VISIT JEJU

Springtime begins with a splendid fire, one that burns so hot it seems like the entire island is engulfed. It’s a time to reduce past misfortunes to cinders and welcome prosperity anew. It leaves visitors to the Jeju Fire Festival with fresh hope for the future. This year Jeju’s representative festival marks its 20th anniversary with a celebration at Saebyeol Oreum (volcanic cone) which will culminate in its being set on fire. This is part of a traditional farming custom called bangbae, where old brush is set alight to rid it of pests and to clear the pasture for a new crop. Events which foreigners will especially enjoy include helping build a ceremonial house which will be burned during the festival, a stone lifting contest, as well as torch lighting, a laser show and rock festival, all of which will be held from March 2nd to March 5th. For more information, please visit http://www.buriburi.go.kr/.

In Korean, the word for the canola flower, or yuchae, evokes the idea of cheerfulness. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why walking among the yellow blossoms is so attractive. During the month of March, when it’s possible to finally put away one’s heavy winter coat, Jeju’s representative spring festival — the Seogwipo Canola Flower International Walking Festival — takes place. This event attracts participants from all over East Asia in a truly international exchange. The theme centers on flowers: Korean canola, Japanese azaleas, and Chinese acacias. This year the East Asia Flower Walking League will be held at the park of the Jeju International Convention Center in the Jungmun Tourism Complex on March 18 (Saturday) and March 19 (Sunday). The Canola Flower International Walking Festival is divided into 20-km, 10-km and 5-km courses. There are no time limits, thereby encouraging people to not only take their time to enjoy the view as they stroll through the canola blossoms, but also to help reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies.

Along the coast of Jeju Island, the ocean waves roll in rhythmically and relentlessly. On a nearby hill called Seoubong at Hamdeok Beach, yellow fields of canola flowers cover the hill and sway in the ocean breeze. This is why Hamdeok is a place known especially for its memorable ocean view and accompanying yellow canola vistas. Up on the hill when the weather is good, one can at a glance take in Hamdeok Beach, Hallasan Mountain, and various volcanic cones, or oreum, which dot the east side of the island. The area also has Olle Walking Course No. 19, running from Jocheon to Gimnyeong, and a Dullegil trail, both which run along the island’s northern coastline.

A rocky cliff serves as the backdrop while the figure of a small girl gazes out at the sea from a bright red lighthouse. Located along Olle Walking Course No. 9, this part of the island’s southern coast is particularly pretty in the evening light. Visitors to what has been called “Jeju’s most Jeju-like village” are impressed by its rural atmosphere and easy-going nature. Daepyeong-ri also boasts a steep pine tree-lined walking trail on its cliff, which many say resembles a folding screen. Its distinctive port and charming narrow rural alleys are home to a number of unique cafes. In Korean, the cliff’s name elicits the image of clean, flowing spring water.

Spring has arrived in the marketplace. In the Jeju language, the word bellong elicits the image of “firelight as it shines in the distance.” This perfectly captures the unique quality of Jeju’s market culture, and in this case, the Bellongjang Night Market. Here, locals and visitors come together at a small seaside village at Sehwa. They shop together and learn more about each other’s cultural backgrounds, in what has become Jeju’s representative marketplace. Shoppers can find many delicate, attractive Bohemian-style items of clothing and fashion, as well as pretty, handmade items being sold by local villagers and artists. The market is held twice on Saturdays beginning from March 4th. Please check for the latest details/times at www.facebook.com/bellongjang 

If you’re planning to have a small wedding in May or June, then you must find the time to come to Jeju Island in March for your wedding photos. The exotic colors of the sea, the offshore wind turbines, and beaches lined with cedar forests all provide wonderful backdrops for your memorable life photos. A unique valley across from Jungmun Saekdal Beach is most spectacular in March and April with the yellow blooms of the canola flowers. Its atmosphere makes it feel like you are in your own secret garden. Between Sehwa Traditional 5-day Market and the Haenyeo Museum is Sehwa Beach, a combination of an emerald-tinted ocean and pastel chairs which together create a romantic atmosphere. Offshore wind turbines and a lighthouse give the Sinchang Coastal Road a distinctive feel that is perfect for that special snapshot. And then there’s the mysterious shape and texture of the volcanic stone at Gueom-ri, where for centuries locals used the flat surface to evaporate seawater to gather sea salt. It’s also a very picturesque and quintessentially Jeju scene.

This small, compact village by the sea is familiar and welcoming, just like home. The serenity of the area radiates along the beautiful coastline, which paradoxically could pass as either an everyday site or a once-in-a-lifetime travel destination. Onpyeong Port is the terminus of Jeju Olle Walking Course No. 2 and the start of Course No. 3. Fishermen here traditionally used to navigate the area and fish by the light of fish-oil burning lighthouses. You can see where villagers used to collect their fresh water, called Yongcheonsu, along the shore, as well as Hwanhaejangseong Fortress and Geobukbawi Rock. Onpyeong-ri used to be referred to as the “open” or “settled (married)” place. It is said that the reason for this name was that it was considered to be where the three mythical founders of the Tamna Kingdom (which became Jeju-do) married their Byeokrang Kingdom princess brides.

There are times when a natural scene is just too beautiful and memorable to stop and take a photograph. One such case is the view of canola flowers on the 5-km drive along the Hwasun East-West Road, which connects Hwasun and Seogwangdong-ri. It is a much more impressive experience to quietly enjoy these flowers while driving, rather than stopping the car on the relatively narrow two-lane road to try to get a snapshot. The Hwasun East-West Road Canola Flower Path is part of the Sanbangsan Mountain / Yongmeori Coast B Course Geotrail and crosses through the Hwasun Gotjawal primeval forest. Hiking this part of the island is the best place for you to enjoy both the forest and beauty of the blossoming canola flowers.

The forests of Jeju Island remain verdant throughout the year, in contrast with those on the mainland. However, with the advent of March, you can see subtle changes in the hues of the forest trees and their budding branches. Seogwipo Natural Recreation Forest is Korea’s southernmost natural recreation forest. It is a characteristically wild area of Jeju and mostly devoid of artificial forestation. This is a habitat for a variety of wild animals and plants. You can often spot deer and squirrels as you walk its trails. As you make you way towards Seogwipo City, the panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean rises up to greet you. 

Although sundae (a kind of chewy blood sausage) and rice soup is a representative comfort food, there are plenty of Koreans who have never tried it. If you’d like to sample a nutritious Korean dish in a restaurant with an authentic feel, then Boseong Market and Jeju Dongmun Market are good choices. If sundae isn’t your thing, then March is the season to eat dishes that use the turban shell as an ingredient. This Jeju marine product offers diners a fresh, chewy, delicious experience. They say that the turban shell’s texture and flavor is particularly addictive. It’s good raw or grilled or mixed with seasoned seaweed. The seasoned seaweed, which in past was served with a simple bowl of rice, is rich in calcium, iodine, and iron. Between March and May people prepare their seaweed side dishes with their own preferred combination of seasonings.