Korea's Countryside

Living in one of Korea’s metropolitan areas, my eyes have become used to a lack of nature; my ears are used to the hum and drum of man’s machines; my hands are accustomed to the smooth texture of metal and glass. However, it is not all bad. For every major cityscape Korea has to offer, it has twice as much land filled with rolling hills, large trees, and winding rivers. These past few weekends Eric and I, along with a few of our friends, decided to leave city life behind and explore Korea’s country side.



The first stop on our list was the bamboo forest of Damyoung. Damyoung is about a 45 minute bus ride out of Gwangju. Damyoung is a small, country town filled with family farms, family stores, and one main road. After following the main street Eric, I, Jimmy, and Rachel made our way to the bamboo forest. The bamboo forest stretches from the banks of the river up the side of a small mountain. However, Korea’s park system has created user friendly trails that meander through the forest. The four of us followed the trails from waterfalls to tall pagodas. Even though it was a hot and sunny day when we visited the forest, the sun was rarely seen. The bamboo has grown so high, that when one walks the trails they are completely covered by the shadows of the stalks. After we finished hiking the trails we stopped off at a Kimbap Nara, a Korean fast food restaurant, to refuel. It was a delicious way to end the day.

The second stop on our countryside adventures was the Boseong Green Tea Plantation. Boseong is located an hour and a half south of Gwangju on the coast. The Boseong Green Tea Plantation is the largest tea plantation in all of Korea. The tea plants stretch for miles up and down the coastal mountainsides. It is truly a sight to behold. The mountainsides are filled with meticulously kept rows of vibrant green tea plants. Among these rows of plants are the workers who are harvesting the tea, May is the peak picking season, and the visitors who come to the plantation to take in the sights and tastes that Boseong has to offer.

Our friends and we decided to hike to the top of one of the plantation hills. After an endless amount of steep stairs we reached the top. From there, we could see a large portion of the plantation as well as the ocean. The view was breathtaking. The ocean was hazy and gray behind the bright mountain range. The view reminded me of how the Oregon Coast can look in the early hours of morning before the fog has had a chance to burn off. After taking in the mountain-top views we slowly made our way down to the Boseong tasting room. There we tasted freshly picked tea and sampled some green tea soft serve; both were refreshing.

Living in a dense city like Gwangju has made me miss my Northwest natural surroundings. However, when Eric and I do escape to the countryside we appreciate what nature has to offer more than we did when we were surrounded by it all the time. Since it will be a long time until I get to see Oregon again, I will let Korea’s countryside fill my need for trees, fresh air, and adventure.