Songdo Beach and Amnam Park

April 7, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

Photo from For 91 Days in Busan

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Photos by Stephanie Pellett. Check out her blog Life in Limbo here.

It is a widely held belief that a horseshoe is said to attract good fortune and luck. While I don’t necessarily hold this notion as canon, it was a true stroke of luck to have recently added Busan’s horseshoe-shaped Songdo Beach and the nearby Amnam Park to my Korean Bucket List.

Compared to the other beaches in Busan that I’m familiar with, (namely Haeundae and Gwangalli) my mid-March visit to Songdo was unusually placid. The promenade was not overcrowded with couples taking selfies or struggling artists pedalling their heartfelt renditions of “My Heart Will Go On”. Instead, there were families taking quiet afternoon walks, and groups of ajummas sitting on the benches, quietly conversing.

Dogs of Songdo

The actual beach had an almost kitschy feel to it, with statues of dolphins and whales rising up from the water. The surrounding neighbourhood was filled with coastal hotels laying claims to the best coastal views in Nampo and the usual Korean coffee chains.

On the left side of the beach, we came across an archway that led out to a series of low-rising sea-stacks to walk upon. Inside the archway was an information sign that offered some history on Songdo’s tumultuous history. I learned that not only is it Busan’s oldest beach, (having officially opened in 1913) but is also its most berated. Songdo’s coastline took a pretty severe beating from multiple hurricanes, most notably Typhoon Thelma in 1991, which caused a great deal of sand loss. Following a reconstruction in 2000, the beach now plays host to a variety of celebrations, including the Busan Sea Festival.

Songdo selfies

After a few pictures on the sea-stacks, we moved to a scenic park elevated just above the beach. My favourite part about this area was a tiny glass house filled with books at the edge of the park. Unfortunately, we couldn’t access this outdoor library, as its door was locked. We brushed this off by practicing a few arm balances and headstands, as good yogis do.

Steph rockin’ her salamba sirsasana

Thereafter, we headed to the Songdo Coastal Walkway in order to get to Amnam Park. This walk was undoubtedly the best part of the day. Our journey along the red staircase that hugged the coast was timed perfectly with the setting sun. The walkway was almost completely empty, save for a few smiling ajummas, and just below us were numerous fishermen looking for their last catch of the day. The Coastal Walkway has been one of my favourite moments in Busan so far, and I’m looking forward to returning later this summer.

Songdo Coastal Walkway

The walkway took us approximately 25 minutes to cross. Upon reaching Amnam Park, we began to feel the effects of a full afternoon of walking on empty stomachs. We ended up hiking for about 15 minutes through the park, which was enough time to get some views, see some statues, and smell some pine trees. Amnam Park, while beautiful, couldn’t hold a candle to the astonishing views offered on the Songdo Coastal Walkway. Nor could it overshadow our rumbling stomachs. Sometimes, nature can only do so much when you’re fixing for some Thai food.

Library Park

Directions
To get to Songdo Beach and Amnam Park, take the Orange Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Jagalchi Station (stop 110). Go out exit 2, and take your first left. Just ahead is a bus stop; buses 7, 26, 71, or 96 will all get you to Songdo Beach, while buses 7, 9, and 91 will take you to Amnam Park. Alternatively, a cab from Jagalchi Market costs approximately ₩8,000.

Dongbaekseom Island

March 31, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Like all good things, Dongbaekseom Island has rebranded itself over time. The “sands of time” gradually joined the formerly solitary island to the mainland, if only to allows Koreans and foreigners to promenade along it and admire the dongbaek, pine, and camellia trees that surround it.

Always loving a good rebrand myself, I ventured to Dongbaekseom Island in mid-January with the girls to enjoy a sunlit stroll along the Busan coast, as well as to check out the APEC Nurimaru House.

The Nurimaru APEC House is filled with a lot of information regarding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit held in Busan; very little of which I actually retained. I know that leaders from two dozen countries came to Busan in 2005 to discuss economic cooperation and that they were required to wear traditional Korean garb. The visual of George Bush in a hanbok sticks out, but not much else. Four years as a history major, memorizing textbook upon textbook of minute details, and this is what I have to show for it. Sorry, but I’m really not that sorry.

