CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O

The only land-locked province in the South, Chungbuk (as it’s known informally) is largely mountainous and agricultural, with a few scenic man-made lakes for reprieve. The province is a sleepy sort of place and its major cities are not particularly compelling, though bibliophiles may be inclined to make a pilgrimage to Cheongju, where in 1377 Buddhist monks printed the world’s oldest extant book with moveable metal type.

The province’s charms can better be appreciated in its smaller towns and three national parks, which are also home to an assortment of intriguing Buddhist sites. In Songnisan National Park lies a sprawling ancient temple Beopju-sa, with statues both old (a Shilla-era bodhisattva) and new (a tall gold-plated Buddha looming over the compound). Woraksan National Park has mysterious Goryeo-era relics, their origins shrouded in legend. Hot-spring town Suanbo is also close by.

The darling of the region is Danyang, a small and friendly resort town snuggled amid mountains beside a placid river. There’s plenty to see and do here: climb the azalea-covered peaks of Sobaeksan, descend into the otherworldly caverns of Gosu Donggul, or simply savour the views along the river and at nearby Chungju Lake. Not far away is Guin-sa, a Buddhist temple ensconced in a tight valley, as imposing as the mountain slopes on either side of it. If you have a few days to while away, this is the place to do it.

Chungcheongbuk-do 충청북도

TELEPHONE CODE: 043 POPULATION: 1.5 MILLION AREA : 7432 SQ KM

HIGHLIGHTS

Wake up to glorious mountain views in Danyang ( p344 ) and hike up nearby Sobaeksan ( p346 )

Meditate on ancient Buddhist carvings and the evocative ruins of Mireuksaji at Worak-san National Park ( p343 )

Soothe your stresses at an oncheon (hot-spring spa) in Suanbo ( p342 ), then feast on a smorgasbord of pheasant dishes

Admire the gold-plated Buddha at Beopju-sa in Songnisan National Park ( p340 ), then overnight at a charming yeogwan (motel) beside a burbling river

Sobaeksan

Suanbo

National ParkSongnisan

National ParkWoraksan

Danyang

335© Lonely Planet

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • C h e o n g j u l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

History This province was the southern bound-ary of the Goguryeo kingdom and the hot springs at Suanbo have supplied oncheon (spas) for a thousand years. More recently, Chungcheongbuk-do has become known as the place where monks printed books before Gutenberg did, and as the birthplace and childhood home of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

National Parks The largest national park in the province is Sobaeksan National Park ( p346 ), famous for the royal azaleas that blossom in May, as well as the unusual temple of Guin-sa. Songnisan National Park ( p340 ) has a temple dating back

over 1500 years, as well as an attractive riv-erside yeogwan (motel with small en suite). Woraksan National Park ( p343 ) has the ruins of ancient temples and other religious sites, and some fairly challenging climbs.

Getting There & Around The province is served by rail, but the most convenient way to get there and around is by bus. The lake cruise across Chungjuho is a pleasant way to get to the eastern end of the province.

CHEONGJU 청주pop 644,000 Like most provincial capitals, Cheongju (http://english.cjcity.net) – not to be confused with nearby

��

��������������������

(25km)To Jeonju

(10km)Daegu

(50km)To Seoul

To

GYEONGSANGBUK-DO

GANGWON-DO

GYEONGGI-DO

CHUNGCHEONGNAM-DO

JEOLLABUK-DO

Andong

Munui

Jecheon

Danyang

Chungju

Icheon

Anseong

Yeongju

Yecheon

Sang-il

Boeun

CHEONGJU

Jincheon

Jochiwon

Geumsan

Muju

DAEJEON

ResortSajo Ski

Guin-sa

Sangdang Sanseong

Beopju-sa

ParkNational

Sobaeksan

ParkNational

Woraksan

Park

ChiaksanNationalPark

PalgongsanProvincial

Park

ParkNational

Songnisan

DeogyusanNational Park

Park

DaedunsanProvincial

GyeryongsanNational

Woraksan(1093m)

Daecheongho

Chungju Lake

Nam

han River

Nakdong River

Cheongju Airport

Chungju Ferry Terminal

Ferry TerminalJanghoe

Ferry TerminalCheongpung

Cheongnamdae

(721m)Jebibong

SpringsHot

Suanbo

Map (p347)National ParkSee Sobaeksan

See Woraksan NationalPark Map (p343)

Park Map (p341)See Songnisan National

1

1

14

595

14

10

4

CHUNGCHEONGBUK-DO 0 30 km0 20 miles

336

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • C h e o n g j u

Chungju – is not terribly captivating. Its pri-mary claim to fame is as the place where the world’s oldest book was printed using move-able metal type.

As a modern city it’s somewhat redeemed by a youthful vibe, thanks to its universities, but if not for its proximity to Songnisan National Park and presidential villa Cheongnamdae, there’d be little reason to stop here. Every September it hosts a Jikji Festival (www.jikjifestival.com), with a demonstration of ancient print-ing techniques, exhibitions of old printed books, and traditional music and drama performances.

The tourist information centre (%233 8431; h8.30am-6pm) is outside the intercity bus ter-minal in a two-storey blue-green building. There’s free internet access and tourist in-formation for the entire province. Volunteer guides, organised along the same lines as Goodwill Guides ( p395 ), can be arranged through the city website (http://english.cjcity.net/community/03-Volunteering.asp).

