Due to the length of the last post I decided to split the information
about my visit to Mokpo into two blogs based on the area where I was. Yudalsan
Mountain is located in Mokpo as well, but is in a different region of the city.
Yudalsan is considered a small mountain, at a height of only 228 meters. Since
this is the first mountain I have hiked, it did not seem small to me. If you
want an amazing leg workout, this is the place. Hike to the summit of this
mountain and you will have accomplished thousands of stair steps. I am out of
shape, so by the time I finished the hike my legs were shaking so much it felt
like they were vibrating. I physically could not stand still they were shaking
so strongly, but it was totally worth it. I can almost guarantee that there is
no better place to get a panoramic view of the entire city of Mokpo.
Every time we reached a break in the stairs my friend and I would take
a break and enjoy the view. Each time I would think, wow this view is amazing! and I would take a photo of the city
and my surroundings. Then, as I reached higher and higher points on the
mountain I realized, Wow! The view is
even better here! In many places there were pagodas or temples to stop and
see, as well as other markings, cannons, statues and other photogenic spots.
When
we reached the first high point we realized that we had to back track and take
a different trail before we could reach the highest point of the mountain. I am
glad we went to this lower peak first though, because it was there that I was
able to notice the carvings in the side of the mountain. They were religious
carvings, one of them obviously of Buddha. Seeing this excited me since the
sight really hit home for me that I was in a different country and that there
were different religions practiced here. It was a cultural moment that I was
glad I was able to experience. It made me feel fortunate for this travel opportunity.
So many times I have wished that I could share these types of moments with my
small, secluded hometown. I think that if my hometown was more cultured, it
would be a better place and the people would be much more understanding of one
another and the world. The carvings also were colored, which helped them stand
out even more against the bare gray rock of the mountainside. While we were
moving to the second path leading to the higher peak we were able to get very
close to these carvings, so I gazed up at them in awe. The second path was much
steeper, so you had to watch where you were going fairly closely. The stairway
was narrow at parts and the steps, carved from the mountain itself, changed in
size and shape often. The mountain also jutted out into the stairwell in some
areas, so you had to make sure you didn’t run into a wall of rock.
Finally we reached the highest
point of the mountain at 228m. I was feeling really proud of myself, and
accomplished. The view was as stunning as it could have gotten. Here I was
given another surprise though, I heard this sound that I was unfamiliar with. That
is when I realized that someone was praying and chanting at the mountain’s
peak. I had a very brief jolt of culture shock here, but I loved it. It laid
out such a stunning, peaceful and memorable scene before me. At the peak I was
able to see the entire city of Mokpo below me, as well as its large harbor and the
many islands in the distance and along the shore. Since Mokpo is an open port
city I saw many large ships pass through. This made me miss Northern Michigan,
Lake Superior, and the ships that call that area home. Since I grew up in a
state and in an area where there is an abundance of water, being able to see
the shoreline again brought me peace. The smell of the sea and the sight of a
large body of water in general, was refreshing. Since it was later in the
afternoon, the sun high in the sky, the sunshine beamed off the water, creating
bright, blinding light that made the water shimmer.
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| From the highest peak |
The friend that I hiked the mountain with was also a foreigner, and
from the USA as well. As we hiked I had many people stop and ask me things,
most of them older couples. They would ask me where I was from, how long I had
been in the country, my age, and why I was here to name a few questions. This
happened to me two or three times while we were hiking. We both noticed though
that no one ever asked my friend those questions, even though we were nearly
from the same place (she was from the state beside mine). The main reason
being, I stood out. I am very fair skinned and have thin, golden blonde hair.
Meanwhile my friend, while not Korean, is of Asian descent. No one seemed too
interested in her, and it was something that we joked about. The only thing
that happened to her constantly was the assumption that she was from China, and
when she corrected people and said that she was from the USA many people showed
disbelief. I think at least many of the older generations have this belief that
Americans are all blonde and white, since that is what they see the most in
media maybe? I do not think that older generations realize the cultural variety
that makes up the USA. When older people saw my friend speaking in English with
me, I saw many surprised faces. I suppose this makes sense in a way, since
South Korea most likely has many Chinese tourists.
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| The precarious stariway |
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| One of the places we rested |
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| A sign with English! |
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| View of the highest peak |
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| Admiral Yi Sunsin |
Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I hope some of
my photos make up for any lack in description I may have given. The mountain
truly does give a breathtaking view of the area around Mokpo City and I would
highly recommend it to any traveler. I have provided the address below, but if
you want to visit there by taxi usually just saying “Yudalsan” is usually enough
for the driver to understand where you want to go. The Mokpo City bus tour also
makes a stop here for tourists. I would recommend this tour. I didn’t take it,
but I saw it many times throughout the day stopping at many of the same places
we went. I believe it is about 5,000 won for the tour, which is a great price
even when you are just considering transportation. The taxi I took wasn’t that
expensive, but the bus tour is cheaper and is an all-day event which can take
you to many of the most popular tourist attractions in Mokpo.
Yudalsan Mountain
45, Nojeokbong-gil, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do
전라남도 목포시 노적봉길 45 (측후동)
For the English version of the Mokpo City Website click here.
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