After briefly exploring the APEC House, we ventured outside into Dongbaekseom Park which offered gorgeous views of the coast and Haeundae Beach. We chuckled to ourselves about the fact that, while our friends and family were suffering through “Canada’s Polar Vortex Winter 2013/14”, we were leisurely walking in a beautiful outdoor park in cardigans. We caught sight of a towering lighthouse perched upon the jagged coastline, and a monument to the Confucian philosopher Choi Chi-won during our exploration.

We continued along the coastal trail, until we happened across a fun little rope bridge. Just beyond the bridge, below the rock wall, sits a statue of Princess Topaz, of the Naranda Kingdom. The melancholic princess stares dejectedly down into the water, in an almost Mulan, “when will my reflection show” type of way. According to lore, she was married off to King of Mungungnara, and now sits for all eternity in the coast, weeping for her homeland. [Note: I was going through my “2014 Korea Breakdown” around this time, and could totally sympathize with the poor girl and her longing for the “old country”.]

Dongbaekseom Island was off my radar with regard to “things to do and see in Busan”, but is a perfect spot for a quiet walk (or talk, with Princess Topaz) if you’re in the Haeundae area.

Directions
To get to Dongbaekseom Island, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Dongbaek Station (stop 204). Take exit 1, and walk straight for approximately 10 minutes until you reach Dongbaekseom Island.

Taejongdae Resort Park

March 3, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Photos by Jess Sternberg. Follow her on Instagram here.

As a Canadian boy who has experienced some twenty-two winters in Southeastern Ontario, the relatively temperate climate of Busan has been a dream during the typically harsh winter months. Besides one day in mid-February when it “snowed” (read: there was light snowfall that evaporated before it even touched the ground), on the whole, the South Korean winter has treated me well. It has also given me the ability to remain active and explore the great outdoors of Busan during months where, in Canada, I would be hermitting indoors.

Taejongdae Resort Park, located on the southern coast of Busan in Yeongdo-gu, provided a perfect setting for exploring the great outdoors, in the form of a crisp January afternoon stroll. The weather on this particular Saturday felt like a late October day in Canada, so my fellow Toronto girls, Jess, Maddie, Mary, and I took advantage and ventured to the famous Busan monument to take some yoga photos and watch the sunset.

Taejongdae derives its name from King TaeJong Mu-Yeol of the Silla Dynasty (BC57 until AD 935) who used to fire arrows along this beautiful coastal area back in his heyday. The park is absolutely magnificent – serene forests, breathtaking views of the coast, and beautiful man-made monuments. The park itself is quite sprawling, so in order to reach the main attraction, the Taejongdae Lighthouse, in an expedient manner, the park’s Danubi train is almost necessary to save yourself a long journey on foot. Unfortunately, the girls and I mistook the line that was simply waiting to board the Danubi train as the line waiting to purchase tickets for the train, became impatient, and started walking along the road towards the sites of Taejongdae. [Note: We never made it to the lighthouse. All of the sads.]

While we never made it to the lighthouse or Sinseon Rock, (which according to myth was a relaxation spot for gods and goddesses), we did get to see Taejongdae’s beautiful Pebble Beach from one of the many observatories along the coastline. Mary and I surged ahead to visit the Taejongdae observatory, which provided some stunning views of the rocky Korea Strait and the famous “Suicide Rock”. A sombre statue of a mother with two children stands just outside the observatory to remind anyone who has ventured to Taejongdae to commit suicide that somewhere, their mother holds an unconditional love for them. The observatory was unfortunately our last stop before turning back, but provided us with some unforgettable panoramic views and interesting information about the “Taejong Rain” which happens around the 10th of May (on the Lunar calendar). As a result, Taejongdae serves as a famous site for rain prayers during droughts.

