Chosun.com Media Reporting
Team media@chosun.com
Tourists from the neighboring country of
China have long been flocking to Korea, and that number is now on a steady
rise. Like all other international tourists, they first visit Seoul, and
perhaps think about a revisit to adventure other areas, like Gyeongnam (South
Gyeongsang Province).
But it’s not easy leaving the capital, as
transportation and communication barriers sometimes get in the way.
In answering such issues, the Gyeongnam
provincial office has recently designed tour packages for foreign tourists and
invited a few lucky Chinese to try them out.
The Chosun.com Media Reporting Team has
followed the lucky four to see more closely how they enjoy their trip to the
southern regions of Korea.
<Four tourists from China pose for a
picture at the Tongyeong Hallyeosudo Cable Car.>
The crew included four members who all said
they frequent Korea: Zhao Weidan, Xu Qian, Li Xin and Li Jie. This time, their
itinerary was focused on Seoul, Tongyeong and Gimhae for three days starting
Oct. 29.
All four first convened at the Incheon
International Airport, and then took a subway to Seoul. In the capital, they
toured around Gwanghwamun Plaza and Myeongdong. Gwanghwamun is home to various
key spots that highlight Korean culture, such as the Gyeongbok Palace.
Myeongdong is known as the shopping mecca for Chinese and Japanese tourists.
<Chinese tourists play in Gwanghwamun
and Myeongdong.>
Main activities in Gwanghwamun, central
Seoul, included taking photos in front of the statue of King Sejong the Great,
and trying out traditional Korean attire, hanbok.
In Myeongdong, the four were busy
purchasing clothes and makeup. They also tried the iconic braised chicken and
honey ice cream.
And last but not least, the last stop was
the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-dong, to finally leave for Gyeongnam.
Around 17 “limousine buses” are operated each day at the terminal, from 7 a.m.
to midnight. The 4-hour trip costs 33,000 won for adults.
Our bus was booked for 4:40 p.m., and when
we arrived in Tongyeong, it was 9 p.m. Luckily, we didn’t have to worry about
accommodations because everything was booked in advance through an Internet
site called Agoda.com. Users who make reservations through the website will
also receive pickup services like in our case when the owner of the guesthouse
we planned to stay in was waiting for as the Tongyeong Bus Terminal to drive us
there.
<After a taste of chungmu gimbap, the
Chinese tourists said the food fits well with their appetite. >
Morning in Tongyeong came with a plate of
chungmu gimbap. Chungmu gimbap, unlike the ordinary gimbap, is made only with
rice as the filler ingredient, with baby octopus marinated in spicy red pepper
sauce added on the side.
We then rode a cab and arrived at the Tongyeong
Hallyeosudo Cable Car, a 1,975-meter ride that only takes 10 minutes to arrive
at the top of Mount Mireuk (458 meters). A panoramic view of downtown Tongyeong
and the scenic ocean was on full display when we arrived at our destination.
<The Tongyeong Hallyeosudo Cable Car is
the longest tourist ropeway in Korea.>
“I will never forget the marvelous landscape
I saw in the cable car today,” Zhao said at the summit of Mount Mireuk. “I can’t
breathe with my mouth open too widely in China because of the smog, but here,
the air is so fresh.”
Our next destination was the Tongyeong
Excursion Ship Terminal, located just 10 minutes away from the cable car on
foot. From there, we took a ferry to Jangsa Island, the film set of the hit
Korean drama “My Love from the Star” (2013-4).
<Chinese tourists take a selfie at
Mount Mireuk.>
The 40-minute ride from Tongyeong to Jangsa
Island is available four times a day, every two hours starting at 9 a.m. Fees,
including ferry tickets and entrance into the island, are around 30,000 won per
person.
It usually takes only two hours for
visitors to tour around the island filled with diverse flowers and trees. The
Camellia Tunnel and outdoors film set zones are especially popular among “My
Love from the Star” fans, because both locations were featured in the hit
drama.
<Jangsa Island was the film set of “My
Love from the Star.”>
“I think this is where actor Kim Soo-hyun
sat,” said Li Xin. “It feels like a dream to sit here and take pictures.”
Our special guests from China continued to
take photos of the ocean and the neatly-formed gardens. Toward the end of the
tour when we all sat down in a café, their eyes headed outdoors towards the
shimmery sea.
After the trip to the island, we returned
inland to visit the Dongpirang Village, an area filled with murals, and ate the
iconic snack of Tongyeong, honey bread. Dinner was a seafood full-course meal.
That night, we rode a bus to Gimhae and
spent a night at the Gimhae Hanok Experience Hall. Hanok refers to a
traditional Korean house.
<Visitors from China pose at the
outdoors film set on Jangsa Island.>
When the entire Gyeongnam tour finally
reached an end and all four Chinese returned to Seoul, they all said the tour
enabled them to see a unique side of Korea.
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