A Brief Look at Busan

What makes Busan unique is its geography. Busan is a coastal metropolis built into the sides the coastal mountains. As your eyes journey from the crisp blue waters of the ocean up through the city, you will see the city’s buildings rising and falling with the curvatures of the land. At nearly any location within the city a traveler can take in a multitude of gorgeous landscapes or seascapes; providing a sense of calm amidst a bustling city.


I found traveling and exploring this city to be an interesting juxtaposition between serenity and chaos. I would be taken aback by the views of the blooming mountain sides, only to be snapped back to reality by the honking and yelling of street traffic. The first destination on our travel itinerary was Busan Tower. Located in Yongdusan Park, Busan Tower offers a bird’s eye view of the city, standing in at 118 meters in height. On a clear day, one can look out to the ocean and see the nearest Japanese Islands or look towards the coastal range and see the mountain peaks. It is only from the observation deck, that Eric and I were able to see just how big Busan really is. It proved to be a great way to gather our bearings for the travels which lay ahead.

From Yongdusan Park, we made our way to the Jagalchi fish market. Busan is home to the fifth largest port city in the world and we wanted to see what the market had to offer. Walking into the market our noses were immediately greeted with the stench of salt and seafood. There were endless rows upon rows of fish venders selling wide varieties of fish. As we ventured down each aisle, I was amazed at how many unfamiliar sea creatures there were. Obviously, in the Northwest we only get a small preview of what the ocean has to offer, but it was hard for me to locate a type of fish I recognized!


After taking in the sights, and the smells, of the market, Eric and I headed upstairs for lunch. Upstairs there is only one type of restaurant, raw, and the only thing which changes on the menu is the type of seafood you will eat. An elderly Korean woman came over to our table with a chart of fish. She pointed to the variety she had in her tank and asked us which one we wanted. Not knowing the difference, we pointed to nice looking fish and the lady left our table. At the ‘kitchen’ she fished our fish out of the tank, bopped it on the head and began cutting our meal up. Within ten minutes our table was filled with a platter of raw (and fresh) fish meat, an endless side of vegetables, soup, an omelet, mussels in broth, cockles, and steamed crab legs. It proved to be quite a feast!

From the market we made our way to Haeundae beach, the most famous beach in all of Busan. While it was not warm enough to shed our layers and soak up the sun, we did venture onto the sand. It has been months since I have taken in the sights, sounds, and textures of the beach and I was grateful for the opportunity to run my hands through the sand. Even though it was not the warmest of days, it was nice to be at the beach when it wasn’t bursting with beach-goers. Sharing Haeundae with only a few families made for a much more relaxing experience.

Our short day and a half preview into Busan was filled with both new and calming experiences. While I would not say Eric and I are close to fully understanding Korean culture and life, I would say we left with more than we came with. I will look forward to returning to this coastal city, but until then I will settle for reliving the fond memories of the beach in my mind.