Sights EARLY PRINTING MUSEUM 고인쇄박물관This small museum (%269 0556; adult/youth/child W800/600/400; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun) tells you eve-rything about the Jikji, the oldest book in the world printed with moveable metal type (see the boxed text, p340 ). Unfortunately the book is not here but in the National Library of France. The museum stands beside the site of Heungdeok-sa, where the Jikji was printed. The temple’s main hall and pagoda were being rebuilt at the time of research.

The museum has extensive information in English and exhibits many early books of Korea, including handwritten sutras and books printed using woodblocks. Look out for Korea’s oldest printed document, the Dharani Sutra, dating back to at least AD 751.

To get there, catch bus 831 or 831-1 (W1100, 15 minutes) from outside the ex-press bus terminal. Get off at the bus stop beside the pedestrian bridge with green and yellow arches. The museum is about 150m ahead.

SANGDANG SANSEONG 상당 산성This large fortress (admission free) is 4km north-east of Cheongju, on the slopes of the moun-tain Uamsan. Originally built in the 1590s and renovated in the 18th century, the walls stretch 4.2km around wooded hillsides, of-

fering great views of farms, mountains and the city.

A hike around the top of the wall takes about 1½ hours. The route is completely ex-posed and can be steep-going. The easier di-rection is counter-clockwise. From where the bus drops you, walk back along the road and look on the left for a paved path that ascends to the top of the wall. Along the walk, there are hardly any signs or resting places, and no maps, food stalls, vending machines or toilets – so bring your own water and a good hat. There are restaurants ( below ) and shops near the bus stop.

Bus 862 (W1000, 30 minutes, hourly) leaves from the Cheongju Stadium bus stop and goes up to the fortress. Buses 863 and 864 go up Uamsan, but drop you 1km from the fortress. To get to the stadium, hop on any bus heading downtown to Sajingno (사직로) from outside the intercity bus terminal. The stadium bus stop is just after a five-storey golden pavilion.

Sleeping There are numerous love motels around the bus terminals. Plaza Motel (프라자모텔; %234 1400; r without/with computer W30,000/35,000; ai) is run by a genial older couple who will offer to clean your room (cheong so) every day and ask to keep the room key when you go out. The newer Motel Olive (올리브 모텔; %231 0207; r with-out/with computer W35,000/40,000; ai) has faux cas-tle exteriors and interiors; the spacious rooms have large beds and ultramodern bathrooms. Baekje Tourist Hotel (백제관광호텔; %236 7979; r/tw W90,000/130,000; ai) has snazzy decor, though it’s sometimes thwarted by gloriously iridescent fabrics; prices include breakfast.

Eating & Drinking You can scrounge up cheap eats in the down-town shopping area around Seongan-gil or with the students near Chungbuk National University (Chungdae jungmun; 충대 중문). To get to the latter, take any bus headed downtown from outside the intercity bus terminal and get off at the stop for Sachang Intersection, which is after the Cheongju High School stop.

Golden Pine (황금소나무; %231 0588; meals W4000-8000) Meat-lovers can check out the range of galbi (beef ribs), samgyeopsal (streaky pork belly) and yangnyeom bulgogi (양념불고기; spicy marinated beef) here. For something

337

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • C h e o n g j u l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

easier on the arteries, there’s naengmyeon (buckwheat noodles in cold broth), galbitang (beef-rib soup) and ttukbaegi bulgogi (뚝배기불고기; beef simmered in an earthenware dish).

Sangdangjip (상당집; meals W5000-13,000) Opposite the bus stop at Sangdang Sanseong, this restaurant makes its own tofu in a giant cauldron beside the entrance. A light starter is dubujjim (두부찜; steamed tofu); for a fuller meal, try the jeongol (hotpot) or du-ruchigi (두루치기; spicy stew). Although the chief ingredient is tofu, dishes may include meat. The last bus ( p337 ) to town leaves at 9.50pm.

Pearl Jam (펄잼; h6pm-late) A stalwart on the local bar scene, this comfortable rock-music den often has live music on weekends. There’s Guinness on tap, lots of imported beer, and bar bites like burgers and Tex-Mex food (W8000 to W12,000). The friendly owner speaks good English.

Shopping The express bus terminal is right beside Lotte Mart and Dream Plus; the latter has a 24-hour

jjimjibang, a sad-looking food court, cinemas and shops.

Downtown, the pedestrianised streets around Seongan-gil are chock-a-block with shops, res-taurants and cafes, with Home Plus (h10am-10pm) and Lotte Young Plaza (h10.30am-8pm) a stone’s throw away. From outside the intercity bus terminal, many buses run to Sajingno (사직로) and Daeseongno (대성로).

Getting There & Away AIR Cheongju Airport (%210 6110) has flights to Jeju-do and China. It’s 18km from the city. Take bus 747 from outside the intercity bus terminal (W1000, one hour). A taxi costs W20,000.

