Masan Up Close and Personal Tour

After having much fun posing selfies with my name at SangSang-Gil, we walked around the main street trying to locate Tourist Information.

Finally,  we found the booth next to Joy Golf 

Omo~! beautiful metasequoia trees lined neatly on the street similar to famous street in Seoul... Sinsadong Garosugil!

The staffs quickly opened the door for us as they saw us walking towards the booth. Greeted us with warm smiles and asked us to come in. The feeling was like visiting our close friends...

  Thanks to Kim Mi Ran Eonni for this beautiful photo of us with 

Kim Min Jung Eonni and Yoon Jeong Ok Eonni.

 Min Jung Eonni even asked us to have a cup of coffee and taste the homemade tteok.

They gave me gifts because my name's engraved at Sang Sang Gil.

 Supposedly, there was a complimentary city tour ticket too, but 

unfortunately, Changwon City Tour was not operating until 14 Apr 2018.

They found out that we're going to visit Gwangyang Maehwa Village for plum blossoms, Min Jung Eonni quickly checked the internet and confirmed that the Plum blossoms were over because Plum blossom usually happen before Cherry blossom. 

So instead of going to Hadong, Min Jung and Jeong Ok Eonni offered to show us around Changwon before we go to Jinhae to join the city tour there as suggested by them. 

1st stop - Sang Sang Gil (상상길).

Add: Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do

To snap few pictures as a documentation proof to collect the gifts. 

250-year-old alley at Sang Sang Gil.

Min Jung Eonni then led us down memory lane in this small alley. As a child, she used to play and eat here with her friends after coming back from school.

 MBC Studio.

  

2nd stop - Changdong Art Village (창동예술촌).

Guess what is this gigantic red art sculpture? Please comment below.

 Add: 24, Odongseo 6-gil, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Well, these alleys were like a maze! Changdong Art Village was supposed to be the other street next to Sang Sang Gil (or maybe it's connected)! Anyway, we couldn't go wrong because have two master guides in Changwon to guide us~! ^^

According to Eonni, SangSangGil is the "Myeongdong" of Changwon. 

And according to me, Changdong Art Village is the "Insadong" of Changwon!

 It's interesting neighbourhood and pretty similar to Insadong because the streets are so lovely and artistic with mural paintings, art galleries, workshops, designers' shops, cafes and restaurants. 

 I was charmed by the flowers and plants in cute colourful pots on the wall and ground.  

Total of 315 flower pots were donated by local residents in honour of the March 15 Movement which took place in Masan, which resulted in the April 19 Revolution against the government’s dictatorship in 1960.

3 Major sections of Changdong Art Village: Munsin Art Alley (Green), 

Masan Art Trail Alley (Red) and Ecolede Changdong Alley (Blue).

 Munsin 문신 자화상 (1923–1995), famous artist in Masan. 

   Jeong Ok Eonni brought us to this house owned by Changgak Ahjumma

(seen on the photo). It's free entrance from 9am - 10pm.

This unique and cozy house welcome everyone to rest after strolling this neighbourhood where you can read books, play guitar or organ and learn more about Masan city through old photographs. (Video 0:40)

  Changdong 'Hope Tree' (희망나무) is the mural on the wall opposite the house.

Min Jung Eonni captured the above photos, while Jeong Ok Eonni happily watching us and said it's like taking pre-wedding photographs. Lol!!!

They're carrying 315 written messages on wooden blocks of 

Changdong's residents in respect of the 3.15 Movement.

 3rd stop - BuRim Market (부림시장).

Add: 352, 3·15-daero, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Burim Market is a traditional market which is famous for selling wedding products, ready-made or tailored Hanbok at afforadable prices. Of course, there are stalls selling fruits, vegetables and delicious street foods too. (Video 0:28)

We were curious whether these delicious looking platters of food were real. 

According to Eonni they are all fake and used for Sebae ritual bow

on Traditional Korea wedding ceremony.

4th Stop - Hanbok Cultural Experience Hall (한복 문화 체험관)

Add: 부림동 32 부림창작공예촌 한복체험관, 창원시 마산합포구, 경상남도.

Check out more photos from their Facebook or Instagram. You can watch this Video on how to go there from Burim Market.

 Choose from a wide selection of pretty and colourful Hanbok which are suitable for Spring season. (Video 5:15)

 After which you can proudly stroll around these nearby tourist attractions.

 Up up up to the hill we walked to the mural village on top of Masan...
It's 45-degree slope which is difficult for a car to drive up.

5th Stop - Gagopa Kkoburang-gil Mural Village (가고파 꼬부랑길 벽화마을).
Add: 15-8, Seonghoseo 7-gil, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Thankfully, Jeong Ok and Min Jung Eonni made the difficult 'hiking' trip a fun singing session while putting our hands on our backs and walk mimicking the Kkoburang Halmoeni song. Let's learn to sing the 'Kkoburang' song here...Video 7:18.

