The Amazing Taean Tulip Festival (태안 튤립 축제)

The flowers at the Taean Tulip Festival

For most of us who were born and raised in a tropical country, we are sometimes oblivious to the presence of flowers all around us because they are there all year round. We can appreciate it anytime we want because there is no such thing as season for flowers. But when I started living in South Korea, the cold winter days deprive me of the sight of green luscious trees and colorful flowers. At the start of the cold days, all of a sudden, colors of nature do not exist. That is why at the start of the spring season, I always get too excited because finally, dead trees and dull colors will be replaced by green scenery and colorful flowers of different types and varieties. The change of the season from winter to spring is a symbol of festivity, and what better way to celebrate it than to organize various spring festivals.

During springtime, there are festivals all over Korea like the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival and International Horticulture in Goyang, but if there’s one Spring Festival in Korea you shouldn’t miss, it’s the Taean Tulip Festival because it is recognized by the World Tulip Summit Society as one of the top 5 tulip festivals in the world, yes folks, we are talking about the world. With over 1.5 million colorful tulips all over the garden, it has earned the respect of the world.

Windmill of Netherlands featured at the Taean Tulip Festival

At Taean tulips festival, you will see varieties of tulips that come in different colors and sizes. In a human height level, your eyes will show you a garden of thousands of tulips. They were planted according to variety and color. When put together, you will see a spectacular combination of tulips arranged neatly that it looks like the flowers are performing some sort of a dance especially when the wind blows them. It's such a refreshing sight to look at. Everywhere you go, there are tulips all around as if waving at every onlookers passing by.

Tulips of different varieties and colors

At some point, I was intrigued by how oddly they arranged the flowers according to colors. I decided to look at it on a higher perspective. They put up this mound in the middle of the garden, it looks like a little volcano for me, but not scary because of the flowers. People usually climb up to the peak of the mound to see the whole area.

A small mound at the middle of the garden

Looking at the beauties from up there, the odd arrangement of the colors made a little bit of sense to me. Some color formations are round, curve, straight lines and some were intentionally arranged to project an image. I was so sure that there’s a message behind the flower arrangement, some kind of an image which can only be appreciated at higher point of view.

Flower formation from the top view

God knows what other images are projected by the arrangement of tulips in the Garden. I don’t have any equipment that could let me take photos at higher perspective, but I enjoyed the vast garden of tulips anyhow. I just thought that it really takes a lot of effort to come up with a magnificent garden like that, and with a concept.

Concept of the garden

Aside from Tulips, the presence of Cherry blossoms planted at the corner makes the garden more magical. Although some petals have already withered, there are some remaining cherry blossom flowers enough to compliment with the colorful tulips. There are also digitalis, lupine, orchids, lilies and most of all, canola. There’s an area where all you can see are yellow beauties of canola flower. It was my first time to see a vast garden of canola in one area.

In the presence of the canola flowers

There are also other activities in the festival like a mini concert. There are also food booths if you want to go on a food trip. Various Korean street food like ttokboki and hoteok are available. If you want to buy tulips seedlings, they have a market available for you. There are also souvenir booths where you can buy products like bracelets, jewelries, shirts, etc. They are not necessarily connected to Tulips Festivals, but people do buy anyway.

Entrance to the Taean Tulip Festival is pretty cheap, you can check on the board below for the prices.

Entrance Prices at the Taean Tulop Festival

How to get there?

At first I was intimidated to go there because they said it’s a very remote area. But I think it’s not that difficult to go there. You can take the express bus to Taean from any intercity bus terminal in Korea. Fare is based on the location where you are departing. Once you arrived at Taean Bus Terminal, you can take Bus Number 700 and get off at Sinon-ri. From there, you can walk around 10 to 15 minutes. The walkway to the garden is very narrow, you might need to be very careful walking on that road because you will be sharing it with a lot of cars. This year 2017, the festival will run from April 13, 2017 up to May 10, 2017.

