'Korea, My Love' Contest

아싸~~~!!! Wanna go to Korea including air ticket and accommodation?  Wait, let me rub my eyes to see properly! 

Not only that, as this event is co-hosted by Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) and KBS World, you'll be invited to KBS Song Festival and KBS Drama Awards, and of course to experience Traditional Culture and History, and Hallyu too! 대박~ 진짜 대박!!! 

I just finished finished compiled, arranged and edited them... do they look like webtoon now? Are they fulfill the criteria for webtoon? Hhhmmm... I'll submit this first. Wish me luck~! ㅎㅎ^^

Jeonju's attraction sites...

Jeonju is the hub of Korean Han-style!

experience traditional lifestyles in this slow city~

Authentic Jeonju Bibimbap, Kongnamul Gukbap and

Jeonju Makgeolli~!

There are 3 missions, you can choose to participate in one or more missions:

1. Video Contest <Korea, My Love>

2. Photo Contest <What I Love about Korea>

3. Webtoon Contest <Crush on Korea>

Please check this link for more information...  

Do act fast as submission closed on 20 August 2014.

Hanguk Jip Jeonju Bibimbap (한국집 전주 전통 비빔밥)

Do you know what is specialty food in Jeonju? Yes, you're right. It's Jeonju Bibimbap! 

Jeonju bibimbap owes its popularity to perfectly steamed rice topped with different vegetables, such as beansprout, carrot, spinach, mushroom, zucchini along with meat, sunny side up egg, gochujang, special soybean sauce, ginkgo, pine nuts, and other ingredients. 

Bibimbap is a wellness food that contains the wisdom and philosophy of ancient Korea, which offering a balance of proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fat.

According to records, Bibimbap was first served at the royal table, then passed down and spread to common people. People started to eat bibimbap in Jeonju two hundred years ago. 

My hubby told me that he saw a restaurant selling traditional Bibimbap since 1952 when guided by kind Ajusshi on our way to the hotel. I told my husband to just find anything to eat, as I might be fainting anytime because of hunger. It's already 3 pm (4 pm Singapore time) added that I was so exhausted after dragged heavy luggage and handbag earlier. I just followed him because he's confident to arrive at the restaurant before I fainted... 

Hangukgjip, a Michelin star restaurant...

The first Bibimbap restaurant in Korea, has contributed Bibimbap as 

the representative food in Jeonju. 

There are 3 types of bibimbap in the menu: Korean Beef Tartare Bibimbap,

Dolsot bibimbap, and Brassware Pot Bibimbap.

We ordered Korean Beef Tartare Bibimbap (육희비빔밥) - 13,000 Won

and Beansprout soup with rice (콩나물국밥) - 6,000 Won

Great harmony not only visually in appearance but also in taste...

It's because all the ingredients chosen based on the Ying and Yang, 

and Five Colors and Five Flavors Principle. 

Yummy Kongnamul Gukbap especially I was extremely hungry

and the weather was so cold outside...

Good that they're not closing for resting in between lunch and dinner hour.

While waiting for our food, we saw Ahjumma and chef carefully 

selecting soya beans and washing them. I think they're going to make 

and ferment special soy paste (doenjang).

한국집 전주 전통 비빔밥

Add: Wansan-gu 2-1, 2Ga, Jeondong, Jeonju

Ph: 82-63-284-2224

Jeonju Hanok Village Hotel (전주한옥빌리지호텔)

We traveled 3 hours from Busan to Suncheon, then waited for about 30 minutes to transfer to normal train. It took another 1 hour from Suncheon to Jeonju. In total we spent 4 hours on railroad. Actually, we just want to experience S-train. ^^ 

Simple yet pleasant looking Jeonju Station...

Gallery with giwa roof outside the station.

Gallery exhibiting cultural heritage and arts of Jeonju city.

From the station, we took taxi to hotel, but the driver dropped us at wrong place. We walked around but couldn't find the hotel. We asked few people and we ended up walked here and there, as they gave different directions. Luckily, another man asked us to follow him after he called the hotel. And he walked us to Pungnammun and pointed to us the direction to our hotel. Thank you kind Ahjusshi. ^^

Jeonju Hanok Village Hotel

Finally, we arrived at the hotel after wandering for half and hour around Joongang Elementary School. The hotel is actually situated in the heart of the city. Pungnam Mun, Gyeonggijeon, Jeongdong Church and other attraction sites are just about 5 to 10 minutes walk away. 

In Jeonju Hanok Village, of course you'll want to stay in Hanok and experience Han-style. In our previous trip, we stayed in 300 years Hanok house in Seongyojang, but that time was autumn so it's just normal without ondol floor. 

Partial painting of famous Scenery of Dano Day outside the hotel.

When I browsed the rooms, I found this stylish yet with traditional Han-style hotel with attached bathroom, and some familiar paintings of famous painters Shin Yun-Bok (Hye-Won) and Kim Hong-Do (Danwon) of Joseon Dynasty. 