Eventually, the girls and I headed back towards the Pebble Beach, finding a quiet part of the forest where we could watch the sunset, undisturbed. Just to our left, we discovered a giant boulder on the coast, absolutely perfect for some sunset yoga photos. One at a time, we each slowly and surely crawled our way onto the rock, making sure we didn’t look down at the deep plunge beneath us should our loafers or Toms fail us. A couple of “rock”-solid warrior, mermaid, and lotus poses later, the girls and I left the park, while the sun finally set on the magnificent coastal park.

Directions
To reach Taejongdae Resort Park, take the Busan Subway Red Line (Line 1) to Busan Station (stop 113). From here, take Bus 88 or 101 until the Taejongdae Park stop (approximately 35 minutes). Alternatively, you can take Line 1 to Nampo (stop 111) and take a 20 minute cab ride to Taejongdae. Entrance is free. For those who want to explore Taejongdae without walking, the Danubi Train provides transportation for W1,500, as well as service in English, Korean, and Chinese.

Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple

November 8, 2013 | Millennial Abroad

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

It seems unlikely that I am the first foreigner teaching in Busan to weep over the end of beach season, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to let it go. “How will I possibly spend weekends? Where will I get my stunning views of the water now?”

Eventually, these questions began to seem pretty trivial given the beautiful landscape of Busan, and even more trivial when I Googled “the best attractions Busan has to offer” and came across the beautiful Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple, located on the East Sea.

After a strenuous hike up Jangsan Mountain and (another) night out in KSU the day and night before, Matt and I met up with Mary bright and early Sunday morning at Haeundae Station and caught the bus toward the temple. This was actually my first time taking a bus in Busan, and quite possibly, my last. The stops are reliable enough, but the driver’s ability to man the wheel were slightly reminiscent of Leslie Mann in The 40 Year Old Virgin, and reified that I am a subway/taxi person.

After approximately a 25 minute bus ride, we were let off in an oddly suburban area; however, a large granite stone with “Haedong Yonggungsa Temple” let us know that we were in the right place. After a short 5 minute walk, we approached a tiny market. Tempting aromas and the sound of shrill Korean floated around the tight space, as tourists stuffed their faces and bartered for tiny trinkets.

Shortly past the busy market were the expected and the unexpected: a line of life-size statues of the 12 zodiac signs with kneeling practitioners of Buddhism offering prayers represented the former; a towering ivory pagoda established for the purpose of “traffic safety prayers” represented the latter.

Like the inquisitive tourists/goats we are, Matt, Mary, and I followed a long line of people down a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs towards the rocky coast of the East Sea. Note: Upon researching further for the purposes of this blog, I learned that there were in fact exactly 108 steps, a sacred and recurring number in Buddhism. As we worked our way down the steps at a glacial pace, we caught a quick glimpse of the striking coastline, which illustrated exactly why this temple is a top tourist destination in Busan. The water is an absurd, almost unimaginable shade of cerulean, made even more pristine in juxtaposition to the craggy rocks.

One way to take your mind off the long line is a coin launching bridge called the Lucky coin divination. Simply take a coin from your pocket and try to launch it into the basins below. Be careful not to launch your smartphone into the gorge below like the foolish gentleman just out of frame in the picture above.

The intricately designed temple and various shrines at Haedong Yonggungsa are stunning, especially to those unfamiliar with Buddhist temple architecture. Other highlights include a pair of life-size golden pigs, and two giant golden statues of Buddha, including a Movember themed one that I will be modeling my lip sweater after this year.

Additionally, there is a nice, albeit somewhat informal path that leads to the Busan Fisheries Science Museum and allows you to walk around the coast of Busan. According to the maps, this hike around the seawall can take approximately 10h. Note: The girls and I attempted this hike northward last weekend and it is somewhat haphazard. Try a mountain trail instead.

Overall, the Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple is one of the most awe-inspiring sites I’ve visited so far in Busan. I have every intention to visit again. During Buddha’s birthday. With a professional camera. At sunset. How’s that for wanderlust?

Directions
To get to the Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple, take Line 2 (green line) on the Busan Subway to Haeundae (stop 203). Go out exit 1 and take Bus 181 until you get to Yonggungsa Temple (located on the right side). The temple is 5 minute walk from the bus stop. Admission is free, but bring money for the market!