BUS Departures from the express bus terminal include the following:

Destination Price (W) Duration FrequencyBusan 15,800 3½hr 9 dailyDaegu 10,300 2½hr hrlyDong-Seoul 6000 1¾hr every 30minSeoul 6000 1¾hr every 10min

������

To CheongjuAirport (15km)

To Seoul(112km)

Heungdeok-guCheongjuStadium

Concert Hall

ChungbukNationalUniversity

Catholic Church

JungangMarket

GoldenPavilion

Shinhan Bank

Musimcheon

See Enlargement10

Jikjiro

Gwagyeongno

Seon

gbon

gno

Gur

yong

no

Gongdanno

Sajikro

Sajingno

Mochungno

Bukb

u U

hoed

oro

Suyeongno

Jesunhwanno

Namsaro

Sajikro

Naesudong-qil

Mannam 2-ro

Kungmuri-gil

Jesunhwanno

7

12

11Sajikro

Naesudong-qil

Mannam 2-ro

Kungmuri-gil

Jesunhwanno

7

12

11

14

110

2

5

4

6

9

3

13

B C DA

2

3

1

CHEONGJU

338

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • A r o u n d C h e o n g j u

Departures from the intercity terminal in-clude the following:

Destination Price (W) Duration FrequencyChuncheon 15,400 3½hr hrlyChungju 7700 1½hr every 20minDaejeon 3400 50min every 10minDanyang 13,800 3½hr 6 dailyGyeongju 15,900 3¼hr 9 daily

TRAIN Cheongju station (청주역; %232 7788) connects primarily with Daejeon (W2900, 40 minutes, eight daily), while Jochiwon station (조치원역) connects to Seoul (W7700, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes). From the intercity bus terminal, take bus 502 or 511 to Cheongju station, or 616, 617 or 911 to Jochiwon.

AROUND CHEONGJU Cheongnamdae 청남대Once the holiday home of South Korean presidents, this villa (%220 5677; http://chnam.cb21.net/; adult/youth/child W5000/4000/3000; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun) is no Camp David, but it makes a beautiful lakeside park, with 185 hectares of

well-manicured grounds and 2.3km of paths along the lakefront and across the gently roll-ing hills. You can linger in the Chogajeong Pavilion where President Kim Dae-jung liked to sit and think, or look over the golf course that President Roh Tae-woo favoured but President Kim Young-sam disapproved of (too many associations with corruption).

Cheongnamdae was built in 1983 by President Chun Doo-hwan (he whose take-over of power sparked the Gwangju Uprising in 1980). Twenty years later, the much-loved President Roh Moo-Hyun opened it to the public. While Korean visitors are simply cu-rious about where their presidents used to vacation, for foreign visitors it’s probably the parkland that’s more attractive than the sur-prisingly modest villa. There’s a hagiographic exhibition (mostly Korean) on all the presi-dents in the main hall.

Take local bus 311 (W1450, 50 minutes, 15km, hourly) from outside Cheongju’s intercity bus terminal to Munui. Walk out

Sangdang Sanseong (3km)To Sangdangjip (3km);

Cheongnamdae (26km)To Munui (17km);

Sangdang-gu

KBBank

Post Office

Samil Park

River

Seongan-gilD

aeseongno

Myeong·anno

8

1

2

3

FE

0.5 miles800 m

00 INFORMATION

Tourist Information Centre .......................................................................... 1 B3

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Early Printing Museum

....................................................................2 D2

SLEEPING Baekje Tourist Hotel

...................................................................... 3 A3 Motel Olive .................................................... 4 B3 Plaza Motel ...................................................... 5 B3

EATINGGolden Pine .................................................... 6 B3

DRINKINGPearl Jam ........................................................................ 7 B2

SHOPPINGDream Plus ..........................................................................(see 13) Home Plus ............................................................8 D3 Lotte Mart ............................................................. 9 B3 Lotte Young Plaza................................................................ 10 E3

TRANSPORTBus Stop for Sachang Intersection (Chungbuk University) ...................................................11 B1 Bus Stop for Sachang Intersection (Chungbuk University) ...................................................12 B1 Express Bus Terminal

........................................................... 13 A3 Intercity Bus Terminal

...............................................................14 B3

339

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • S o n g n i s a n N a t i o n a l Pa r k Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels

of Munui’s small bus depot and turn left. In a couple of minutes you’ll reach the park-ing lot and ticket office for the shuttle bus (return W2400, 15 minutes, every 30 min-utes) to Cheongnamdae, which operates 9am to 4.30pm February to November, 9am to 3.30pm December and January.

SONGNISAN NATIONAL PARK 속리산국립공원 With forested mountains and rocky granite outcrops, this park (%542 5267; http://songni.knps.or.kr/eng; adult/youth/child W3000/1400/1000; h5am-8pm) covers one of central Korea’s finest scenic areas. Though it often goes by the touristy catchword Chungbuk Alps, its name has a more solemn meaning – ‘Remote from the Ordinary World Mountain’, referring to the temple Beopju-sa, which dates back to AD 553. The temple lies about 1km from the park entrance and has a 33m-high gold-plated Maitreya Buddha statue, a unique five-storey wooden pagoda, a weathern-worn Shilla-era bodhisattva statue and an enormous iron cauldron, once used for cooking for up to 3000 monks.

Beyond the temple, hiking trails run up to a series of 1000m-high peaks. A popular hike is the relatively easy 6km climb up Munjangdae (1033m). Back in 1464 King Sejo was carried up in a palanquin; using your own feet, it’s three hours up and two hours down. You

can also return via Sinseondae, further south via Birobong or, for the truly gung-ho, push on to the highest peak Cheonhwangbong (1058m).

There is a tourist information centre (%542 5267) diagonally across the road from the bus terminal.

Sleeping & Eating Two camping grounds (W2000) are open in July and August. There are plenty of motels in the lanes to the left of the main road (looking towards the park entrance).

