By Steven L. Shields
When the sweltering heat, humidity and heavy rains give way to the crisp air of autumn, even though it comes with a few warm and cool days, I enjoy my daily walks more than ever. The brisk air makes me move quickly and get in my 10,000 daily steps with great joy. The change of color is also welcome. I love Korea's verdant hills and mountains, thickly forested (thanks to former President Park Chung-hee's aggressive tree-planting) with all kinds of trees. The bright yellow of ginkgo leaves, the deep reds and the brilliant oranges of other trees make such a marvelous feast for the eyes each year.
This year I took time to enjoy Korea's spectacular autumn colors. I took trips to the mountains. The first was to the spectacular stone formations of Mount Juwang at Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang Province (the home of some of Korea's most delicious apples). The volcanic rock outcroppings are massively spectacular. Giant rock formations tower over the narrow canyon streams and thick forests. It was a joy to be hiking up the trail with like-minded autumn enthusiasts who were busy visiting and gleefully taking selfies against the colorful backdrop of the varied trees.
The day could not have been more spectacular. Just on the cool side up in the mountain, but with a crystal blue sky with light clouds sprinkled here and there. Yongchu (spine of the dragon) Falls and the fairy's bathtub and dragon's pool brought delight with the sprinkling sounds of the falling water and the clear pools ― they must be quite inviting on a hot summer's day. However, the "beach" is closed to the public. We can only enjoy all this from the elevated walkway.
Returning to the village just outside the national park gate was rather disappointing. The over-commercializing that, unfortunately, is part of our national parks in Korea is a sad example of greed. Rows of restaurants sell the same food, little of which has any connection with the mountain itself. Souvenir shops sell stuff that is not always Korea-made ― all to suggest to vacationers that they should be spending their money on stuff rather than simply enjoying a few hours in nature. The hustling calls of the merchants disrupt my reverie.
The overpriced food of dubious quality calls into question why such commercialization with unnecessary merchandise has been permitted. I recall the "good old days" (here we go again, Steve) when Korea's national parks had very little in the way of unnecessary "services." They were quieter and more pleasant, with cleaner air and fresher scents. Still, a visit to Mount Juwang in the autumn should be on everyone's bucket list.
My second trip took me to the center of Korea's incredible tea culture at Mount Jiri. I met a friend in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, and enjoyed tooling around the city and environs there. We enjoyed the last night of the famous lantern festival held every year in the historic fortress and in the river below the walls of that ancient castle. Rich with history, the Jinju fortress holds a time-honored place in the annals of the Japanese invasions of 1592-98. The river was the scene of significant military action as the Japanese fleet sailed upstream from the sea to the south.
Heading to Mount Jiri, we stopped in the beautiful Hwagae Valley, home to Korea's most ancient tea plantations and Ssanggye Temple site. Mount Jiri was not as colorful as my previous destination, but the autumn breeze and the beautiful setting of the temple (which dates back to the times of the ancient Silla Kingdom) were a great retreat from the busyness of my daily life in the big city of Seoul.
Of course, one cannot visit Hwagae Valley without sipping a cup of fine tea from one of the tea masters there. My friend knew his way around, and we settled in a beautiful modern tea house with an entire wall of windows looking up the valley. What a setting to enjoy a few minutes of relaxation. Of course, the ancient herbal marketplace is on the list of places to stop and enjoy. The plethora of mountain herbs, only a few of which I know, was a marvel to behold.
Those who come to Korea for short-term visits only rarely enjoy the autumn displays of the country's forests. It's hard to plan a day or two to get away and walk through one of Korea's many national parks. Korea's mountain parks have much to offer, as much as historical sites, temples and other cultural venues.
As autumn turns to winter, the hillsides will take on their rather grey, stark visage of leafless trees. Snow inevitably will come, and many of us will retreat inside our warm homes and enjoy the winter weather from the other side of the window. Spring will come, and so will next autumn.
Rev. Steven L. Shields (slshields@gmail.com) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. He is the president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea. He served as copy editor of The Korea Times in 1977.