Gunsan and Seonyu Island: Spontaneous Escape
Have you ever flipped a coin to decide a weekend vacation? A spontaneous trip is sometimes better than a planned trip. For those who want to enjoy the outdoor season, get away from the crowds and traffic without looking up travel blogs or magazines, I suggest a little-known, but marvelous location in Korea.
Going to Gunsan and Seonyu Island was a spontaneous vacation for my friend, Cobi, and me. We made up our minds to leave Gwang-ju over one weekend two summers ago, in 2013. We had a list of ten beautiful places in Korea, but we kept talking back and forth about where to go. Finally, we reached a compromise that we would decide the place by drawing a name out of a hat. Abracadabra, as easy as that! Cobi drew the winning ticket, which was revealed to be Gunsan and Seonyu Island. Gunsan is located in North Jeolla Province, a two-hour bus ride from Gwangju. Seonyu Island is one of 47 in the Gogunsan (Old Gunsan Islands) group and has one of the best sunsets in Korea. Gunsan and Seonyu Island were our favorite places in Korea; these places will never leave our memory.
Isungdang Bakery
Gunsan is famous for having the oldest bakery in Korea. It is not too much to say that tourists must visit this bakery and get stamped proving that they were actually in Gunsan. In 1899, Japan coerced Gunsan to open its ports to trade due to a geographic proximity to China and other west coast countries. Therefore, it would be natural that bread, an iconic Western food, first came in to Gunsan in Korean history. When you taste its red-bean paste bread and vegetable-salad pastries, you can understand why people line up early in the morning for these treats.
Old and New (Hiroth Old House and Gyeongam Railroad)
Once you satisfy your hunger, pick up your backpack again and prepare to time travel. In 1899, during the Japanese colonial era, Gunsan port became the main path of exploitation for rice and land in the Honam region. Honam refers to the North and South Jeolla provinces. Gunsan still has an old Japanese-style main building, Modern Art Museum (the Former Japanese 18th Bank), and temples. The traditional Japanese-style house, owned by Hiroth, who was a Japanese fabric dealer, still has a great architectural value as its garden, floor, and roof have all been kept as they were first constructed.
Let’s move to another part of the past. The Gyeongam neighborhood railroad is a short track, which used to load newspapers and raw materials. The train narrowly ran between houses. Even though the train has stopped operating, the old houses facing each other across the rusty railroad look much the way they did in the 1970s and 1980s. It seems like time in this village has stopped. However, clothes hung out on a clothesline signify that residents still live here. Now, the railroad exhibits a desolate but attractive landscape, so it has become a photographer’s dream.
Seonyudo
A one-hour ferry ride takes you to the island from the passenger terminal. Seonyu Island was named after the Chinese phrase, 仙遊島, meaning “an island where the king leisurely enjoys himself, surrounded by scenic nature.” The island is a romantic spot where travelers can ride bikes, as there are few motorized vehicles. Additionally, visitors can view pebbles and sand dunes while walking along the fine beach. The sunset at Mangjubong Peak is one of the best scenes in Korea while the sea breeze and children’s laughter surrounds you. Seonyu Island is such a peaceful getaway; you may understand why I want to keep this island as a secret place of my own. My friend, Cobi, describes the island as “magic” because it has everything you need for the just best weekend jaunt: a beautiful beach for swimming and watching the sunset, cozy places to stay, and few crowds to deal with.
If you are still looking at travel blogs, just stop. Prepare a backpack and depart for Gunsan and Seonyu Island. You will fall in love with this place.
Visit the Gunsan City Hall official homepage at http://eng.gunsan.go.kr/