Complete address:
200, Mageompo-gil, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
충청남도 태안군 남면 마검포길 200 (남면)

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What Happened at The Coldplay Concert in Seoul

The crowd at the Coldplay Concert shining with their respective xylobands
(c) Anny Martinez

OVERWHELMING is an understatement, that’s my experience at the Coldplay concert in Seoul. Korea is one of the lucky Asian Countries who hosted the “A Head Full of Dreams” concert tour last April 15 and 16, 2017. I was there during their first day performance and I think that was one of the best memories I ever have here in South Korea.

When Coldplay announced last November that they’ll have a concert in Seoul, I was devastated because I thought I will no longer be in Korea during the concert date. However, I think I was bound to watch the concert because the Universe has conspired to make it happen. All of a sudden, my stay in Korea was extended, somebody backed out and ended up selling her ticket to me, and the rest was history.

Early at the Venue, Olympic Stadium in Seoul

After several months of waiting and listening to all Coldplay songs, the concert day has finally arrived. I was so excited that I canceled every plan I had for that date including work. I took the public transportation to go to the venue of the concert at the Olympic stadium in Seoul., as soon as I got off from the Sports Complex Subway Station, I felt something different, something festive, something fun. I know I was at the right place because there were posters about the concert, people were wearing a coldplay shirt and there's a big signage instructing people where to exit based on the ticket. I arrived 4 hours before the start of the concert, that’s how excited I was. As I walked towards the stadium, there were already a lot of people outside the venue, which means a lot of people are more excited than me. Since the gate to the stadium was still closed, people busied themselves buying Coldplay merchandises such as shirts, bags, caps and even keychains. I just thought the merchandises are overpriced, but people buy anyways, and I didn’t.

For the convenience of the concertgoers
(c) Anny Martinez

I think the whole area outside the Olympic Stadium was Coldplay-fied. Aside from the Coldplay merchandise booths, there were ticket booths where people can claim their tickets. There’s also a big screen featuring photos and videos about Coldplay and few samples of their songs which they repeatedly play all day long. There’s also a giant Coldplay board towering at the walkway with directions printed on it which I think very convenient for the concert goers. I was wondering why there’s a long line for the Coldplay board, and I found out later on that it was actually a photo opp area where you can take a photo and use the giant signage as a background. I found it weird, but I lined up anyway. I just realized how organized and systematic they are in handling that big event. In every corner, they assigned somebody to usher people and to make sure that everything is going with the flow.

People lining up for the photo opp

An hour before the concert, people started to flock toward the entrance of the stadium. I and my friends decided to get in the venue as early as possible to avoid the crowd. They were very strict at the entrance. They don’t only check the ticket, they also check bags because there were prohibited items like DSLR camera, drinks, fireworks and more. As soon as we entered the venue, we were given a badge and a xyloband. We were clueless about the freebies, but we accepted it anyways, I mean, who doesn’t like freebies, right?

The awesome lights at the concert
(c) Anny Martinez

I was a little bit sad because the tickets that we bought were for the upper bleachers, but on a positive note, we can see everything from that point, and by everything I meant not only the performers but the lucky people at the standing area who will get to see Chris Martin’s performance in a closer perspective. In a matter of 30 minutes, I saw with my very own eyes as I sat on that far flung area how the crowd gathered and grew bigger, and bigger and even bigger. At exactly 7 pm, the concert had started. Front act performer Jess Kent took the stage with her charm and adorable voice. Although not a lot of people know her, she was able to pull it off. The audience was dancing to the tune of her original music, her performance was not really great, but it was entertaining enough to set us all in a concert mode.

After Jess Kent’s performance, there was about 15 minutes break before the Coldplay performed. We expected them to start at exactly 8 pm, but when the clock strikes at 8:01, the crowd started to sing, or maybe yell, a line from Coldplay’s most famous song for the Koreans, the Viva La Vida. I don’t know how it exactly started but the crowd just sang in Chorus “Woahahahah oh, woahahah oh Woahahahah oh, woahahah oh, Woahahahah”, and I admit, I was carried away and I joined the rest of the impatient concert goers.

