I recently had the good fortune of joining Seoul Share on a Springtime getaway to Gurye and explore some of Korea’s hidden gems.
Before I get into the magic of the day, I wanted to first tell you a little bit about Seoul Share. Seoul Share was founded in 2022 by Iggy, who found himself feeling lost after he moved back to Seoul as a result of the Pandemic, leaving behind the home and community he had built for himself during the eight years he spent living in China. In an effort to make friends, Iggy started a walking group which has blossomed into a community and which has at its heart the hope of connecting people from all around the world here in wonderful Seoul. Seoul Share organises a wide range of interesting events with this vision in mind and is well worth checking out if you’re visiting Korea. This tour, however, was an exciting step forward as it was Seoul Share’s first big trip that visits Korea’s hidden gems. It’s not an easy task organising a tour for two busloads of people, and Iggy, Clara and Laureline put so much thought and hard work into making the trip special for everyone.
The day began with an early start (5 am for me!) but everyone arrived at Myeongdong in good spirits and excited for the day ahead. Stepping on to the VIP coaches that were going to take us on our escape from the city, I was delighted to settle into a very comfortable seat which offered a great view as we headed out of Seoul and into the beautiful Korean countryside. The scenery we passed was beautiful, and a great start to what was to come when we eventually reached the Cherry Blossom ‘Wedding Road’ – which is a five km road lined with Cherry trees. It’s breathtaking and well worth the trip. Iggy shared with us that poets and novelists came to the area to write, and it’s easy to see why. There is a sense of spirituality to the area that I find difficult to describe in words and is something I feel a lot in South Korea. I loved seeing how the river (which I believe is the Seomjin river) sparkles delicately as it reflects the sunlight. It’s the perfect place to visit when you feel the need to escape the hustle of the city and your daily life.
Our first site of the day was Hwagae Market. As we approached, Iggy shared with us a little bit about the history of this special place, located near Jirisan. Hwagae Market is a really special place. Not only is it one of the five biggest traditional markets, the market has been around for a few hundred years – once being one of the country’s most popular markets due to its location where the provinces of Jeolla and Gyeongsang meet. It is a colourful and vibrant place with all the products sold being sourced locally.
We stopped here for lunch, and to explore the warm atmosphere and the delights the market has to offer. The historical hub and much-loved cultural hotspot is home to both several restaurants (serving generously sized portions) as well as a variety of street food, making it a great place for food lovers to visit. If you have a sweet tooth then you will also find a few stalls catering to that too. Much to my delight I found a stall that sells Kkwabaegi (꽈배기) which is a delicious twisted doughnut and my new favourite dessert. You can buy traditional Korean sweets (Hangwa), rice cakes, and there’s even a place that sells chestnut pies at a nearby cafe which are so popular that there’s often a limit on how many each customer can buy.
Feeling refreshed after lunch, we then headed along the cherry blossom-lined roads that lead to Ssanggyesa Temple. We were fortunate to be blessed with idyllic weather, blue skies which looked breathtaking against the beautiful colour of the trees. The walk to the temple took approximately 1.5 hours. It might have taken less had I been walking quicker and not pausing regularly to take in the beauty of the surroundings and listen to the gentle flow of the river. If you do not feel put off by a long walk, then I would recommend you follow the (mostly) flat path to the temple. It really is worth it. If you are daunted by this, do it all the same because when you arrive at the beautiful ancient temple you’ll forget all that and feel very relaxed. It’s a very peaceful place, located in the foothills of Jirisan and has been designated as a place of scenic beauty.
The temple itself has been rebuilt over the years but is said to have been founded during the reign of Silla’s King Seongdeok and takes its name from the valleys on either side of the temple. It’s set against the backdrop of an evergreen forest and is a sacred place where the 13th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism has their headquarters.
The journey back to Seoul took a bit longer than expected, as there was a long queue leaving the temple – lots of people had taken advantage of the good weather to also visit the blossoms, but we were warm, comfy and able to relax, with myself being in fact so comfortable I fell asleep. We arrived back in Seoul for about 10pm.
Thank you Seoul share for organising such a special day. We all appreciated how hard you worked to make the day run as smoothly as possible. I look going on another adventure in the future!
