The Uniquely Korean Landscape of Namhae, Gyeongsangnam-do

The Uniquely Korean Landscape of Namhae, Gyeongsangnam-do

 

Officially called Namhaedo, Namhae in Gyeongsangnam-do is the fifth largest island in Korea. The island can be reached by bridge and is home to some beautiful coastal landscapes. The sea of Namhae is part of the Hallyeohaesang National Park, which includes some of Korea's most gorgeous sea views. The area features the Daraengi rice paddies of Gacheon Village, the Namhae Geumsan Mountain overlooking the scenic views of the Hallyeohaesang National Park, and Jukbangryeom in the Jijok Strait of Namhae, a time-honored fishing method unique to Korea, all of which are designated myeongseung, or places of scenic beauty, by the government. Although not a designated myeongseung, the Windbreak Forest of Mulgeon-ri, a natural monument established to provide shelter from the sea breeze and trap fish, is another beautiful spot to visit in Namhae, an island full of uniquely Korean landscapes.

View of Gacheon Daraengi VillageClouds hovering over Geumsan Mountain

Nearby Tourist Sites

Gacheon Daraengi Village

View of Daraengi rice paddies

View seen from a coastal cliff Jigetgil Road

The landscape of Nam-myeon in Namhae-gun is mostly composed of coastal cliffs, exposing it to the rough sea and leaving its land barren. Situated in Honghyeon-ri, Nam-myeon in Namhae-gun, Gacheon Daraengi Village is sandwiched between Seolheulsan Mountain (480 meters above sea level) in the rear and a steep coastal cliff below. The village is famous for its terraced paddy fields, which were artificially created on the mountain slopes. Depending on the size of the slopes, the paddies form various layers.

To look around the village, take the route beginning from the bus stop down to the village, rather than the one beginning by the tourist information center. This way, you can go past the village and go down to the coast overlooking the paddy fields. After the village, the road divides into the Jigetgil Road, a walking trail leading to the terraced fields, and a path that goes down to the coast. If you go down to the coast, you will cross a suspension bridge connected to bedrock with splendid views of waves crashing against the cliff walls below. You can also get a view of Gacheon Daraengi Village and its terraced paddy fields from an observatory that is located some distance from the tourist information center in the direction of Sachon Beach.

More Info
Gacheon Daraengi Village
☞ Address: 21, 679beon-gil, Nammyeon-ro, Honghyeon-ri, Nam-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
☞ Telephone: +82-55-863-3427 (Korean)
☞ Homepage: http://darangyi.go2vil.org (Korean, English)
☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Boriam Temple in Geumsan Mountain

Upper photo: Clouds around Boriam Temple
Bottom photos: left - Haesu Gwaneumsang statue in Boriam Temple / Right - Sangju Silver Sand Beach

Geumsan Mountain is the major mountain in Namhae. Meaning as beautiful as silk, the mountain is part of Hallyeohaesang National Park. On this mountain is Boriam Temple, which can be easily accessed by car for a convenient tour of the temple. You can drive from the parking lot up to the temple, or take a shuttle bus that goes up to the entrance of the temple. The trail that leads to the summit of Geumsan Mountain is near the entrance to Boriam Temple. It is about 200 meters to the top of the mountain, and it takes about five minutes to get there. From there, one can get a birds-eye-view of Sangju Silver Sand Beach below, which mixes well with the surrounding mountains and cliffs. Boriam Temple is home to one of the nation’s three Haesu Gwaneum Statues (Buddhist Goddess of Mercy), which are believed to help people fulfill their prayers. The view of Hallyeohaesang National Park from the temple is considered one of the most scenic views in Namhae.

More Info
Boriam Temple
☞ Address: 665, Boriam-ro, Sangju-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
☞ Telephone: Boriam Temple +82-55-862-6115 (Korean), Hallyeohaesang National Park +82-55-863-3525 (Korean)
☞ Fare: Parking fee at the National Park / 4,000 won for viewing of cultural assets in Boriam Temple / 1,000 won for the shuttle bus / 2,000 won (round trip)
☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

German Village in Namhae

Namhae German Exhibition Hall and a view of the German Village

The German Village was built to accommodate Korean-Germans who lived in Germany. In the 1960s, a large number of miners and nurses were sent to Germany to earn foreign currency. They not only contributed to the modernization and economic development of the country but were one of the driving forces behind Korea’s growth. The German Village is where the miners and nurses settled down when they returned to Korea. The village is now a tourist spot.

The village is home to 34 beautiful residential buildings with white exteriors and orange roofs. Most of the buildings have a German name like Heidelberg or Frankfurt. The higher up the mountain you go from the village entrance, the better the view of Mulgeonhang Port and Mulgeon Windbreak Forest. With all its colors, the village blends strikingly well with the jet blue sea just like it were part of a picture. Most of the buildings are run as pension facilities, and recently, the German Culture Experience Center opened, featuring an exhibition hall, a German culture promotion hall, a German restaurant, and a gift shop. Near the center of the village is House N Garden where you will find beautiful gardens.

More Info
German Village
☞ Address: 1074-2, Mulgeon-ri, Samdong-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
☞ Telephone: +82-55-867-7783 (Korean)
☞ Homepage: http://남해독일마을.com (Korean)
☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Mulgeon Windbreak Forest, a beautiful forest on the sea

Tourists walking in the windbreak forest

Looking down below from the German Village, you will see a long band-like forest along the coast. This is the Mulgeon Windbreak Forest. The Mulgeon Windbreak Forest was formed about three hundred years ago to break the wind from blowing into the village from the sea and gather fish by taking advantage of their liking the green color of the trees. The 10,000 trees of the windbreak forest span about 1.5 kilometers along the coast and include a variety of species like zelkova trees, deciduous trees, and vines. The forest path is paved with wooden decks, so it is great for walking. The forest is green and thick, yet the sea, seawall, and lighthouse can be seen between the trees. The Namsong Marina Fishing Resort near the village has a vantage point overlooking the windbreak and the German Village.