Fireworks display on stage while the band is performing
(c) Anny Martinez

Not long after, Chris Martin came out of nowhere, the rest of the band members were on their respective positions to give us the best concert of our lives. At that instance, surprises happened like a domino. Everybody was shouting when Chris started to sing “A Head Full of Dreams”, the white xyloband that they gave us when we entered has transformed into a psychedelic accessory as it lit up into a red color, imagine the whole stadium emitting red lights from the xyloband, what a sight to see. And not only that, there were fireworks, yes, they have fireworks on stage while the band is performing. I couldn’t explain what I felt at that very moment. I felt like my heart was not designed to register such awesomeness and a small span of time.

However, I noticed one of the audiences started a little shenanigan. The guy lit up his own fireworks in the audience, he was in the moment when he started to wave around his sparklers which he managed to sneak inside the venue. The security personnel chased him but he was out there running from them and waving his sparklers. They managed to kick him out of the venue and thankfully, it didn’t cause much trouble in the concert. We just ignored the incident, hey, we’re at the Coldplay concert!!! A performance of an iconic band is meant to be enjoyed, and we did, we really did enjoy it. And that was just the first song.

When Xylobands turn red
(c) Anny Martinez

Just like a roller coaster ride, Chris Martin and the rest of the Coldplay band members took us to a new level of excitement as they started to perform their classic hits Yellow, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, The Scientist, and everybody’s favorite Viva La Vida. Everyone was singing and dancing and just enjoying every moment. Everytime the song changes, the lights on our xylobands change too. Sometimes it’s red, sometimes it yellow, purple and sometimes it’s blinking and that I felt like I was part of the performance.

This is how individual xyloband looks like

I really enjoyed when he sang Fix You, Everglow and Charlie Brown, that was some of my favorite performances. And of course, I can’t remember how I managed to dance and freaked out like a crazy fan boy to the tune of their latest tracks Hymn for the Weekend, Adventures of a lifetime, Something Just Like and This and Paradise. Aside from the glowing xylobands, there were fireworks displays every now and then. There’s confetti filling the whole atmosphere of the stadium and helium balloons popped out of nowhere. If there’s anything more awesome than that, I will bet my life.

Audience waving their respective lights for Coldplay
(c) Arvi Mallari

Finally, they performed Up and Up as the finale song, this song reminds me of my 2016 summer in Korea and its music video is my favorite. Everybody was jumping and singing, and I found myself shouting the lyrics, not singing, that’s how I was carried away. When the band gave their bow as a sign of the end of their performance, the audience started shouting “Encore, encore, encore!!!!”, but I guess that’s really the end of it all. A few minutes after the concert, we’re still there, like we don’t have plan to go out, maybe the band will come back and will sing for us one more song, or maybe Chris will show up just to say goodbye, or maybe we just want more. I don’t know, all we know is that, we don’t want the night to end. But all things have to end, including the good one. Just so we could get our fix on it, we started singing in Chorus the Viva La Vida hymn. It was like the anthem of the night. Even in the subway, while we were waiting for our train, people who went to the concert still singing in chorus. It was like a wink wink to say that we all attended the concert and we just had the greatest night of our lives.

It was indeed a night full of stars, they all came down from the sky to the stadium to celebrate happiness that is Coldplay. Thank you Coldplay for giving us not only what we want, but also what we need. For in this world full of troubles, we need something just like this to fix us even for just one night. And in the end, we will continue to fill our heads with dreams, a dream for a better world, a better life and happiness.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Lotte World Tower And Mall (롯데월드타워&롯데월드몰)

 Lotte World Tower And Mall (롯데월드타워&롯데월드몰)

I am not a shopaholic type of person, but I sure do like window shopping and exploring malls. In Korea, non shoppers can be easily left behind because everywhere you go, especially in downtown Seoul, you will always find reasons to shop. You can find everything here from local to high end brands. There are varieties of shopping areas and malls to choose based on your budget and personality.

