Shimhyang Temple and Naju's Cherry Blossoms

This weekend I decided to stay home and explore the area more. My main goal was to find and photograph the beautiful cherry blossoms that had exploded in bloom over the last week. I had always wanted to see Korea's blossoms, so I knew that I couldn't miss the opportunity. I met up with another friend that lives in Naju and we went for what turned into a very very long walk. I had heard there was a lake nearby that had blossoms around it, so we set out for it.

As we were walking we came upon several cherry trees here and there that had blossomed, so we took many photo stops. The main mountain in Naju, Mt. Geumseong, had many cherry trees spotted along it, which was quite a site, with patches of what looked like white/pink puffs along the mountainside. We decided to try and see if we could get closer to some of the trees that spotted the mountain and that is when we stumbled upon Shimhyang Temple.

According to the sign placed in the temple, "Shimyang Temple [...] is a branch temple of Baekyang Temple as the head temple in the 18th District of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism that succeeds to the long veins of traditional history and culture. It is said that Shimhyang Temple was established by the great Buddhist priest Wonhyo during Unified Shilla Kingdom and the name was Mireukwon at the establishment. The temple is also said to be the birthplace of Buddhism for our national guardian as King Hyunjong prayed for the peace of Tungustic people in Manchuria in 1011 (the 2nd year of King Hyunjong in Goryeo Kingdom) thereafter. There are records that the temple was repaired heavily in 1358 (the 7th year of King Gongmin) and reconstructed by Mongsu in 1789 (the 13th year of King Jeonjo). [...] Shimhyang Temple as a whole is appointed to be Jeonnam Province's Cultural Heritage No. 88, in order to acknowledge its value and history. [...]"

The temple holds many national and cultural heritage treasures. I thought that the temple was very beautiful and simple. With what looked like fairly fresh paint, the temples were bursting with vibrant color. The temple was a nice stop during our walk, providing us with some beautiful scenery and a little history all at once.

After our visit to the temple we continued on towards the lake. We found some really rustic looking concrete stairs that were covered in green moss and grass and decided to see where they led. Turns out we found a much prettier shortcut to the lake then the map we had been following. Cherry blossom petals were raining down all around us thanks to the light breeze by the lake and the view was stunning. There were blossoms everywhere. I didn't know what to photograph first. There was also bamboo flute and saxophone music coming from somewhere nearby that really set a peaceful atmosphere. The area was filled with people, couples, families, and friends that had come to walk along the lake. It was a very romantic setting. We walked along the lake and I must've taken over 200 photos of the blossoms. They were whiter than I had expected. I had thought they would be a deeper pink in color. They were still wonderful to look at though. The contrast of the white flowers against the dark blue of the lake and the bright sunlight made for some really great photography. Here are some of my best blossom photos...I will really try to keep it to a minimum. If you want to visit and see these blossoms in person,  I recommend visiting at about the end of the first week of April. They can be found at 한수제 (the lake) along 경현길 or Gyeonghyeon-gil (the street name).

The Main Street, lined with Blossoms

Blossom Close-Up

The pinkest blossoms I saw

Along the mountain path

The Main Street, GyeongHyeon-gil

The blossoms, 한수제 lake, and mountain together give a breathtaking image

The street was also lined with vendors selling street food and popped rice. For the first time I saw how popped rice is actually made which was interesting. Popped rice is a very popular Korean snack, and it has a very simple taste. My friend and I spent most of the afternoon sitting in the shade, listening to the music and watching as families came and went, taking photos and enjoying the beautiful Saturday's weather.

The Restaurant - Naju Gomtang House

After our expedition, photography, and relaxation we needed to have dinner, so we hunted down the famous Gomtang (Or beef bone soup) restaurant in Naju and had dinner there. On the outside the restaurant looks incredibly small, but it is surprisingly large once you enter. Naju Gomtang is unique in that it consists of heel and brisket meat which is added to the broth. The menu itself is also quite small, consisting of really only three choices. The first choice is regular gomtang, while the second is gomtang with sliced beef and rice, and the third choice is simply sliced beef. With a menu so simple, but such a packed restaurant, you know that the eating must be phenomenal.

My Meal

Sliced Beef Gomtang (수육곰탕)

The Menu

As you can see, the restaurant is very famous, and many Korean television shows have visited this location and featured their dish. It is delicious, I recommend it to everyone. If you want to have Naju style gomtang, what better place to try it then Naju itself!