Eorae Motel (어래모텔; %543 3882; r W30,000; a)This is the closest budget option to the park entrance. Rooms are clean and adequate.

oBirosanjang (비로산장; %011-456 4782; r W40,000, weekends W50,000, summer W60,000) If only every national park had this – a homely, delightful yeogwan right beside a gurgling river in the middle of the park. Nothing fancy here, just nine ondol (heated-floor) rooms (reservations recommended) and meals such as bibimbap (rice with vegetables, meat and egg; W7000) and sanchae jeongsik (banquet of mountain vegetables; W10,000) whipped up by the friendly owner, who speaks a little English. It’s on the trail between Beopju-sa and Sinseondae.

Lake Hills Hotel Songnisan (레이크힐스호텔속리산; %542 5281; www.lakehills.co.kr; W150,000; a) The nicest digs, right by the park entrance.

THE PRINTED WORD, MADE BY MONKS

While the Gutenberg Bible needs no introduction, the Jikji languished for many years in obscu-rity, even though it is the oldest book in the world printed with moveable metal type. It was printed in 1377 (78 years before the Gutenberg) at the temple of Heungdeok-sa in modern-day Cheongju. In the mid-19th century it was acquired by a French official in Korea, who took it to France. After it was put on display at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, it disappeared without fanfare from the public eye, and it was only in 1972 that Korean historian Park Byeng-Sen rediscovered it at the National Library of France.

The Jikji itself is a small book: 38 sheets of thin mulberry paper, each one measuring just 24.6cm x 17cm. Its full title is Baegun hwasang chorok buljo jikji simche yojeol – that is, an anthol-ogy of the monk Baegun Gyeonghan’s teachings on Seon Buddhism (more commonly known in the West as Zen Buddhism). It’s the second and only extant volume of a two-volume collection of these teachings, delivered at Heungdeok-sa in the 1370s. The last page of the book indicates that it was printed by two of Baegun’s disciples, Seokchan and Daldam, with funding from a nun named Myodeok.

The Jikji has been exhibited at international book fairs since 1972 and South Korea lobbied till it was admitted to Unesco’s Memory of the World Register in 2001. However, the book still resides within the National Library of France, along with other cultural relics from Korea’s early dynasties. Understandably South Korea would like to see the book returned, but there’s no indication if that’s likely to happen.

340

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • C h u n g j u

Rates may be discounted up to 40% during low season.

Lining the main road to the park entrance are many restaurants, offering the usual tourist- village fare: sanchae jeongsik (산채 정식), beoseot jeongsik (버섯 정식; mushroom set menu) and sanchae bibimbap (bibimbap with mountain vegetables).

Getting There & Away Buses leave Cheongju’s intercity bus termi-nal (W7500, 1¾ hours, every 40 minutes) for Songnisan National Park. There are also direct buses to the park from Dong-Seoul (W15,100, 3¾ hours), Seoul Gangnam (W14,500, 3½ hours) and Daejeon (W6900, 1¾ hours).

CHUNGJU 충주pop 209,000 Chungju (www.cj100.net/english) might be the town where UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon grew up, but there are really only three reasons to come to here: to get the bus to the Chungju Lake ferries or Woraksan National Park, to attend the World Martial Arts Festival (see the boxed text, p342 ), or because you really,

really like apples (there’s an Apple Festival every October).

A tourist information centre (%850 7329) is located inside the bus terminal.

Sleeping & Eating Unlike most towns, there are no motels around the bus terminal. There’s a clump of love motels opposite the train station, in an area otherwise populated by car workshops. From the bus terminal (turn right as you exit) it’s a 15-minute walk or five-minute taxi ride (W2200) across a treeless wasteland. Lexy Hotel (렉시; %847 8874; r W30,000-40,000; ai) has a dull grey exterior with purple and yel-low streaks, but inside everything’s new and spiffy; prices increase by W20,000 to W30,000 on weekends. Across the road is the castle-inspired Titanic Motel (타이타닉모텔; %842 5858; r without/with computer W30,000/35,000; ai), which has decent rooms with all the usual love-motel trimmings.

Good eats aren’t easy to scare up in Chungju, but there are some good options along the road to the left as you exit from the bus terminal. Gamjatang (감자탕; meals W5000-8000) serves a

Songni-dong

6

1

87

29 5

200 m0

1

3

2

DBA C

(10km)To Boeun

(35km)To Sang-ju

-dong

Sango-ri

Hwabuk

Jangam-ri

Songni

(1031m)

(1033m)(985m)(874m)

(1058m)Cheonhwangbong

(1032m)Birobong

Ipseokdae

Sinseondae

Munsubong

MunjangdaeGwaneumbongMyobong

Spring

Janggak Pokpo

Oseong Pokpo

See Enlargement

992

4

3

SONGNISAN NATIONAL PARK 0.5 miles0

INFORMATION Ticket Office .............................................. 1 B3 Tourist Information Centre ....... 2 A3

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Beopju-sa ...................................................3 A2

SLEEPING Birosanjang .......................................... 4 B2 Camping Ground ....................................5 A3 Camping Ground .................................... 6 B3 Eorae Motel ..........................................7 A3 Lake Hills Hotel Songnisan

...............................8 A3

TRANSPORT Bus Terminal ..................................9 A3

341

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • A r o u n d C h u n g j u Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels

very hearty version of its namesake dish (a rich, spicy peasant soup with meaty bones and potatoes), while Bohae Galbi (보해갈비; %848 2595; meals W5000-10,000) specialises in barbecue and also has bulgogi (barbecued beef slices, served with rice) and seolleongtang (beef and rice soup). In the skeevy motel area on the road to the train station is Pongaksan (폰각산; meals W5000-15,000; h24hr), a pleasant oasis that serves just about everything.