Stores inside the Lotte World Mall

I lost count of how many shopping places I’ve visited in South Korea. In Seoul alone, I’ve been to some famous markets like Namdaemun, Myeongdong and Dongdaemun and several malls like the biggest mall in Korea which is COEX in Gangnam, Shinsegae in Myeongdong and Lotte Factory Outlet in Gasan Digital Complex. However, only one mall stands out for me. Personally, I think this mall is the grandest (not necessarily the biggest) of all, and in case you missed it in the title, I am actually referring to the Lotte World Tower and Mall. Whether your purpose is to go shopping, or window shopping, or just to relax, here are my 5 reasons why you should visit this place.

1. All in One Mall

Every giant mall has only one promise, that you can find everything you want, you need and you like in the mall. But more than that promise, Lotte World Mall delivers it all! When I say ALL, I meant a shopping mall that features different clothing brands from cheap to expensive, different brands of shoes, bags, watches, and whatnot. You just have to choose which one you can afford or suit your taste. There’s also a floor which features Avenuel, a complex of luxury department stores with a variety of domestic and foreign brands. There’s more! There’s cinema, lotte mart, aquarium and……… a concert hall! There are also variety of restaurants that offer not only Korean food but other types of food all around the world.

Shopping: check
Entertainment facilities: check
Restaurants: check

When I visited the places, there’s a museum that features NBA Legends. I don’t know if the theme is changing, but the fact that there’s a museum with free entrance, it is something to check out.

A museum inside the mall featuring the NBA Legends

There’s also a Star Avenue where you can take photos with the replicas of your Kpop idols. The entrance is also free.

A photo opp with the replica of Kim Soo Hyun

I don’t know about you, but for me, this mall has everything!

2. Lotte World Tower is the Tallest Building in South Korea

The Lotte World Tower

But wait….there’s more. Aside from it being a mall, it also has a tower which has been recently opened for the public. With its total of 123 floors and a height of 556 meters, it now holds the record as the tallest building in South Korea and fifth in the world. The Lotte World Tower has galleries in it, cafes and a luxury hotel. At the top of the tower, there’s a skywalk and an observation deck where you can see the breathtaking view of the city of Seoul.

3. Lotte World Theme Park

If you’re not in the mood to shop or do anything at the mall, you can head on to its theme park called Lotte World. Wait, what? A theme park inside the mall? Yes, you read it right. It’s an indoor theme park and currently holding the Guinness World Record as the biggest Indoor theme park. It also has an amusement park outdoor, and an artificial island inside a lake.

4. Awesome Interior

For window shoppers like me who usually go to malls just to observe, at Lotte World Mall, you can do more than observing because the interior of the mall parallels to that of a museum. Every lobby has something you can check out. A piece of art, some product placements, paintings and anything pleasing to the eye.

One of the artsy lobbies of the mall

The interior design is very artistic, relaxing and attractive. Ok fine, I suck at describing, I can’t even get the right adjective, but let this photo do the talking.

The Golden stair

5. Very Accessible

How accessible? You can easily find it because it is located right at the Exit 1, 2, 10 and 11 of Jamsil Station, Seoul Subway Line 2. The exact address is this:

300, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul
서울시 송파구 올림픽로 300

Next time you’re in Seoul and you want to go shopping, or window shopping, or city viewing, or going to a theme park, I think you should consider the Lotte World Tower and Mall.

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SGC Super Live 2017- The First Kpop Concert I Attended

I remember during the era when Kpop started to penetrate the Philippines. I really don’t know when it began, and how it made its way to the Philippine market. I was oblivious to what is happening to Hallyu wave in the Philippines because 1.) I was not interested and 2.) I don’t patronize something that I don’t understand. When Philippine radio stations started to play “Nobody Nobody but you” by the Wonder Girls, followed by “Sorry Sorry Sorry” by the Super Junior, and then joined by 2NE1’s “I don’t care eh eh eh eh”, I was the first person to cover my ears. It was around year 2007’s and 2008’s up to 2009’s when Kpop suddenly made its way to the spotlight of Philippine music market. I was the Mr. Scrooge of Kpop, until PSY’s Oppa Gangnam Style awakened my interest to Kpop. That song was a hit worldwide. It has a powerful beat and rhythm and charm that despite the incomprehensive lyrics, I was into it.

