next Hanok village in Jeonju city(전주), South Korea(자만 벽화 마을)

There was an old alley to find out now a days got a beautiful change. What's more, good point was the paintings on the wall were excellent level work of art. There was the area filled with beautiful murals having various themes. It gave me the plenty of pleasure with vibrant color as well as creative high quality when I was strolling alley.

 It was in just across the Omokgyo Pedestrian Overpass, where was the top spot of a hill in Jeonju Hanok Village(전주한옥마을). So I could see also that village at some point.  That was a small village being consist of only about 40 houses, it was true that it was in the out of consideration for a long times till the city began to pay attention to this run-down place. Now a days, with the increasing number of visitors flocking to see the murals inhabitants it became famous attraction place.  However there was some difficulties to keep their privacy sometimes, they said. Be quite, please. 

It was good surprise for me to see unhackneyed and unconventional artworks and find the traces of their life and time passed on. I left there hoping this village could go on further with their own personality.

UMONAIMO(우모내모), free zone on the roof top,please step in side entrance

Kung Fu Panda is selling noodle.

Omokgyo Pedestrian Overpass
now, get back to the Omokdae in Hanok Village in Jeonju city(전주시)

The hightlight of Jeonju tour, Jeonju Hanok village , go to that attractions >>>

for Hanok village ....CLICK HERE !

The Jeonju Hanok Village(전주한옥마을),

There is no objection that if you choose the most typical Hanok Village(Korea traditional house village) in Korea ought to be this Jeonju Hanok village.  In addition, Jeonju city(전주시) was regarded as the spiritual capital of the Joseon dynasty because here was the forefathers hometown of the King Taejo, the founder of Joseon dynasty. 

The road of King Taejo in the Hanok village

This city has been in the rich tradition, cultural heritage and beautiful harmony with the old one and the new one.  Jeonju city is located in the southwestern area of the country and thanks to the next to  fertile Honam plain, they could bloom the diverse food culture and has been an important regional center in province for a long time. The one of the representative Korean dish "Bi Bim Bap(비빔밥)"  is the typical food originated in this area. From old time those people lived in here were known for mild-mannered and gentle personality.

Jeonju Hanok village is a traditional style village located in the heart of Jeonju city, was formed voluntarily over 700 traditional houses from the 1930s’ by the repulsion against the expansion of Japanese style houses in Kyo-dong and Pungnam-dong area. This village was as a kind of pride of Korean against the odd colorful Japanese houses under the Japanese rules. The original inhabitants have been decreasing recently after that this village was designated as a Special Tourist Zone by the city. Instead of them, some houses of this village had changed into guest houses, restaurants, cafés and cultural centers for the tourist.

The guest house

The restaurant

This place is always crowded with not only Korean but also foreigners. Recently as the diverse street foods gain popularity, many youth flocked into here to enjoy it and feel something different mood about historic site of Joseon Dynasty. I visited here on the weekend. OMG!  There were so many people. So at first I got a little disappointment to see the bustling atmosphere because I expected something quiet and historic air. But that was not everything I could see at there, fortunately. I was able to find the real culture and traditional attractions hidden in the each alleyway. Looked back , I did eager to dig the something valuable culture in that place. There are various cultural centers, experimental centers, art centers, museums and historical sites. Don’t miss these treasures.

The Gyeonggijeon Shrine(경기전) must visit spot in this village

Gyeonggijeon Shrine(경기전) holds the portrait of King Taejo, the founder of Joseon dynasty. The museum of the portraits at the rear side has the portraits of other successive kings and displays the royal procession.

The photo zone for visitor. the two circles symbol sun and moon

Jeondong church(전동성당) was built in 100 years ago on the very just spot where the first two martyrs lost their lives under the period of  severely being oppressed the Catholics. This beautiful church was built by the unique combination of Byzantine and Romanesque architectural styles, and thus has been loved by filming site as well as wedding ceremony place with its beauty. 