Getting There & Away BUS Chungju’s bus terminal adjoins a Lotte Mart. Buses running from here include the following:Destination Price (W) Duration FrequencyCheongju 7700 1½hr every 20minDaejeon 9000 2¼hr hrlyDanyang 7500 1½hr 11 dailySeoul 6200 2hr every 15min

TRAIN Chungju receives only one direct train from Seoul (W12,500, 2¾ hours). Alternatively, take a train from Seoul to Jochiwon station (조치원역; W7700, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes) and change to a train for Chungju (W5000, 1¼ hours, eight daily).

AROUND CHUNGJU Chungju Lake 충주호The Chungju Lake cruise (%851 5771; www.chungjuho.com) is a scenic way to make your way towards Danyang, though the scenery is more placid than awe-inspiring. The most popular route (adult/child one way W15,000/7500,

return W22,000/15,000; fast boat 1½ hours, ferry 2¼ hours) is from Chungju Dam to Cheongpung, then Janghoe (and in reverse); the rocky cliffs are most dramatic between the latter stops. Another cruise is from Chungju Dam to Worak and back (adult/child W10,000/5000, return only, one hour). The cruises get very busy on weekends and there’s a pre-re-corded sightseeing commentary (Korean only), so it may not be the most relaxing experience.

Near the Janghoe ferry terminal is an en-trance to Woraksan National Park (admission free; hsunrise-sunset). A 2.5km hike up Jebibong (721m) takes three hours return. To find the trail, exit the ferry terminal and turn right, following the road for 100m. On your left, across the road, you’ll see the ranger hut at the trail entrance.

From Janghoe you can continue to Danyang by bus ( p346 ). The ferry used to run to Danyang but doesn’t anymore because of low water levels.

The ferry schedule is subject to weather conditions and passenger volume, so enquire at the tourist information centre in Chungju (%850 7329) or Danyang (%422 1146) before you head to the terminal. To get to the Chungju Dam ferry terminal (충주댐 선착장) take bus 301 (W1100, seven daily) from opposite the Chungju bus terminal.

Suanbo 수안보 This tiny spa resort has baths, restaurants and motels clustered snugly across several streets, and a small ski resort less than 2km away. The town looks as if it’s seen better days, but can be lively, even touristy. If you’re headed to Woraksan National Park, this makes a better base than Chungju.

There are two tourist information centres (%845 7829) – one at the entrance to town, the other at the other end of the main street, opposite the bus terminal.

The modest Sajo Ski Resort (사조스키리조트; %846 0750; www.sajoresort.co.kr; lift pass W45,000, ski rental W15,000) has seven slopes and three lifts, and offers night skiing. Near the slopes are a hotel and a youth hostel, but you can stay in Suanbo and use the free shuttle buses during ski season.

SLEEPING & EATING Sinheungjang Hotel (신흥장 호텔; %846 3711; r W25,000; a) Despite its name, this place is

MARTIAL ARTS FIESTA

Every September/October, Chungju hosts a week-long World Martial Arts Festival (%850 6740; www. martialarts.or.kr), alongside a cultural festival with food stalls, music and dance. Over 2000 martial arts expo-nents from 30 countries come to demon-strate their amazing and varied skills. It’s a chance to see both traditional Korean martial arts, such as hapkido and takkyeon, and a slew of snappy moves such as Chinese wushu, Malaysian silat, Brazilian capoeira, Indian kalan and Uzbekistan kurash. See also p83 .

342

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • W o r a k s a n N a t i o n a l Pa r k

more of a yeogwan, with well-worn, passable rooms. There’s a small oncheon downstairs (nonguests/guests W4000/free, open 6am to 7pm). Room prices increase W10,000 on Saturdays. Look on the main street for the three-storey building with a stone exterior.

Suanbo Royal Hotel (수안보로얄호텔; %846 0190; r W55,000; ai) This blockish concrete-and-glass hotel looks sterner but newer than the others on the main road. Rooms are cosy and warm, and there’s an oncheon (nonguests/guests W6000/3500).

Suanbo Sangnok Hotel (수안보상록호텔; www.sangnokhotel.co.kr; %845 3500; r W120,000, ste W220,000; ais) To the right of the entrance to Suanbo stands this upmarket hotel, with a res-taurant, tennis court and nightclub. Rooms are smart and modern, even carpeted. The main at-traction is the oncheon (guests only, W7000).

Restaurants specialise in rabbit (tokki; 토끼), duck (ori; 오리) and pheasant (kkwong; 꿩) meals, such as toki doritang (토끼도리탕; rabbit stew) and kkwong jeongsik, meant for at least two diners. Also popular is sanchae deo-deok jeongsik (산채더덕정식), a set meal with mountain vegetables and a herbal root similar to ginseng. Satgatchon (삿갓촌; meals W5000-30,000) has kkwong shabu shabu (꿩샤브샤브) with pheasant served in seven different ways: ke-babs, dumplings, meatballs, barbecued, shabu shabu–style, raw and in soup. To find it, walk down the side road by Suanbo Sangnok Hotel to the three green signs and look left – it’s the restaurant with black tiles on the roof.