The girl was unhappy as we pretended to help her pushing briquettes (a block of compressed coal dust or peat that is used as fuel) cart.

Climb and climb up again and there's an old abandoned well.
Hubby posing as if he's carrying heavy water buckets on his shoulders,
and resting at the low wooden platform afterwards (평상) to get a massage.

Tada~... you can see the magnificent Masan city, mountain and sea from here!

Min Jung Eonni 진짜 최고! Walking down the steep slope in high heels like a pro. I'll sure trip down and roll down the road, so I decided to slowly walk down the stairs instead.

Went back to Hanbok Cultural Hall to return Hanbok, and chopped stamps on Stamp Tour book (Video 11:03).

   

 That's the end of our up close and personal tour with 2 lovely & cheerful Eonni.
Hope to see you both in Korea or Singapore soon and sing Kkoburang song again.

만히 감사합니다~^^ 

September in Chuam - Chotdaebawi Rock [Day 5]

안녕하세요~

Today, I'm back sitting on my throne to write this blog. Actually, my eyes still swollen, sore, tired and a bit blur vision after cried for 4 consecutive days watching "The Princess' Man" (공주의 남자).    

I love to watch historical (sageuk) dramas. Will let you know another reason why I watched this bloody sad and tear-jerking The Princess' Man later.   Ok, let's start here, so I can watch Empress Ki (기황후), and The Heirs tomorrow... Uh! can't wait for the next episodes!!!

~♥~*~♥~*~♥~

It's another taxi tour around Chuam and Samcheok area with Mr Nam...

We asked Mr Nam to stop at convenience store to buy breads, milk and kimbap for breakfast (breads that we bought for breakfast had been digested in our tummy yesterday night while waiting for our dinner).

There's ATM Machine inside the convenience store, so, we withdraw some money. It might be quite difficult to find Money Changer in Gangneung, and not all the restaurants or shops accepting payment using credit card. We spent quite a lot just for transportation for these few days.

Then, went to pharmacy to get cough medicine for Xuan and my husband. And, again thanks to Tourist Information 24-hour Call Centre. The pharmacist needed to know the symptoms of the cough, age, and whether any drug allergy, etc... to prescribe medicines to tackle different types of cough.

1. Chotdaebawi Rock (촛대바위)

We went to Chuam Tourist Information to get some information of the places, and somehow we found that there's some miscommunication on our agreement for taxi fare. Mr. Nam asked us to top up 20,000 won to add 1 hour. Anyway, to cut the story short, at the end we paid 150,000 for this round taxi tour instead of 100,000 won (additional 50,000 won).

 breathtaking view of Chotdaebawi Rock

 From Chuam Train Station, you need to walk passing Chuam Tourist Information 

and this small canal with lots of ducks.

... and lots of stairs to viewing spots of Chotdaebawi Rock.

 we're too lazy to go up to the tower because of endless stairs :P

 

 This beautifully formed rock towers high into the sky and resembles a candlestick,

from which it gets its name.

"Chotdae” (촛대) means Candle, while “bawi” (바위) means Rock

 

The Legend of Chotdaebawi Rock

Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in Chuam who had a concubine. His wife was jealous of the second wife and the conflict between the two women continually escalated. One day, god became enraged over their continual quarrelling and threw lighting down from heaven, striking both women dead.

The newly-made widower missed his wives so much that he remained frozen in his loneliness and eventually turned into a rock, which is now Chotdaebawi Rock that we see today. (cr. KTO)

The beauty of the rock at sunrise is so picturesque and KBS (Korean Broadcasting System)

used it as a background for the "Aegukga" (the Korean national anthem).

  Chotdaebawi Rock is most famous tourist attraction in Donghae to enjoy the

magnificent beauty of the sun slowly peeking its way over the edge of the rock face.

We walked down from another path, and saw this small and beautiful summerhouse behind Chotdaebawi Rock.

Haeamjeong Pavilion (북평 해암정)

 The founder of Samcheok Sim Family built this pavilion in 1361

(10th year of King Gongmin of Goryeo)

After he left his public office, he spent the rest of his life teaching junior scholars and enjoying the beauty of nature of this place.

It's just few minutes walk to Chuam Beach and Chotdaebawi Rock. What an ideal place to greet the sunrise over the East Sea!

It's about lunch time when we left this place and headed to Samcheok Beach... (to be continued) ^^

Related Posts:

~ Hanok Stay at 300 years Seongyojang Hanok House.

~ Traditional Cultural Experience at Seongyojang.

~ Ojukheon House and Museum

~ [Gangneung] Jumunjin & Gyeongpodae Pavilion