Hahaha... yup, you're right! I watched Painter of the Wind (바람의 화원).  So, I decided to stay here for 2 nights. ^^

Shin Yun-Bok's paintings.

Top - Dance with two swords (쌍검대무).

Bottom - Pillars of the Tavern (주사거배).

Cool! I stood and looked at the door for awhile... and somehow it's like rewinding drama scenes of these two paintings in my head. Do you still remember? Danwon painted Ssireum (씨름) for 'Fight' topic, and People at the Tavern (주막) for 'Tavern' topic. 

Cozy room with simple wooden furniture, mattress, flat-screen television, mini fridge in good-size room. Mattress, pillows and blanket were nicely fold and keep at the corner of the room. 

They're using durable Korean Hanji paper for walls and windows, and loess (황토) for the floor. Loesspension, where we stayed in Punggi also using loess, as it's effectively keeping the room cold in summer and warm in winter. 

 Mattress with natural cotton padding for bedclothes.

Korean music instruments Gayageum and Drum hanging

at the receptionist counter.

Korean style paintings 

 Korean natural dyed curtain.

You can access to Sky Garden (하늘정원) at 3rd floor. You you can sit and relax at this wooden terrace with outdoor bench, and...

enjoying the view of Jeonju city with the background of

Pungnammun and Jeongdong Church...

Painting on the wall showing Korean people wearing hanbok 

and gat (hat) happily gathering and enjoying food.

Excellent service rendered by friendly woman receptionist during our stay. Their system didn't captured my reservation as no payment made for room rate of 70,000 Won per day.

She asked me which room we want, but I forgot the name of the room with Yun-Bok's paintings. She didn't know which room, she opened almost all the vacant rooms from third floor to first floor for us to see. Finally we found it at first floor...추억 room.  

She also helped us to call and wait for the taxi when we check-out early in the morning. Thank you and sorry for the trouble...

Related Posts:

~ Hanguk Jip Jeonju Bibimbap (한국집 전주 전통 비빔밥)

~ [Jeonju] - Evening at Omokdae Pavilion(오목대) 

~ [Jeonju] - Hanbyeokdang Pavilion (한벽당) 

~ [Jeonju] - Cheongyeonru Pavilion (청연루)

~ [Jeonju] - Gyeonggijeon Main Hall (경기전 정전)

[S-train] - Bukcheon Cosmos, Hadong, Suncheon and Deungnyang

This scenic S- train trips stop a little bit longer at beautiful and historic stations, which most of the passengers alight to experience uniqueness of these rural villages:

Bukcheon Cosmos (북천)
This peaceful village is famous for its cosmos blossoms and the white buckwheat flowers spanning over 400,000 square meters in Bukcheon-myeon.

S-train stops here for 4 minutes allowing passengers

to snap photos at this romantic station.

Nice to see these cute and colorful fake cosmos flower decorated

along this station. 

Attraction:

Bukcheon Cosmos and Buckwheat Festival 

It must be really pretty to see Cosmos flowers blossoming 

along Bukcheon station in Autumn.

Suncheon (순천)
In Korean, Suncheon means 'Following the will of the heavens'. It's also known as city of three mountains and two streams, or 'Little Zhejiang' (a popular region in China known for its beautiful scenery).

Photo exhibition showing beautiful Suncheon.

Attractions:
- Fields of Reeds: offer spectacular 37 acres of reeds growing in this reed kingdom of Korea.
- Suncheonman Bay Eco-Museum: video feeds sharing continuous live footage of migratory birds.
- Suncheon Drama Film Set: the largest film set in Korea, it consists of three villages in different era
  from the 1950s to the 1970s.
- Naksaneupseong: fortress villages with rustic thatch-roofed houses.

Why I didn't know there's a Haerang train?

Should cruise with this train next time round!

Suncheon station serves as transportation hub for the eastern regions of Korea.

Hadong (하동) 

Known as the first and biggest tea plantation that established in the early 20th century. The green tea in the Hadong region is called the “King’s Tea” because this high-grade tea used to be served to the kings of Korea.

Attractions:
Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival: Visitors can experience traditional tea ceremony, farming and picking wild green tea.

[Slow City] Hadong Agyang-myeon: home to Korea’s well-known Jirisan Mountain, and the crystal clear waters of Seomjingang River.

Hadong Station

Green tea Plantation

Deungnyang (득량) 

Stroll along 'Memory lane' to have a flashback to old-fashioned Korea. This street has replica of convenience store, elementary school, barber shop, comic book store, toy store and even a bus stop that re-designed to look as those in the 1970s. 

OMG~ so epic! I want to go there too!

Photo credit to the owner of this blog.

For more information on other stations, attractions, festivals, local delicacies, local tours, buses, and accommodations, please check Korail website and Korailtour for more scenic and special train tours.