GETTING THERE & AWAY From outside Chungju’s bus terminal, catch bus 240 or 246 (W1150, 35 minutes, 21km, every 40 minutes) to Suanbo’s main street. To return to Chungju, pick up bus 610 on the main street (W1150) or get a more com-fortable intercity bus (W2200, 25 minutes). Tickets for the latter are sold at the grocery store beside the bus ‘terminal’, which con-sists of a yellow and blue sign planted beside some orange seats. Other intercity buses go to Daegu (W13,500, three hours, six daily) and Dong-Seoul (W11,300, 2½ hours, hourly).

WORAKSAN NATIONAL PARK 월악산국립공원 Spread across two serene valleys, this park (%653 3250; http://worak.knps.or.kr; admission free; hsunrise-sunset) offers fine hiking through picturesque forests,

������

��������

4

3

2

1

(3km)Worak-ri(1.5km);

To Silreuk-sa

(28km)Danyang

(20km)Chungju

(5km)Hot Springs

(800m)Mansubong

ToTo

To

To Suanbo

Hansu-Myeon

Bokpyeong-ri

Mireuk-ri

Deokju

Songgye-ri

Susan-ri

(772m)Bukbawi

-bong (960m)

(1097m)Yeongbong

LakeChungju

597

36

9

8

4

2

1

3

5

10

6

7

BA

WORAKSAN NATIONAL PARK0 2 km0 1 mile

INFORMATION Park Office ........................................... 1 A2

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Deokju-sa .................................................................. 2 B3 Deokjusanseong ............................................... 3 B3 Ma-aebul (Rock-cut Buddha) .............................. 4 B2 Mireuksaji ............................................................. 5 B4

SLEEPING Datdonjae Camping Ground .............. 6 B3 Deokju Camping Ground .......................... 7 A3

TRANSPORTBus Stop .................................................................................... 8 B3 Bus Stop .................................................................................... 9 A4 Woraksan Ferry Terminal .................... 10 A1

343

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • D a n y a n g l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

with pretty waterfalls, ancient Buddhist struc-tures and, if you climb high enough, views all the way to Chungjuho. Woraksan (Moon Crags Mountain) is also home to the endangered long-tailed goral (see the boxed text, below ).

A road runs through the park; the bus that plies it stops at the villages of Mireuk-ri in the south, Deokju in the middle and Songgye-ri in the north. 1km from Mireuk-ri lie the remains of Mireuksaji, a small Buddhist temple which was built in the late Shilla or early Goryeo period. Although a new temple has been constructed beside it, the stark, weatherbeaten ruins – an en-igmatic Buddha statue, stone lantern and five-storey pagoda – can be quite atmospheric.

The most popular hiking route starts from Deokju. A gentle path leads past Deokjusanseong, a late Shilla-era fortress that is being restored, up to Deokju-sa temple. The trail continues for 1.5km to Ma-aebul, a rock face with a Buddha image, then it’s pretty tough going for 3.4km more to the summit Yeongbong (1097m). Allow 3½ hours to get from Deokju-sa to Yeongbong. You can also approach Yeongbong from Songgye-ri (2½ hours, 4.3km).

There are shops, restaurants and minbak at all three villages, Songgye-ri being the most developed. There’s camping (W3000 to W6000 per night) at Deokju and Datdonjae, but no mountain shelters.

Getting There & Away Bus 246 (W4000, one hour, six daily) leaves from outside Chungju’s bus terminal. It can also be picked up in Suanbo’s main street (W1100, 10 minutes, 11km). Bus stops and place names in the park are not well signposted, so ask the bus driver to alert you for your stop.

DANYANG 단양pop 32,000 A little gem of a resort town, Danyang (http://english.dy21.net) is cosied right up to the

mountains of Sobaeksan National Park, at a bend in the river Namhangang. This is small-town Korea at its most charming: you can stay at a riverfront motel and explore lime-stone caves, hiking trails and a one-of-a-kind Buddhist temple, basking in mountain views wherever you go. It’s a great place to dawdle for a couple of days.

The annual highlight is the 10-day Royal Azalea Festival in May. Hikers come to see the flowers bloom on Sobaeksan, while the riverside comes alive with concerts, fireworks, food stalls and a funfair.

The tourist information centre (%422 1146) is located across the bridge and has English-speaking staff.

Sights GOSU DONGGUL 고수동굴 This stunning limestone cave (%422 3072; adult/youth/child W5000/3000/2000; h9am-5pm) is a rabbit’s warren of metal catwalks and spiral staircases running through 1.7km of dense, narrow grot-toes. It’s quite an intimate experience where you get up close with the rock formations, but the downside is that many are discoloured from years of human contact. Unlike garishly lit caves, Gosu Donggul feels old and drippy – perhaps not as old as its 150,000 years, but certainly less cleaned-up and comfortable (some might say more authentic).

There are few explanatory signs, except for a few earnest exhortations to, ‘for a moment, look back please!’. Walkways are often wide enough for one person to pass through, so on a busy day it might get a little jammed up and noisy – definitely not for the claustrophobic.

