Mungyeong Saejae (Fall 2013 in Korea, part 5)

On the first weekend of November, I went to Mungyeong Saejae with two of my co-teachers, Mr. Choi and Mr. Jeon.  Mungyeong Saejae is a famous area here in Korea (it was ranked as the #1 tourist spot for Koreans the week after we went).  The area is famous for a few different reasons.  First of all, the area is just breathtakingly beautiful in the fall.  Its voluminous amount and variety of trees make for some beautiful colors.  Second, it’s famous for its delicious apples, and actually has an apple festival every fall.  Third, there is a fake village built in the valley, which is specifically used as a set for many famous movies and TV shows.  Fourth, the area has three famous gates along a famous path.  Centuries ago, this path was taken by people traveling from other parts of Korea to Seoul in order to take examinations to become public officers in the capital.  As one might imagine, there were tons of superstitions surrounding this journey: where to stop, which paths to take, etc.  Apparently, highway bandits would wait for unsuspecting would-be test takers and rob them blind.  That’s why these gates existed.  Soldiers would stand guard at these gates in order to protect the test-takers from harm. 

There were absolutely shitloads of people there.  Even the extremely wide paths were full of people, and we often had to go around stragglers and people stopping to admire the scenery.

While we arrived a little late, we only had enough time to go through the first two gates.  But, of course, we also took a pit stop in order to eat some food and drink some makgeolli.  Once we returned to Daejeon, we ate at one of my favorite restaurants in my area.  Shortly thereafter, Jayeon came down from Seoul, and we went to a friend’s housewarming party and then went out on the town.  Quite a long day and night, but great all the same!