A beautiful forest Gombaeryeong

          A beautiful forest, Gombaeryeong

               As planned the night before,
               at 6:00 in the morning, I'm finally heading for Gombaeryeong,
               which is well known as a beautiful forest in S.Korea.

               I (including my husband) have been waiting for today since
               made a reservation one month ago.

               Gombaeryeong is so popular among Koreans
               and sure enough, many from all over the country want to
               take a trail here.
               But there is a restriction of the number of people who can enter
               the forest, 300 people each day, to protect the nature.
               It is reported that about 850 species of wild plants are growing there.

               I have never been here before.
               'Is it really beautiful? What does it look like?'
               I'm wondering so much about it.

The entry to Gombaeryeong starts on altitude 700 meters

and lead us to the summit on altitude 1106 meters, and  

the distance is 5 kilometers.                                        

As people say, It won't be a hard trail at all.                 

                   

                           Just walk joyfully through the leafy forest, hearing the
                           sound of the clear water in the valley and the birds.

                           In the forest is a small village.

                           on the summit, it is in the dense mist.

                          Here is the top of Gombaeryeong;
                          Gombaeryeong is named according to the shape of it,
                          people say that it looks like a bear lying with its belly
                          toward the sky.

                           parking lot

picnic to Korea's royal tombs and race horses training center

          picnic to Korea's royal tombs, 
            and race horses training center

                  Ever since this spring began,
               on every weekends, I have been enjoying hiking.

                  Korea is not a big country like America,
               furthermore divided into two, North Korea and South Korea.
               But whenever I go to the mountain areas,
               I feel that my country is kind of bi~~g.
               Because there are so many mountains to go.
               So does even here Pa-ju, where my house is.

                  Yes, I was taught in geography class long time ago
               that about 70 % territory of my country consists of
               mountains and ranges.
               Besides, almost the mountains are beautiful and comfort
               to trail along.

                  Every time I set out for mountain climbing,
               I feel happy.
               All through the hiking, I can breathe in clean air,
               eliminate waste matter from the system,
               and so much the better I get to know the nature-
               the names of trees, flowers, wild plants, herbs...-

                  But this weekend (Jun.15,2014)
               I went to the different kind of place, just because
               to save up my body's energy for the next weekend.
               I'm now planning to take a trip to other distant province.

                  The place that I went on a picnic this weekend
               is an another royal tombs named Seosamneung,
               and there is also a racehorses training center next to it.

                  It was easy for me to walk along the even road.
               many people than I expected were enjoying their time there.
               I walked around from here to there,
               and the scenes that I looked over in the race horses training center
               was very exotic.
               That reminded me of that time when I lived in California,U.S.A.
               - horses, park, picnic...-
             
             

       

Graveyard of a General, Kwon,Yool

     <Graveyard of a General, Kwon,Yool>

            Whenever we mention the history of our country,
         we are used to say very proudly that we have five
         thousands years' history.
         Sure, during those long years, a number of dynasties
         showed up and disappeared. 
         And each dynasty had its own admirable heroes.

            The hero that I'd like to introduce is a general of
         Chosun Dynasty (1392 A.D.~1910 A.D.), Whose
         name is Kwon,Yool.

            The General,Kwon,Yool was born in 1537 as a
         youngest son in a prime minister's family.
         He didn't like to study when he was young.
         One day, one of his father's friends asked him a
         question, but he couldn't answer it.
         He felt shame on himself and began to study hard
         afterward.

          At the age of 46 he succeeded in a big examination            that could help him to be a government official.

            In 1592, Yimjin War (Japanese troops attacked 
         Chosun from 1592 through 1598) broke out when
         he was 56 years old.
         People all over the country gathered to fight against
         their enemies. Kwon,Yool who directed the people
         encamped at Haengju-sansung Fortress.
         The Japanese troops couldn't win the people who 
         fought with do-or-die attitude. 

            One soldier reported the General, "All the arrows
         we have are used up." At this report, Kwon,Yool
         replied,"Fight with even stones!"
         So all the women started to gather stones and
         carried them in their skirts to the battlefield.
         The skirts were getting worn out, then someone
         shouted,"Let's wear new skirts over the old one!"

          From then on, the skirt over a skirt has been called
        haengju-chima, it is same as an apron in English.

          Haengju-sansung battle was ended in a big victory
      of Kwon,Yool's army. About 20,000 Japanese soldiers
      were wounded or killed in that battle.

        Over four hundred years have passed after his death.
      Even so, the General Kwon,Yool is still being alive in
      people's heart as a super hero.

                                   ancestral rites performing in this traditional
                                   house once a year

                                         edge of the roof

                                          stairs to the grave