More info
Windbreak Forest
☞ Address: Mulgeon-ri, Samdong-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
☞ Telephone: +82-55-860-8155 (Samdong-myeon Office / Korean)
☞ Homepage: http://tour.namhae.go.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Jukbangryeom, traditional fishing

Jukbangryeom

Jukbangryeom is a time-honored, traditional fishing method of Korea that is unique to Namhae. This method uses a bamboo trap set up in a fan shape. The v-shaped installation in the middle of the sea that can be seen from Changseongyo Bridge is Jukbangryeom. Changseongyo Bridge connects Samdong-myeon in Namhaedo and Changseon-myeon in Changseondo, another big island in Namhae. The flow of the seawater beneath the bridge is fast and strong. The channel between Changseondo Island and Namhaedo Island is called the Jijok Strait, where the currents are one of the strongest in the nation. Jukbangryeom takes advantage of the strong tidal current. Densely-tied bamboo poles are installed in a v-shape in the direction opposite of the flowing water. Due to the fast-flowing currents, fish lose the strength to swim and get trapped into imtong, a weir made of bamboo. Anchovies make up for the bulk of the catch, but there are also hairtails, mackerel pikes, pomfrets, and shrimp. Fish caught using other methods have a smaller commercial value because the fish can die or become damaged. However, through Jukbangryeom, the fish stay alive so they are fresh and retain a high commercial value. In particular, jukbang myeolchi, which are anchovy caught in Jukbangryeom, command the highest price and are sold nationwide. Near Samdong-myeon, there are many restaurants that offer dishes made of anchovies such as the myeolchi-ssambap(anchovy, rice, and side dishes, eaten wrapped in lettuce) and myeolchi-hoe(fresh, raw anchovy).

More info
Jukbangryeom
☞ Address: Changseon-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do / Jijong-ri, Samdong-myeon (Changseongyo Bridge)
☞ Telephone: +82-55-860-8155 (Samdong-myeon Office)
☞ Hours of Operation: Open year round
☞ Homepage: http://tour.namhae.go.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Enjoy the Sea! Sangju Silver Sand Beach & Dumo Village

Sunset at Sachon Beach Tourists enjoying sea kayaking

As an island, Namhae has numerous sites to enjoy the sea. With clean and clear seawater and a quality mud flat, the sea of Namhae is great for various activities such as sea bathing and leisure sports. The most famous beach in Namhae is the Sangju Silver Sand Beach in Sangju-myeon. Also splendid is the two kilometer-long pine tree grove surrounding the sandy beach in a semi-circle. The beach is ideal for sea bathing thanks to its gentle waves, shallow water and great views like Mokseom Island in the middle of the sea in front of the fan-shaped beach and mountains surrounding the beach on each side.

Situated in Sangju-myeon, Dumo Village is well-known for leisure sports like sea rafting and kayaking and sea activities like the traditional gaemaegifishing and fishing on a boat.

More Info
Sangju Silver Sand Beach & Dumo Village
☞ Address:
12-6, Sangju-ro, Sangju-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (Sangju Silver Sand Beach)
18, 533 beon-gil, Yanga-ro, Sangju-myeon, Gyeongsangnam-do (Dumo Village)
☞ Telephone: +82-55-862-5865 (Dumo Village) (Korean) / +82-55-863-3573 (Sangju Silver Sand Beach) (Korean)
☞ Hours of Operation: Open year round
☞ Fee: Dumo Village (hands-on program fee) / Sangju Silver Sand Beach (None)
☞ Homepage:
Dumo Village, http://du-mo.co.kr (Korean),
Sangju Silver Sand Beach, www.interkorea.pe.kr/j/eunmorae (Korean)
☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Tourist Information

* Tourism information provided by Namhae County Office: http://tour.namhae.go.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
* Accommodation Information: Goodstay accommodations are reliable and affordable accommodations in Korea http://korean.visitkorea.or.kr/kor/goodstay3/index.jsp (Korean, English, Japanese, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese)
* 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Transportation Information:

① Intercity Bus: Seoul Nambu Terminal – Namhae Intercity Bus Terminal (07:00-19:30, 11 daily departures)
② Jukbangryeom (Jijok), Mulgeon Windbreak Forest, German Village (Mulgeon): From Namhae Bus Terminal, take a bus for Mulgeon-Mijo (06:40-20:10, 11 daily departures) / take a taxi to Jijok (about 17,000 won), to Mulgeon (about 25,000 won)
③ Geumsan Boriam Temple: From Namhae Bus Terminal, take a bus for Bokgok (Boriam Parking Lot 1) or a bus for Sangju-Mijo and get off at Geumsan Ipgu (entrance to Geumsan) and walk about 3 kilometers, or take a taxi (about 15,000 won)
④ Gacheon Daraengi Village: From Namhae Bus Terminal, take a bus for Sangju-Mijo (06:20-20:15, 18 daily departures), or take a taxi (about 25,000 won)
⑤ Sangju Silver Sand Beach: From Namhae Bus Terminal, take a bus for Sangju-Mijo (06:30-20:20, 19 daily departures), or take a taxi (about 25,000 won)
⑥ Dumo Village: From Namhae Bus Terminal, take a bus for Sangju-Mijo (06:30-20:20, 19 daily departures), or take a taxi (about 20,000 won)

 

 

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