When I came to Korea to work, I already appreciate Kpop, but I’m not a ‘fan”, I just listen to it, and I’m ok with it. I even listened for the purpose of learning Korean language, and I admit that it did help pretty well. I also got to know some of the hottest Kpop idols in Korea, I listened to their music and even have it saved on my playlist.

And where am I going with these thoughts?

Well, I just want to share my first(and probably last) experience watching a Kpop concert. It was not just a simple Kpop concert because it’s  star studded event, and by star studded I meant the famous kpop idols in this generation like Rain, Korean girl group T-ara and Korean boy groups GOT7, Seventeen, Day 6, Se7en and the rookie group Day 6. It was actually a fusion of a fashion show and Kpop concert. The Seoul Girl’s Collection (SGC) Super Live was held last March 18, 2017 at the Korea University's Hwajung Gymnasium. The SGC Super live is on its 12^th year of entertaining people through music and fashion. Korean fashion artists showcased their creations for the Spring and Summer collections, and alternately, Kpop artists performed every after fashion show.

The stage at the SGC Super Live 2017

Most of the attendees were teenagers, and most of them were girls. The show started at around 6:00 pm, I arrived at around 5:30 and there were a lot of people lining up at the entrance of the gymnasium. Although the main event was the Fashion Show, I’m 100 percent sure that people went there for the concert, just like us. When the personnel opened the gymnasium, everybody rushed to get inside, and we didn’t even show our tickets. If you go there without the ticket, you probably can still get inside and watch the show for free.

Colorful lightings during the performance of Day6

The first thing that I noticed was the lightings. It was incredibly awesome. If not for the lightings, the stage would be probably boring and dull. Almost 80 percent of the people inside the gym were holding a led light which they bought from the vendors outside the gym. We didn’t buy any of it because I don’t think we need it. The hardcore fans were so into it because for them, it’s their way to cheer for their Kpop idols. In all fairness, seeing a row of people with LED lights set me on a festive mode.

Fans waving their LED lights during the performance of Blanc7

The concert did not really run smooth because during GOT 7’s performance, fans started to go out of control. While GOT7 was performing, they started pushing towards the stage until the barricade almost collapsed. Worried for the safety of the fans, GOT7 decided to stop the performance and plead for the fans to move back. Nobody listened. The staffs started to push them back and warned the audience that the show will not push through unless they will move back. We wasted almost 30 minutes just to settle the fans. For us who were sitting on the bleachers, we kept shouting at the stubborn fans to move back, but they were adamant. The staffs forced them to move, after a few minutes, GOT7 repeated their performance.

Fans go crazy during the performance of GOT7

Fans were so wild during the concert. They danced, shouted and sang along with the performers. Good thing there’s a fashion show every after performance, it’s a good way to pacify the excited fans. But what I also appreciate in the show was the DJ. He played good music especially with the fashion show. It could have not been as classy and elegant as it was without that awesome background music. There were two instances where the DJ got the spotlight for spinning the music while waiting for the next performer. He played Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and some of the Western artists tracks. Apparently, the Korean audience did not appreciate it as much as I do. I feel bad for the DJ.

Rain's performance

The last performer of the night was RAIN. Suffice to say that he was the biggest artist that night, or else, he was not the finale. However, people started to move out when he performed. The lower box was opened, so we decided to move from the bleacher to the lower box so we could see Rain closer as he performs on stage. Sure, Seventeen got the moves, GOT7 got the charm, T-ara’s performance was sexy and hot, but RAIN, you can see how seasoned he is when he performs on stage. The new generation audience may not appreciate him as much as the younger Kpop idols, but performance wise, RAIN still has something to offer.

The closest I can get to see Rain performs on stage

It’s more than 3 hours of treat for the concert goers. I did enjoy the show, at least I experienced how it was to watch a kpop concert. The group with the most fans based on the audience impact was Seventeen, followed by GOT7. But my favorite performance was that of a rookie group called Blanc7. T-ara was the only girl group to perform that night.