The sculpture of two martyrs

Omokdae Pavilion
Omokdae Pavilion(오목대) was located on the top of a steep hill, spot for overlooking the entire village, was the place where King Taejo stopped by in this forefathers hometown  to celebrate his victory on his way of home from the war against the Japanese invaders at Hwangsan mountain next to this village.

Hakindang(학인당)

Hakindang(학인당) was a typical upper class house having court construction style house. There was a hanging board to praise the devotion to his parents.

The gorgeous lady wearing the traditional clothes(at the shop of alley)

Distilling Soju at traditional wine museum

Fan Culture House

What the most impressive one and made me happy was the the delicate light over the Hanji(한지 Korean traditional paper). As the change of house culture into apartment life style, we did not see this sorts of window or door in our house anymore. The window was replaced by the glass and door was replaced by the wood. After the bustling visitors gone away as sun went down and night had come, here showed their real face to me to be surprise. How happy I was! 

Jeonju city was designated as the Creative Cities for Gastronomy by UNESCO’s Creative Cities Networks. They handed down the city’s traditional cooking through generations after generations by way of active public and private food research, holding talented chefs and hosting of distinctive local food festivals. Jeongju bibimbap (전주비빔밥), Kongnamul gukbap (콩나물국밥) and Jeonju Hanjeongsik (전주 한정식) are well-known Korean traditional dishes to foreigners. To miss the chance to have these dishes would be so sorry. Fill up the treasure box in the traditional restaurants, please.  

Don’t miss the Jaman Mural Village(자만벽화마을), located just opposite site and reached by Omokgyo Pedestrian Overpass from Omokdae Pavilion(오목대). Another pleasure is waiting for you with many lovely artworks. In the next blogging…CLICK HERE !!!   
 

The Korean’s Bucket list, the Maisan Mountain Provincial Park in South Korea(마이산 도립공원)

The Maisan mountain (Horse Ear mountain; 마이산) 
The top two peaks rise side by side, which connected each other, so looks like the ears of horse, and thus people said this mountain as the name of Mai(Horse ear) -san(mt.).  The two ears are called each by Sutmaibong(means male horse ear peak (678 m)) and a Ammaibong (means female horse ear peak (686 m)). 
After we visited the Hanok village in Jeonju(전주한옥마을) we headed to the Maisan temple on the next day. It was apart around one hour from Jeonju city by car.This mountain is located in Jinan-gun, Jeonllabukdo province(전라북도) which is a province in the southwest of South Korea.

The Maisan Tapsa( temple)

This mountain was formed of conglomerates which looks like gray pebbles hardened in cement , very unusual case in Korea, was supposed to be rise up from the lake or river 70 million years ago which proved by the fish fossils and shells they left behind in the rocks. In addition, on the south side of the mountain it shows very unique features called by ‘tafoni' which  having honeycomb structure, small cave-like features found in granular rocks and forming by salt weathering, differential cementation, wetting-drying, freezing-thawing cycles and so on. The holes are sized for few centimeters up to some meters. Yes, that' right. Nobody could make the holes like on the wall of gigantic rocks. What a amazing nature ! 

 There is a myth about these two peaks from long long time ago. There was a couple gods had been come down by the punishment from the heaven. They had two children and lived on earth in a while waiting for going back up to the sky. Eventually as the time had come to rise up to the sky, they were ordered to rise up to sky without reaching the public eyes. But just as the moment to going back up to the sky, a village woman saw they were ascending and screamed out enough to reach to the sky. As this reason  they were trapped on earth and transformed into a mountain having the shape of face-to-face two rocks. Many people said that one is the father and his two children peaks (Sutmaibong,male peak) and the opposite one is the mother peak (Ammaibong,female peak). 

Fortunately on the day before I visited there, it snowed. How lucky I was! I put a steps as slow as I can on the snowy path while enjoying the snow-covered scenic beauty. The road from the parking lot to the foot of this mountain, I was told, shows spectacular scenes on April with the splendid cherry blossoms and famous festival opens annually in the spring. Whenever it is, on the way to see the Tapsa temple(pagoda temple) in the winter it was good for me also with full of tranquil air.