The cave is about a 10-minute walk from Danyang. Cross the bridge to the tourist infor-mation centre and follow the road to the right. The cave entrance is tucked away up a stone staircase behind the tourist village. At the latter, you can refresh yourself with a cup (or jar) of

THE GENTLE GORAL

Don’t let the grinning cartoon on signs in Woraksan National Park fool you. The long-tailed goral, part of the goat-antelope family, is a remarkably shy creature and you’re unlikely to come across one. That also makes the elusive animal – which is brownish-grey, has short horns and resembles a goat – difficult for scientists to track. It’s been a protected species in South Korea since 1967, and the current estimated population is 700.

Most wild gorals can be found in Seoraksan National Park or the DMZ, but Woraksan is also an important habitat. Fifteen to 20 gorals live in the park and there are plans to release more. If you happen to see one, don’t startle or feed it – just let it go about its way.

344

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • D a n y a n g

local flavours like omija, (five-flavour berry), honey (kkul; 꿀) or yam (ma; 마) drinks.

Activities Dansim Mugung (단심무궁 패러글라이딩; %011-361 4882; http://cafe.daum.net/dypara) offers paragliding (W70,000) from Yangbaeksan, the peak overlooking the town that’s topped by an astronomical observatory. For whitewa-ter rafting along the Namhangang, contact DYL (%423 5600; www.dy8.co.kr; W25,000-40,000).

Tamer options are to go swimming at the indoor water park Aquaworld (아쿠아월드; %420 8385; adult/child W20,000/14,000; h10am-8.30pm) or drop by its sauna (adult/child W8000/6000; h7am-8pm), which has mineral baths and jade, char-coal or amethyst saunas.

Sleeping Most of the riverside motels are dated and faded, but can’t be beat for location.

Rivertel (리버텔; %422 2619; www.erivertel.com; r W30,000; ai) Despite the shabby exterior and worn red carpet, this place has the cheapest rooms-with-a-view – pleasant though none too large. The owner speaks some English

and plenty of travel information is available at the reception desk.

Lotte Motel (롯데모텔; %423 0765; r 30,000; ai) No relation to the conglomerate, this humble riverfront motel has wood-laminate floors and modern furniture that makes it feel much nicer than its neighbours. The only pity is there isn’t much of a view.

Hotel Luxury (럭셔리 호텔; %421 9911; www.hotel-luxury.co.kr; r W50,000, ste W70,000; ai) This spanking new outfit brings love-motel chic to Danyang, with stylish rooms decorated in bold colours. The VIP suite sleeps three (W90,000) and comes with a whirlpool bath.

Edelweiss Danyang Tourist Hotel (단양 관광 호텔; %423 7070; www.danyanghotel.com; r W50,000, ste W100,000; ai) It’s out of town but with a stepped-terrace design, many rooms enjoy lovely views. Rooms are nice, if sometimes alarmingly ornate, and rates increase about W10,000 on weekends.

Daemyung Resort (대명리조트; %420 8385; www.daemyungresort.com; r W210,000, ste W310,000; ai) This condominium is equipped with full facilities such as Aquaworld (see left ), noraebang (karaoke room) and billiard rooms,

1

3

2

DBA C

(500m)DonggulTo Gosu

BankNonghyup

WaterfallArtificial

Amphitheatre

Church

(Not In Use)Ferry Terminal

MarketDanyang

Stadium

Daesongsan

Namhangang River

10

8

9

2

17

11

6

5

3

4

DANYANG 0 200 m0 0.1 miles

INFORMATION Tourist Information Centre

..........................................1 D1

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Aquaworld................................................. (see 3) Paragliding Field .......2 D3

SLEEPING Daemyung Resort .......... 3 B3 Edelweiss Danyang Tourist Hotel

...................................4 A2 Hotel Luxury ................ (see 6) Lotte Motel .............................5 D2 Rivertel ..........................................6 D1

EATING Doljip Sikdang .......................7 D1 Kujib Ssogari .....................8 D2 Mini Restaurant ...................9 C2

TRANSPORT Danyang Bus Terminal (temporary)

( )...............10 D1 Danyang Bus Terminal (under construction)

( )..........11 D1

345

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • A r o u n d D a n y a n g l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

and a restaurant. Rooms can sleep up to four persons. Enquire about its off-season pack-ages, which come at significant discounts.

Eating Mini Restaurant (미니 식당; %423 1914; meals W2000-4000) Dirt-cheap eats in a surprisingly cosy cafe. There’s a range of ramyeon (instant noodles in soup) and udong (thick white noo-dle broth), served with kimchi, egg or yubu (유부; fried beancurd).

Doljip Sikdang (돌집식당; meals W6000-15,000) This busy restaurant has private dining rooms and serves elaborate jeongsik, with main-course options such as suyuk (더마나 곤드레; boiled beef slices) and maneul (마늘쌈정식; garlic), or beoseot jjigae (버섯찌개; mush-room stew). Lighter options are doenjang sot-bap (된장솥밥; claypot rice with fermented bean paste, jujube and vegetables) or dolsot bibimbap (bibimbap in a stone hotpot).

Kujib Ssogari (그집쏘가리; %423 2111; meals W10,000-20,000) This riverfront restaurant serves the mandarin fish ssogari raw (쏘가리회; ssogari hoe) or as a spicy soup (쏘가리매운탕; ssogari maeuntang). A milder option is the catfish bulgogi (메기불고기; megi bulgogi).