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Hang Out at Café De One Piece(원피스 카페) in Hongdae

If ever you find yourself wandering at Hongdae one of these days, don’t be surprised if you’ll see a pirate ship anchored in the middle of the city. Don’t panic, no don’t do that! Don’t run, no never! Don’t hide and don’t wonder. There are no pirates, there’s no ocean, it’s just a café. The Café De One Piece is a giant pirate ship café at Hongdae, South Korea.

Cafe De One Piece in Hongdae

I heard about its opening last year, but I never really had a chance or even the urge to visit the café. I was at Hongdae last week with my friends, and we decided to drop by at the café just to see how it is a bandwagon in Seoul nowadays. When we arrived at the café, there was a long line outside. It’s crazy because people are willing to wait outside even if it means standing in a very windy and cold open area. One must be an avid fan of this anime to be willing to go through all the troubles of waiting and freezing. Since we were not a fan, and I didn’t even watch a single episode of this anime, we just gave it to them. We never really entered the café, but we were contented just looking around the area and to its glorious figure that is a pirate ship.

The head of the pirate ship

Outside the café are the standees of some characters of the anime. As expected, I don’t recognize any of them, but it’s perfect for people who want to have a selfie or photo opportunity with the characters.

The cut outs of the characters
(c) Anny Martinez

We didn’t get a chance to see what’s inside the café because it was too crowded when we went there, but I like how they invested on their cups and stirrers. When you order a drink, your cup has “Café De One Piece” print on it, and the stirrer has a flag to make it even more appealing to the customers.

Cafe De One piece prints on the cups
(c) Arman Carinan

The Prices of beverages and desserts range from 3,500 won up to 6,000 won. But I heard that their novelty cakes are way too expensive for the price of 40,000 won up to 80,000 won, so you better careful when you order and double check the price if you don’t want to pay a piece of cake for that price. Take a look at their menu first before ordering.

The bar inside the cafe
(c) Arman Carinan

If you feel like hanging out at Café De One Piece because 1) You’re a fan of the anime, 2) You want to ride on the bandwagon, 3) You want to wait for more than 1 hour to enter the café, or for whatever reasons you have in mind, the address of the café is this:

Address: 343-10 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Phone:02-6373-3106

In front of th cafe

The café is open from Sunday to Saturday, from 10 am up to 10 pm.

To get there via subway, take Subway Line Number 2 (Green Line) and get off at Hongik University Station. Go to Exit 9 and walk towards the main gate of the Hongik University. The café is located beside the Starbucks Café.

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Best Cherry Blossom Spots in Korea

I would like to congratulate all of you for surviving another winter in Korea. We have passed the brutal biting cold of the winter, and as a reward, Mother Nature will about to cover the whole country with pink through the most popular flower of spring, the Cherry Blossom! Who wouldn’t want to see the Cherry Blossom? If you want to experience Cherry Blossom in Korea, you better take note of the possible dates and the best spots to visit to enjoy its beauty. Cherry Blossom will only show up quick, so you better be alert, or else, you have to wait another year to see it again. Here’s a quick list of the best spots in Korea for Sakura viewing and the possible dates: (2017)

1. Yeouido

Possible date:  Mid April
Address (English): Gukhoe-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Address (Korean): 서울특별시 영등포구 국회대로

How to get there:

Take Seoul Subway Line number 9 and get off at the  National Assembly Station (국회의사당역) and go to Exit 6.

2. Kyunghee University

Possible Date: Mid April
Address (English): 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
Address (Korean): 서울특별시 동대문구 경희대로 26

How to get there:

Take the Seoul Subway Metro Line 1 or the Junang Line and get off at Hoegi Station (회기역). Go to Exit 1 and walk straight until you reach the university. You can also take the mini bus 01 to Kyung Hee University.

