2014년 12월 9일 화요일

Chinese tourists leave for a trip around Seoul, Tongyeong and Gimhae

Chinese tourists leave for a trip around Seoul, Tongyeong and Gimhae

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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