Getting There & Away BOAT The closest ferry terminal for the Chungjuho ferry ( p342 ) is at Janghoe. After you exit the terminal, turn right at the main road and walk down for about 100m. Beside the trail entrance to Woraksan National Park is the waiting point for the bus to Danyang (W1850, 30 minutes, 21km, every 2½ hours). It’s marked with a cir-cular red sign that reads ‘단양버스정류소’.

BUS A new bus terminal was being built at the time of research and is scheduled to open in 2012. Meanwhile, buses are operating from a tempo-rary office (%421 8800) right beside the bridge.

Destinations include:

Destination Price (W) Duration FrequencyChungju 7500 1½hr 11 dailyDaejeon 16,500 3hr 4 dailyGuin-sa 3100 30min hrlySeoul 12,100 3½hr every 30min

Local buses don’t have numbers, but signs (Korean only) indicate the destination at the front of the bus.

TRAIN The train station is in old Danyang, about 3km from the main town. Eight trains run daily from Seoul’s Cheongnyangni station (W11,000, three hours).

AROUND DANYANG Cheondong Donggul 천동동굴 Like a children’s adventure activity, this cave (%422 2972; adult/youth/child W3000/3000/2000; h9am-5.30pm) has 470m of extremely narrow passageways that necessitate tight squeezing, some bending over and the occasional waddle. The signs may say ‘Stalactite no touch’, but you can’t help brushing up against them. It’s a passable diversion if you have time to kill near Sobaeksan National Park, but pales in comparison to Gosu Donggul ( p344 ).

The bus (W1050, 10 minutes, hourly) heading to Darian ( opposite ) stops here. The cave is a 10-minute walk from the bus stop and a 15-minute walk from the entrance to Sobaeksan National Park. Look for the restau-rant Myeongseong Sikdang (명성식당) with the red signboard and follow the path behind up to the ticket office. At the cave entrance, enter on the right-hand side (marked ‘들어가는곳’).

SOBAEKSAN NATIONAL PARK 소백산국립공원 This park (%423 0708; admission free; http://sobaek.knps.or.kr/Sobaeksan_eng; h2hr before sunrise-2hr after sunset) is the third largest in South Korea and the daintily named Sobaeksan (Little White Mountain) is one of the highest mountains in the country. While the climbs are not particularly steep, they can be demanding, wending through dense forests and pictur-esque valleys.

The main trail (6km, 2½ hours) heads from the park entrance at Darian to the highest peak Birobong (1439m), famous for royal azaleas which bloom in late May. Views are incredible from the grassy moun-taintop. It can also be approached from the campground at Samga (5.7km, 2½ hours). From Birobong, you can push on to the three peaks of Yeonhwabong (2.5km to 6.8km); the National Astronomical Observatory is here but not open to visitors.

Guin-sa 구인사 This stately complex (%420 7315; www.cheontae.org; admission free) truly looks like a mountain

346

CHU

NG

CHEO

NG

BU

K-D

O Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels C H U N G C H E O N G B U K - D O • • S o b a e k s a n N a t i o n a l Pa r k

temple – its 30-odd buildings are wedged into a valley, with steep, forested slopes on either side. The gold-roofed buildings are as elaborate as you’d expect, juxtaposed very closely together and connected with elevated walkways. The communal kitchen serves free vegetarian meals (6am to 7.30am, 11.30am to 1.30pm and 6.30pm to 9.30pm) and it’s also possible to do a temple stay here.

The temple is the headquarters of the Cheontae sect of Korean Buddhism, which was re-established by Sangwol Wongak in 1945. The most opulent structure is the three-storey hall dedicated to him (대조사전) at the rear of the complex. From there, it’s a steep climb of 30 minutes to his tomb atop the hill.

Sleeping & Eating There is a delightful minbak village at Darian, many also have restaurants. They are also fairly spread out so it doesn’t feel too crowded or noisy. Rooms cost from W25,000 and you can wake up right next to the mountains.

Camping (W2000) is available at Samga. Take the bus (W1050, every 30 minutes) head-ing to Yeongju (영주).

Getting There & Away Buses (W1050, 10 minutes, hourly) leave from outside Danyang’s temporary bus terminal for Darian (다리안). Direct buses (W3100, 30 minutes, hourly) head from Danyang’s bus terminal to Guin-sa.

4

1

3

2

DBA C

(130km)To Daegu

(45km)ChungjuTo

Danyang

Huibangsa

Punggi

DARIAN

Danyang

ObservatoryAstronomical

National

Biro-sa

Cheondong Gyegok

National ParkSobaeksan

(1383m)Yeonhwabong(1357m)

2nd Yeonhwabong

(1394m)1st Yeonhwabong

(1439m)Birobong

(1421m)Gukmangbong

(1389m)Sinseonbong

Chu

ngju

Lak

e

Huibang Pokpo

Darian Pokpo SpringSpring

Spring

Namhan River

See Danyang Map (p345)

55

5

1

2

3

6

4

SOBAEKSAN NATIONAL PARK 1 km00.5 miles0

INFORMATION Ticket Office ................................ 1 B2

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Cheondong Donggul .............. 2 B2 Gosu Donggul ....................... 3 B2 Guin-sa .......................................... 4 C1

SLEEPING Samga Camping Ground ........................5 D3

TRANSPORT Bus Stop ............................. 6 B2

347

© Lonely Planet

© Lonely Planet. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’

l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m