Remember to check the timetable on how long it stops at that particular station if you're alighting to take photos, so you can return in time. 

Do take note that most of the stations only stop for 1 minute, therefore you need to pay attention to the announcements on the next approaching station especially if you have lots of luggage. Try to get them together from overhead compartment and luggage compartment, then stand near the door so it's easier to get off the train. 

We enjoyed S-train so much! and hope to travel on railways again!

Related Posts:

~ [O-Train] -Railroad Trip from Seoul to Punggi

~ [S-Train] - Scenic Southtern Explorer

[S-Train] - Scenic Southtern Explorer

Back on Track!!! 

Thanks to Korail for building railways and designed themed-trains routes that run across beautiful Korean peninsula.

S-train added to theme-train family in September 2013. This train runs slowly on S-shaped route along Southern region with scenic sea view, therefore it's named S-Train.

Let's travel to the South with Korail S-Train

 "Turtle ship" S-train looks like vintage locomotive.

Perhaps because of S-train travel to Yeosu, therefore Felix Boukobza (the same art-train designer for O-train) painted it resembled to Turtle ship (거북선 = Geobukseon) to tribute Great Admiral Yi Sun Shin.

Our initial S-train route (Masan to Gwangju) for easy checking 

on the train timetable and transfer.

 S-train Timetable 

S-Train operates two routes that running once a day: 

1. East - West route covering 250 km in 4 hours.
    ~ Train No 4871, depart from Busan at 9:19 am and arrive in Yeosu at 13:04 pm
    ~ Train No 4872, depart from Yeosu at 18:05 pm and arrive in Busan at 21:51 pm

2. West - East route covering 212 km in 5 hours 30 minutes.
    ~ Train No 4873, depart from Seodaejeon at 9:37 am and arrive in Gwangju at 14:58 pm
    ~ Train No 4874, depart from Gwangju at 16:38 pm and arrive in Seodaejeon at 21:27

This slow-speed train lets you experience the best of the Southern regions passing through picturesque mountains, seas, valleys, and countrysides.

The train can carry 218 passengers in it's five carriages, and designed with different interiors and special themes on each carriage.

 

We're sitting at 'family' carriage

Enjoy Korean traditional tea drinking with fragrant tea produced from 

Boseong and Hadong at this unique 'tea' carriage.

Snacks and drinks are available at 'bar' Carriage.

That's the reason why I love to travel by train! It allows you to sit back, relax, and enjoying the view. Buy tidbits and eat or drink whenever you want, as you can go to restroom anytime as you're free to walk around at all time ^^ 

Awesome! You can recharge your handphone,

and hang your coat at your seat. 

Where did we put our 2 big luggage? Yes, for sure they're unable to fit on overhead compartment. We put them at the luggage compartment between two carriages. 

Ok, this video will show you interior inside S-train, and up close and personal with the beauty of Southern Namhae Coast!

to be continued... ^^

Related Posts:

~ [O-Train] - Railroad Trip from Seoul to Punggi

~ [S-train] - Bukcheon Cosmos, Hadong, Suncheon and Deungnyang

Busan Station (부산역)

A taxi ride from Haeundae Hotel For U to Busan station took about half and hour. We arrived at Busan station one hour earlier so we have time to eat breakfast before starting our journey to South.

The morning sunshine at Busan Station.

부산광역시 동구 중앙대로 206 (초량동)

Busy ticket counters and train schedules at Busan station.

We didn't need to join the queue as we had bought our tickets together with O-train tickets at Seoul Station. Yes, it's better to purchase your ticket few days in advance. This is to avoid that ticket sold out on the day you want to travel. That happened to us... we didn't get V-train ticket as these theme-trains are really popular.

Busan has a big station because it's a major stop on all Gyeongbu line express trains (KTX) and general trains. It also has a lot of convenience facilities inside the station, such as restaurants, convenience stores, bakeries, coffee shops, and others shops, ATMs, storage lockers, Korail member lounge, vending machines.

Busan Station Store directory

 It's really convenient as lots of shops sprawled all around! We're really spoiled by choices and hard to make decision on what to eat. 

Hunting food inside this clean Busan station...

Hubby selected  soft tofu stew (순두부찌개 = sundubu jiggae)

Well, I don't have habit to eat rice or noodle for breakfast. I normally have bread, cake, biscuit, cereal and milk for breakfast. 'Picky' me still wandering outside to see what will go inside the tummy to start my day :P

Finally decided to get this Yeongju  Sweet Potato Bread (고구마빵 = Kokumappang).

Then went to convenience store to get banana milk, bottle drinks and some snacks to eat in train....

Chinatown also known as Shanghai Street (상해문 - 상해거리) 

located opposite Busan Station. You can walk through the 

underground passage to reach the street.

Make sure you're standby in front of the track at least 5 minutes 

before departure time as the trains are really punctual!

Ok, let's go to Track no. 1 for S-Train~!