Weekend in Daegu

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With the winter quickly approaching, we decided to take one last trip before the weather turns frigidly cold and we all become hermits. The plan was Daegu: Not too far, but far enough that we feel we’re exploring uncharted territories. We were most looking forward to the Medicinal Market, which we built up in our minds to be aaaaaamazing. So, we board a bus, and 3.5 hours later we’re checking into a love motel (oh how I love love motels).

The following morning we make our way to the medicine market, which we had read was the oldest medicinal market in all of Korea (possibly all of Asia). The walk to the market took us through “Rice Cake Alley,” which is an alleyway booming with rice cake shops. Rice cakes are so colorful and enticing but not at all appetizing to me. We reach the medicine market and are very disappointed to find that it’s not at all what we thought it would be. We were expecting a large, active and bustling traditional market but instead we found a very quiet street lined with oriental medicine shops. It smelled fantastic, but still we were a bit disappointed. The highlight—seeing reindeer horns hanging in the windows of the shops. Apparently they are ground up to make powder that is good for “vitality.” Oh yes, the area is also known for delicious samgyetang soup, which is a Korean style chicken soup. It is served with a whole chicken that is stuffed with rice, garlic, and ginseng. The soup is delicious and very healthy. We took a little lunch break and ate this delightful soup before moving on.

We then made our way to Gatbawi—a stone Buddha on top of Mt. Palgongsan that is wearing a traditional Korean hat (gat). The legend is that this Buddha will grant one wish to an individual that makes the climb up to see him. And a climb it was! We hiked uphill for 2km until we reached a gorgeous temple. We looked around, took some pictures, and began the 1km tiring stair hike to Gatbawi. From this point on the hike was all stairs. We finally reach the top, sweaty and tired but feeling more accomplished than ever. Hundreds of people pray and make their wishes. The air feels clean and the Fall scenery is breathtaking. After a short rest we begin our hike to the bottom, which wasn’t nearly as bad as the way up.

The next day we decided to visit Haeinsa, perhaps one of Daegu’s (and Korea’s) most famous temples. This is for 2 reasons: First, the temple is about 1,200 years old, and secondly it houses the oldest, most complete Buddhist scriptures in the world (the Tripitake Koreana). Both the temple and the Tripitaka are designated as UNESCO Memory of the World sites. The temple sits somewhere on Gaya Mountain. After a short hike to the temple we had a bit of time to take in the scenery. The mountain is lush with Fall colored trees and the colors of the temple buildings seem to stand out even more. The actual scriptures are (surprisingly) stored in rooms that are completely exposed to the elements. I’m amazed at how they’re survived for so long. In fact, in 2011 the Tripitaka will turn 1,000 years old. The collection is vast, to say the least. The scriptures are written on blocks, adding up to about 81,350 blocks. The blocks are stored in 4 rooms with shelves as far as the eye can see. Just to be near such history was overwhelming.

That’s all. A short, lovely weekend in Daegu, taking in the culture, history, and Autumn scenery. For anyone planning a visit to Daegu I HIGHLY recommend visiting Gatbawi and Haeinsa. The hike, fresh air, views, and history will complete the trip.

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