Gwangju International Center

On September 22, the GIC headed out to Yeongam.  The group included both Koreans and foreigners, and was led by GIC tour guide Warren.  It was a great day for hiking, learning, and enjoying the beauty of Korea.

We began the tour by traveling to Wulchulsan, or Moon Rising Mountain.  At the base of the mountain lies the Historic Site of Dr. Wangin, a famous Korean scholar who is known for bringing Korean culture and Chinese lettering to Japan during the 3rd or 4th century.  The current site in Yeongam dedicated to him is important for two reasons; it provides Koreans with a sense of pride in their history, and also helps in fostering and nurturing the relationship between Korea and Japan.  At Dr. Wangin’sHistoric Site, we saw two exhibit rooms detailing Dr. Wangin’s life, and then walked the beautiful grounds, where we saw the shrine to Dr. Wangin and the site where tradition says his childhood home was located. 

We also walked to a nearby spring; legend says that Dr. Wangin’s mother drank from this spring when she was pregnant, and the waters endowed Dr. Wangin with his intellect.  Everyone took turns drinking from the spring, in hopes that we would inherit some intellectual prowess or perhaps will pass it on to our children. My husband and I both drank from the spring, so look for a Nobel Laureate with the last name Levinson in about 30 years. 

Climbing higher into the mountain, we followed a trail to reach a cave; legend has it that Dr. Wangin would study here before he left to Japan.  Due to this legend, hundreds of years ago many students would come to study in this cave, and at the entrance is a large, 1,000 year old carving of Dr. Wangin.  After exploring the cave we climbed a bit higher to reach the summit, and take in the beautiful view of Yeongam.

After climbing down the mountain, we travelled to a local restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious meal of farm raised local chicken.  The first course included a local delicacy; raw chicken breast chopped with vegetables and served in a sauce.  While the idea of eating raw chicken made me somewhat wary, we were assured of the health benefits and it actually was quite good!  The remaining courses included a chicken stir fry, and delicious rice and chicken porridge.

After rejuvenating ourselves with the meal, we headed to Dogapsa Temple.  This temple is famous for its large stone Buddha carved entirely of one piece of stone, and the temple entrance is an original dating back to the 1400s.  The temple grounds were peaceful and quiet, and all of the participants had some free time to explore on our own.

On our way home to Gwangju, we made a final stop at a local fig stand.  Yeongam is famous for its figs, and they did not disappoint; they were sweet and delicious.  Many participants purchased a box of figs to take home and enjoy.

This was my first experience on a GIC tour with Warren, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I look forward to participating in future tours, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to explore more of Korea.

Written by_Carrie Levinson & Bradley Levinson

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