A Provincial Park That Packs A Mighty Punch

Daedunsan Provincial Park reminds me of a small but fiery red pepper - what the park lacks in size and height, it amply makes up for it in dramatic photo-opportunities with its panoramic views as well as demands it makes on your knees, ankles and soles.

For the first time in my life, I stood above “a sea of clouds” and in that other-worldly atmosphere, it was hard to believe that the city of Jeonju was only about an hour’s drive away.

I had the good fotune to visit this tiny park  in Jeollakbuk-do one year with a tour group.  It was one occasion when I meekly followed my tour guide and didn’t stray from the group as we all clambered into the cable car that took us near the summit, Macheondae ( 878m).

That’s not particularly high but I wasn’t the fittest of folks and I was already huffing and puffing on the stiff climb from the cable car station to the Geumgang Scenic Bridge ( “ a 50 m-long cable bridge stretched precariously between two rock pinnacles”, according to the Lonely Planet).

Anyway, our tour guide was only prepared to allow us to go as far as  the end of the Bridge and discouraged us from venturing beyond. the Samseon Stairway ( “an incredibly steep and long steel cable stairway”).

If, however, you manage to reach the top, you can relish a “I’m the King of the World” moment as you may be able to see as far as Chuncheongnam-do. But you’re only entitled to that feeling if you didn’t cheat by using the cable car service and did the whole 1.7 km walk up from the main ticket office past Dongsim Rock to Macheondae.

A longer ( 2.2 km) and perhaps even more scenic route can be enjoyed if you start from the Yongmungol Ticket Office which is further up the road from the main tourist village here. You can take a break at Sinseon-am ( hermitage) and along the way, take a short detour to explore Yongmun-gul ( cave) before continuing onto Yongmungul 3 Sam-geo-ri and turning left onto the ridge to head towards Macheondae. You can follow the first route on the way back down. At least, that’s what I’d like to do, if I ever revisit this place which is also dubbed “ The Geumgang or Diamond Mountain of Honam Area” and also the “Sogeumgang of South Korea”.

Sources:
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=5824
http://tour.chungnam.net/ctnt/engl/tour/02/tour.02.003.04.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theworldismycanvas/2417679762/
http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Jeollabuk-do/Jinan/Maisan-Provincial-Park/blog-233258.html
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/asis/wallpaper/0710/paper0710_04_1024.jpg
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/AC/AC_EN_4_8.jsp?cid=349790
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309527