 We got an opportunity to see the great creatures mixed so well with the nature by tenacity and effort of one person. This Tapsa (pagoda temple) flanked by dramatic tafoni-riddled cliffs.Generally most of people have lived in citing for truth and justice of the world. However we know that  sometimes it is needed for someone numerous sacrifices, endurance and calm acceptance of whatever comes their way until the big picture changes in one's life. Right, all of us recognize that it is much smart choice to change myself  rather than the world. This is the just case which shows how to change for a person the way of his life when he and his mother country were in deep trouble( during the Japanese occupation), under a bad plight. Here is the amazing place showing the greatness of human being.

The Maisan Tapsa( pagoda temple)

It was erected over 120 of these pagodas, but was left only about 80 pagodas today. It is mystery no matter how the weather was bad, even during the storms that it did not sway or fall such a for long time over 100 years. To one’s amazement, these pagodas were made by the one person only during 30 years in the early 1900 s’ under Japanese controls.

He was Lee-gapyong(1860-1957), hidden hermit, a member of declined royal families of Chosun-dynasty, the last dynasty in Korea(1392-1897), made straight or conically shaped stone pagodas through in a surreal clasp of stacked rock without any aid of mechanical devices or assistance or mortar. He used the bulk of the stone comes from Mt. Maisan itself and some stones were collected from famous mountains throughout the Korea by the hermit Lee.

He stacked the pagodas according to the eight progressive positions of Zhuge Liang in China and a yin and yang order after receiving the message from the God of mountain when he was 25 years old. Actually these pagodas are not typical shape of Korean one. It is rather closed to the shape of ancient pole erected to honor to the sky. Some people let the meaning that Lee maybe got a pain of losing his country by the Japan and wished the independence of country so deeply, had completed pagodas one by one so long times( till the day of independence) despite of the popular belief that he was the weird person far from worldly affairs.

The Main hall of this temple and Cheonji pagoda on the rear side

The most highlight pagoda is maybe the Cheonji pagoda which is located at the top site behind the temple, up to 13.5 meters tall, was divided into two pagodas from the half layer, originally was one piece at the beginning base.

The Eunsusa

 Eunsusa(은수사), the small hermitage located in foot of Sutmaibong and is situated on the left side of main temple, is the matrix as well as important motivation spot of Chosun dynasty. King Taejo, the founder of Chosun dynasty, dreamed that he was given a gold ruler in here. It means the person having this gold ruler should be a king in the future. After he dreamed he regarded here as ‘Soul Mountain’. From few years ago people hold a Sansinje, God memorial ceremony wishing for national prosperity and welfare, on 11^th October annually in this small hermitage with these reasons.

How to get there;
*** There is one city tour bus from Jeonju city(전주시) leaving at 8;30am from Hanok village(Lewin hotel르윈호텔). ***They just operate from April to November only.*** If you have a plan stay one night in Jeonju city, it will be more convenient for you to use this bus. The bus stops local food market and beer factory without additional charge. You can call the travel agency and make a reservation if you want.It is Nambuk tour(남북투어 nambuktour.com, Korean only,Tel 1588-1466 , mobile 010-6364-7500 Fee KRW 9000)

**** There is no direct public transportation to  Maisan mountain(마이산) from Seoul.
Seoul >>Jeonju by express bus or train >>Jinan Maisan mountain by bus...better choice
Seoul >> Jinan by express bus from central city terminal >>Jinan Maisan mountain...infrequent case
Soft course..from southern parking lot, Hard course..from northern parking lot of Maisan mountain 
 So you should be Jeonju(전주) or Jinan(진안) at first and take a bus or a taxi. I recommend taking a taxi because buses do not operate so often in case of Jinan route.  Don't forget to get a name card or mobile phone number of taxi driver for your return.