3. Seokchon Lake

Possible Date: Early April

Address (English): 148, Jamsil-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul
Address (Korean): 서울특별시 송파구 잠실로 148

How to get there:

Take  Seoul subway line #2 and get off at Jamsil Station. Go to exit #2 and walk straight until you reach the lake

4. Anyangcheon Stream in Yangcheon-gu District

Possible Date: Early April

How to get there:

Take Subway Line Number 5(Purple Line) and get off at Ohmokyo Station. Go to exit 5 and walk towards the walkway beside the stream that stretches from Yanghwagyo Bridge to Ogeumgyo Bridge.

5. Jinhae

Possible Date: Early April

Address (English): Tongsin-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
Address (Korean): 경상남도 창원시 진해구 통신동

How to get there:

From Jinhae Intercity Bus Terminal, take a taxi to Jinhae Jungwon Rotary Intersection.

6. Gyeongju

Possible Date: Early April

How to get there:
Go to Gyeongju downtown area or tourist places like Bulguksa temple.

7. Seogwipo in Jeju

Possible Date: Late March

How to get there:

Go to the Jeju Sports Complex and Seogwipo downtown area. You will see there the Jeju’s King Cherry Tree blossoms which have the largest petals.

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Nature Tripping at Jeju’s Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연 폭포) and Seonimgyo Bridge

After being entertained by the splashes of waves and beautiful columnar joints at Jusangjeolli cliff, we headed to another natural beauty of Jeju, the Cheonjeyeon Falls(천제연 폭포). Cheonjeyon Falls is one of the two major falls in Jeju, the other one is Cheonjiyon, and yes, the difference is only one character. We never had the chance to visit Cheonjiyon, but this time, I am going to talk about Cheonjeyon.

In order to go to the falls, we had to go down a wooden stair which was built along the slope of a mountain. We had to follow the trail because the water that flows through the falls came from the cave where cold water pours from the ceiling to create the first waterfall. The water gathers into a beautiful turquoise pool.

A beautiful torquise pool where the water that flows through the falls came from

The pool is so clean and calm as if inviting every visitor to swim. However, swimming is not allowed in this area. We don’t understand why they won’t allow swimming, how could they restrict people from enjoying the water? Regardless, some of our “tour mates” did swim anyway. Only to be whistled by the authorities assigned to watch the place. We had no choice but to be contented by just looking at the beauty of nature displayed in front of us.

From the pool, the water falls two more times. We followed the flow of water through the trail provided and we reached the area where the water falls for the second time. It is so high that they prohibited people to go at the top of the falls. But we decided to trespass anyways. Nobody dared to jump of course, or else you can’t get out from there alive.

Overlooking the falls from the top(prohibited area)

But don’t follow my example, you can just appreciate the fall by going to the area where people supposed to go to see it. Not bad though, although it’s more fun to be there standing on the top looking down the water as it falls from a very significant height.

Visitors can stand in this area to see the waterfalls

We walked further following the flow of the water until we reached the Cheonjeyeon village. In this village, we saw a very attractive bridge called Seonimgyo. It’s an arch bridge with 7 nymphs carved on the side.

The Seonimgyo bridge with 7 nymphs carved on its side

We crossed the bridge, and boy it was so huge. We lingered a little while at the bridge because from there, the beauty of nature was displayed right below us. I tried to turn 360 degrees, then look up and down, and all I saw was nature. I saw the water flowing from the falls from below us. Then to the left I saw the Hallasan, the tallest mountain of Korea. Then to the right, I saw a lushy green forest and mountains, and even temples. It’s a beautiful spot to appreciate the beauty of nature at Jeju.

Looking at the beautiful view from the bridge

After we crossed the bridge, we were greeted by the giant fountain of five blessings. Depending on your desire, either financial, wealth, health, etc., you must throw a coin and make a wish on this fountain.

The 5 blessings fountain

There’s also a building called Octagonal Cheonjeru Pavilion. I can’t seem to understand why it’s called Octagonal, but our group had a photo opp in front of the pavilion anyways.

In front of Cheonjero Pavilion

I think Cheonjeyeon falls is where you can experience the fusion between nature and myths. There are interesting stories about the falls and the surrounding places, but obviously, I couldn’t tell about it here. Maybe when you go there someday, you have to discover it on your own.

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