Beautiful Gijang-gun County in Busan
Most tourists think of Haeundae when they first hear the word "Busan." I can't blame them because Haeundae Beach, located in Haeundae District, is very popular and beautiful.
However, there are also other places worth visiting in Busan other than the Haeundae Beach. One of those places is Gijang-gun County. It is situated between Ulsan and Haeundae. Though it's the most rural part of Busan City, it really has a lot to offer visitors.
A few days ago, my husband showed me a photograph of a church that stands right by the sea. This church is located in Jukseong-ni Village in Gijang-gun County. I wanted to see that church, so we made plans. Early in the dawn on March 1, my husband and I hopped on a train bound for Busan. The train took a little more than two hours. Then, we took a taxi to Bujeon Station where we got on a train bound for Gijang Station. That ride lasted about 35 minutes. Since we wanted to catch a glimpse of the sunrise, we decided to take a taxi to the Jukseong Dream Church (죽성드림성당). Though the Jukseong Dream Church is not a real church, the view is spectacular. The silhouette of the “church,” the lighthouse, the ocean, the beautiful sunrise and the relaxing sound of the waves crashing against the rocks was a perfect combination that made me forget how cold it was. It was like a dream.
However, there are also other places worth visiting in Busan other than the Haeundae Beach. One of those places is Gijang-gun County. It is situated between Ulsan and Haeundae. Though it's the most rural part of Busan City, it really has a lot to offer visitors.
A few days ago, my husband showed me a photograph of a church that stands right by the sea. This church is located in Jukseong-ni Village in Gijang-gun County. I wanted to see that church, so we made plans. Early in the dawn on March 1, my husband and I hopped on a train bound for Busan. The train took a little more than two hours. Then, we took a taxi to Bujeon Station where we got on a train bound for Gijang Station. That ride lasted about 35 minutes. Since we wanted to catch a glimpse of the sunrise, we decided to take a taxi to the Jukseong Dream Church (죽성드림성당). Though the Jukseong Dream Church is not a real church, the view is spectacular. The silhouette of the “church,” the lighthouse, the ocean, the beautiful sunrise and the relaxing sound of the waves crashing against the rocks was a perfect combination that made me forget how cold it was. It was like a dream.
The Jukseong Dream Church is not a real church. It was built and used as a filming location for the SBS soap opera “Dream” in the early 2000s. Because of its spectacular beauty and location, it became popular among photographers and tourists alike.
After enjoying the beauty of the Jukseong Dream Church and the sunrise, we took a taxi to Daebyeon Port (대변항). We walked around the quiet port, watching people prepare their fish and kelp to dry in the sun. We saw a lot of jars filled with fermented anchovies. There were a lot of restaurants around the port that served grilled fish, raw fish and steamed crab. We also saw the World Cup Lighthouse.
We wanted to visit the Doam Pottery Park, but we couldn't find it. So we decided to take a taxi to Gijang Market instead. Gijang Market is famous for crabs, lobsters and kelp. We walked around and saw a lot of huge king crabs, snow crabs and lobsters. We weren't that hungry so we didn't eat there, though stall keepers kept asking us to buy and eat their crabs.
After enjoying the beauty of the Jukseong Dream Church and the sunrise, we took a taxi to Daebyeon Port (대변항). We walked around the quiet port, watching people prepare their fish and kelp to dry in the sun. We saw a lot of jars filled with fermented anchovies. There were a lot of restaurants around the port that served grilled fish, raw fish and steamed crab. We also saw the World Cup Lighthouse.
We wanted to visit the Doam Pottery Park, but we couldn't find it. So we decided to take a taxi to Gijang Market instead. Gijang Market is famous for crabs, lobsters and kelp. We walked around and saw a lot of huge king crabs, snow crabs and lobsters. We weren't that hungry so we didn't eat there, though stall keepers kept asking us to buy and eat their crabs.
Since it was still too early for us to go back to Gumi, we decided to drop by Haeundae Beach. We took a taxi along the 8-kilometer Dalmaji Road, famous for its cherry blossoms in the spring. The cherry trees looked ready to bloom in less than a month. We also passed by some apricot trees in bloom.
When we arrived at Haeundae Beach, we walked around for a bit and then sat in a corner and relaxed. We then headed to the Haeundae Train Station to catch a train back to Gumi. Alas! The Haeundae Train Station had moved to a new location. We ended up taking a taxi to the Haeundae Train Station. The new train station looked much bigger and more modern than the old one. I think it opened not too long ago. In fact, some of the tracks are even not yet open.
To sum it all, we had a great day in Gijang-gun County. Though it was a pain getting to the new Haeundae Train Station, it's good to know where it is. The next time we take a train to Haeundae, we won't be confused at an unfamiliar place.
The article above is courtesy of Korea Net (http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Travel/view?articleId=133556&pageIndex=8).
When we arrived at Haeundae Beach, we walked around for a bit and then sat in a corner and relaxed. We then headed to the Haeundae Train Station to catch a train back to Gumi. Alas! The Haeundae Train Station had moved to a new location. We ended up taking a taxi to the Haeundae Train Station. The new train station looked much bigger and more modern than the old one. I think it opened not too long ago. In fact, some of the tracks are even not yet open.
To sum it all, we had a great day in Gijang-gun County. Though it was a pain getting to the new Haeundae Train Station, it's good to know where it is. The next time we take a train to Haeundae, we won't be confused at an unfamiliar place.
The article above is courtesy of Korea Net (http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Travel/view?articleId=133556&pageIndex=8).