Jeju #1: Sights Around Jeju City

---

Thank you MERS! I got to start my long weekend a day earlier! I flew from Gimpo around lunchtime and landed in Jeju an hour later. The flight was a little turbulent. The views were gorgeous as we headed south and I could see all the islands that are dotted around the south coast. I took the bus from the airport to my hostel. It didn't take too long, maybe half an hour. I got checked in, got some info booklets and maps and planned what to do with my day. I had spotted a palace, when I had been on the bus, so decided to head there, as it's ages since I had been to one. I obviously thought that the palace was much further away, as I was surprised we got there so quickly.

The place that I thought was a palace was actually Gwandeokjeong and Jejumok-Gwana. Jejumok-Gwana was the Jeju Provinvcial Office during the Joseon Dynsasty. It was located around Gwandeokjeong,which is the oldest building in Jeju. It was built in 1448 by King Sejong as a place for training soldiers. I entered the complex and took a wander around. There were a lot of different buildings to look at. I started to the left, going through the Cloister, which housed the Jejumok museum. I think all the information was in Korean, so I didn't stay in there too long. There was a cute little pond that was filled with fish. The Provinical office was obviously very busy back in the day, as ther were and had been a lot of buildings. Some of the buildings no longer existed, but the foundations were still there and there were signs telling you what buildings had been there and their purposes.

Jejumok-Gwana is really close to the airport, and I could hear the roar of the planes as they took off and headed off to their destination. Jeju is definitely a busy place and there were a lot of planes taking off. I wandered around the various building that had been reconstructed. There was the governor's main office, the military headquarters, and another place for military officials. There was also a banquet hall and one especially cute little building, Gyullimdang, where the governor went to relax and play chess or write poems. There was also a cute little garden, that contained some Dolhareubang statues. These statues are a famous symbol of Jeju Island. Dol means stone and Hareubang means grandfather or senior. The statues are considered to be gods offering protection and fertility. There were also some Child Statues like the Dolhareubang, I had never seen these before so it was interesting to read the information about them, as they were placed at the side of graves .

I had a quick pit stop at a mart, so that I could get a sugar rush. I had some kind of white chocolate mocha drink and a caramel ice cream. They were just what I needed. I wanted to visit Samseonghyeol Shrine and the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum, but as time was marching on I didn't think I would have time to do both. It didn't take me too long to reach Samseonghyeol Shrine. Samseonghyeol means three clans' holes, where the three founding fathers of Tamna (now Jeju) appeared from. I decided that it would be better to visit here first, as I had read the weather report for tomorrow and it was meant to rain in the morning. The entrance fee to Samseonghyeol was 2,500 won. The ticket booth is just to the left of the path leading to the entrance. I headed into the site and took a walk through the gardens. It was really quiet, there weren't many others about, perfect! There are signposts telling you which way you should go, so I followed them.

I headed to the Exhibition Hall and had a look around. There were lots of ancient documents to look at and also Jegi, which are the utensils used in ancestral rites ceremonies. There is also a small auditorium, where I watched a short animated video and Samseonghyeol and the founding fathers of the Tamna Kingdom. Thereare no dates on when the Tamna Kingdom came into being, but it was later absorbed into the Joseon Dynasty in 1404. The legend says that the three divine founders of the island emerged from three holes in the ground. These three founders were named Ko, Yang and Bu, which are popular family names in Jeju. The legend goes that Yeonhonpo Beach is where these demigods welcomed the three princesses who they would marry. These princesses from Byeongnang brought with them five different seeds and cattle, that would help start agriculture in Jeju. The founding fathers also divided the island into three areas, Ildo, Ido and Samdo, and each ruled over one area.

I continued walking through the trees, it was so nice, the trees provided shade from the sun. I came across Sanseongjeon, which is a big hall. Around 4300 years ago, the ancestral tablets of three founders of Tamna were enshrined there. You can't get close to Samseongjeon as it is well protected. In front of it, there is Samseongmun, which is the gate protecting it. There is a memorial alter at the gate, which was built during the reign of King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty in 1698. This alter is actually a reconstruction and it was built in 1970. I walked around a bit further and I came to Samseonghyeol. The way the shrine is set out, you can't see the holes very well, but you can see the depression that they are set in. An interesting fact is that rain and snow do not pass through the holes. I enjoyed visiting the shrine, as I learnt a lot about the history of Jeju.

I headed for some dinner, I wandered the back streets by the hostel. They were pretty lively, full of young people, shops, bars, and restaurants. It had a good, fun vibe and felt like I was in a university area. I found a Kimbap Cheonguk (a cheap Korean diner, that does all the staples of Korean cuisine), I remembered it from last time I was here, 5 years ago, I cant remember if I ate here last time though. I ordered a saewoo bokkumbap, which is prawn fried rice, it was good and I devoured it. The hostel I was staying in was on a back street right behind a Baskin Robbins, so I wandered down the street and got an ice cream from there. My second ice cream of the day, well I am on my holidays. One of the travel guides I had picked up earlier at the hostel had mentioned a nice stream down near the port, it looked like it was lit up and would be nice to stroll along. It was about a twenty minute walk, possibly longer, from where I was, but at least it was all down hill and I had my ice cream to enjoy.

Well the stream was a complete let down. There is a small plaza just before it, and it was filled with trampy looking males, I didn't linger there too long. I walked down one side of Sanjicheon stream, the side that was next to the road. I think the brochure was a bit optimistic, as it didn't look like the bridges had been finished, some were blocked off, stopping you from crossing them. I think the walk to the end of the stream was only about 500 metres and it ended on a road. I decided to walk back up the other side. This wasn't a good idea, as parts of it were a mess, old abandoned buildings and a toilet block, the ground was covered with rubble and broken glass, I had to be careful in my flip flops. I headed back to the hostel, the long walk uphill.

---