Hafen
Yeosu

OVERVIEW

Settle in for a panoramic drive through the lush countryside for an eye-opening look at how green tea is grown and enjoy a cup of this iconic Korean beverage. The venue for your immersion into the world of tea will be the Boseong green tea plantation, a setting so dramatically beautiful that it has been featured in several movies. Rows of tea trees carpet the hillsides, all flanked by towering cedars that shelter the tea from the wind. Although Boseong was founded in 1957, tea has been grown in the area for more than a millennium as the rainy climate encourages the trees to flourish. You will learn plenty more about tea, its processing through several historical eras and the culture of tea at the Tea Museum of Korea. While sampling a cup of freshly prepared, hot and aromatic green tea, you will hear about its many potential health benefits.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a scenic drive into the fertile countryside where tea flourishes in the rainy climate.
• Tour the Boseong green tea fields, among the largest plantations in the region.
• See how tea is grown at the plantation and learn more at the Tea Museum of Korea.
• Savor a cup of fragrant and flavorful green tea at the museum.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Explore some of the most emblematic attractions in Gwangyang and come away with an understanding of the city’s allure. Each spring, Gwangyang Maehwa Village holds a festival that celebrates the blossoming of its thousands of red and white maehwa plum trees. The site of this extraordinary event is beautiful any time of the year, but especially along the paths that you will walk through the maehwa-blanketed rolling hills. If you work up an appetite, the next destination – Yi Sun Shin Bridge Food Town – will be particularly welcome. During free time there, you might enjoy lunch on your own and admire the lengthy suspension bridge named in honor of a 16th-century Korean admiral that never suffered a defeat. Many people during that time period carried jangdos, small ornamental knives for uses as diverse as cutting paper to self-defense. You will view an outstanding collection of these knives and other weapons at the Gwangyang Jangdo Museum.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk through groves of maehwa plum trees that cover the rolling hills of Gwangyang.
• Learn about the annual maehwa plum festival held on this beautifully landscaped site.
• Dine on your own while admiring a suspension bridge named for a legendary admiral.
• Browse an unusual museum devoted to small ornamental knives called jangdos.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Observe a village lifestyle that hasn’t changed in centuries and behold the beauty of the natural world at a Buddhist temple and on a pristine island. While meandering through the thatched-roof fortress village of Naganeupseong, you will see that its few hundred residents still practice traditional ways that date to the late 1300s. It will appear as if time has stood still, which in reality it has. Similarly, Seonamsa Temple has been unaffected by the modern world. Although many versions of the temple were destroyed by fires and through invasions, it has persevered and remains a place for reflection and spiritual connection. While walking about the grounds, you will likely feel a great sense of peace. The forested island of Odongdo is sanctuary-like as well. While following a natural path that winds through the gorgeous landscape, you will likely be taken by the groves of bamboo and camellia trees.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tour a folk village within a fortress that has changed little for centuries.
• Browse the primitive thatched-roof houses where a few hundred villagers reside.
• Appreciate the serenity while strolling through the grounds of Seonamsa Temple.
• Enjoy a leisurely walk through forested Odongdo, an island not far off shore.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Hiking shoes are recommended.

OVERVIEW

See some of the most definitive landmarks in Yeosu, all of which will paint a comprehensive picture of the city. History will take center stage at Jinnamgwan Hall, an open-air, heavily columned heritage structure used for ceremonies since 1716. It is remarkably intact, even the intricate wooden carvings of lotus blossoms and dragon heads. The hall stands on the site where admiral Yi Sun Shin commanded his ships in the 16th century. Commentary at his namesake plaza will bring Yi’s accomplishments to life so you can appreciate his importance. You will also browse the Yeosu Fish Market, where the day’s bountiful catch will be displayed. Although you will enjoy an up-close view of the bridge that connects Dolsan Island to the mainland, it may look even more impressive from the air as you ride a cable car over the sea. Yet another spectacular aerial view of Yeosu awaits you from atop the well-named Sky Tower.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse a wooden structure used for government ceremonies since the early 18th century.
• Discover why 16th-century Admiral Yi is so revered while visiting his namesake square.
• Behold the engineering marvel Dolsan Bridge up close and while riding in a cable car.
• Ride the cable car from Dolsan Island over the sea to the mainland.
• Enjoy a sweeping view of Yeosu and your cruise ship from atop the city’s Sky Tower.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Participate in a traditional tea ceremony at Seonamsa, one of seven Buddhist monasteries that together UNESCO deemed worthy of a World Heritage site designation. Perched in the eastern foothills of Jogyesan Mountain, Seonamsa exudes serenity. While walking about the grounds, you will likely pass through a forest of centuries-old trees and over an arched stone bridge that has spanned a gently flowing stream for more than 300 years. You may find the temple complex even more spectacular as it contains numerous shrine halls, pagodas and open courtyards, all accessed through wonderfully ornate gates. Seonamsa has been a center of monastic living for more than a millennium, despite suppression during the Joseon Dynasty and being damaged in several wars. While partaking of the formal tea ceremony – which like the temple has long been essential to local life – you should feel a sense of harmony and relaxation that the tranquil setting enhances.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore the temple and grounds of Seonamsa, a UNESCO World Heritage site monastery.
• Gain insight into how Seonamsa’s monastic life has changed little through the centuries.
• Enjoy a serene tea ceremony that reflects the ritual’s cultural importance.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Experience daily life at a Buddhist temple that one of Korea’s most influential monks founded in the 12th century. Although Mongols leveled the original Heungguksa temple, this 17th-century version was constructed on the same site on the slopes of Mt. Yeongchwisan. It is one of several temples that the monk Jinul founded as a sacred place for meditation and enlightenment. But there is much more to the monastic life as you will discover by engaging in traditional activities such as gukgung, a Korean style of archery that requires great focus and relaxed breathing. You will also try your hand at playing four percussion instruments, each symbolizing an element of nature. This musical genre of samulnori is rooted in Korea’s agricultural history. During breaks between activities, you will enjoy vegetarian temple cuisine. Pungent vegetables such as onions and garlic are avoided because their strong aromas detract from meditation.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gain an understanding of monastic life that goes far beyond meditation.
• Practice the martial art of Korean archery at the Heungguksa Buddhist temple.
• Learn the basics of playing percussion instruments that symbolize the elements of nature.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Visit a remarkable variety of attractions that showcase the considerable charms of Yeosu, one of the southernmost cities in Korea. For natural beauty, few places rival Odongdo, an island just offshore that is blanketed with evergreens, camellia trees and wildflowers. As you walk along its coastal trail, the views will be spectacular. The focus will turn to history at Jinnamgwan Hall, a wooden ceremonial structure that dates to 1716. Its most notable feature is the 68 stout columns that support a massive roof decorated with intricate carvings. The site was once the naval base for the famed 16th-century admiral Yi Sun Shin. You will learn more about his legacy at his namesake plaza, where an oversized statue of the admiral stands atop one of the turtle ships that he commanded. From the observation deck of the Sky Tower, built from abandoned silos for the 2012 Expo, you will enjoy panoramic views of Yeosu.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a leisurely walk through forested Odongdo, an island not far off shore.
• Browse a wooden structure used for government ceremonies since the early 18th century.
• Discover why 16th-century Admiral Yi is so revered while visiting his namesake square.
• Enjoy a sweeping view of Yeosu and your cruise ship from atop the city’s Sky Tower.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.