Ibike Korea People-to-People Program
   
 

   

Photo essay: Hoeyang (and Uiryeong) to Jinju
   

Hoeyang to Jinju (40mi, 65km) Jinju is a gem of a city, rich in culture and history.
Uiryeong to Jinju (31mi, 50km) A signed bike route roughly follows the Namgang (South River).

The ride is as good as a slide show -- every corner seems to beg another picture or two:
  Rice farm, lake, forest, hills, Korea Rice farm, lake, forest, hills -- another beautiful scene hard to do justice to with a camera -- click..
  rice farm, Korea Textures on the rice farms -- click -- a scene worth enjoying again late.
  A woman beating the beans off the stalk, Korea A woman beating the beans off the stalk -- click
  flat roadside space for drying rice, Korea Another flat roadside space for drying rice -- click
  A pavilion that would be shaded from the afternoon sun by the adjacent tree, Korea A pavilion that would be shaded from the afternoon sun by the adjacent tree.  They are also common along streams -- click.
  cell tower in the rice fields, Korea. A cell tower in the rice fields.  Korean is said to have almost 100% cell phone coverage and to be one of the most wired countries on the planet  -- click.
  Rice drying on the side of the road, Korea Woman racking rice drying on the side of the road, Korea.Nammyeong Road is a very low volume road.   There is rice laid out to dry on both sides of the road, and no tire tracks through it -- click.
  Yongeon-sa Yongeon-saYongeon-sa was originally begun in 1580.  Sancheonggun has a long history.  The famous Confucian scholar of the middle Joseon Dynasty, Master Nammyeong (1501-1572), was born, studied, and taught in this area -- click.
  Building restoration, Todong Restored building, TodongSeveral of the historic buildings in the area are being restored [2005].

The same buildings after the project was finished --click.
  Noeryong-jeong pavilion, Todong Noeryong-jeong pavilion was built by Master Nammyeong Jo Sik to study and to teach diciples.  He and Master Toegye Yi Hwang were the prominent Confusian scholars reigning over the academic world in Yeongnam. Master Nammyeong moved to Oetori when he was 48. The pavilion built at that time was destroyed and the present one was rebuilt in early 1900 by Heo Yu et al. The name Noeryong comes from the expression by Zhuangzi, "immobile like a page but a[[ears like a dragon, silent like a deep lake but shouts like the thunder when the moment come." The wooden main building has six front pillars and three side pillars with a single layered eaves and a hip-and-gable tile roof. The front has round pillars and the three rooms are on each side of the wooden floor hall -- click.
  twin steles of Oetori, Todong The twin steles of Oetori are believed to commemorate the filial piety of two men.  One, for Yi On was built in 1383.  The details of the other have been worn away -- click.
  shed full of garlic, Jinju Cows living their lives out in a shed, JinjuA shed full of garlic -- click.

Cows living their lives out in a shed -- click.
  An alternative way to approach Jinju is from Uiryeong, to the east, along a signed bike route that generally follows the South River (Namgang).

Uiryeong is another village that is becoming high rise as new housing is built to the edge of the rice fields. But even as hardly more than a village, it has friendly citizens, significant historical features and a seemingly robust economy that includes a vibrant central market (right), shops to meet every need, multiple old spas/public baths, dozens of restaurants and almost as many yeogwans/hotels.
  Hyanggyo, Uiryeong, Korea Tomb of Nam Gun-bo, Uiryeong, KoreaJust off the center of town, Uiryeong Hyanggyo (left) was moved to this hillside location in 1582. Its original date of construction is uncertain. The purpose of hyanggyos was general education, the education of public mores, and the performance of ceremonies dedicated to Confucian sages. The space inside the hyanggyo was segregated into educational and ceremonial areas.

Nearby is the tomb of Nam Gun-bo (right), that dates of the Goryeo Dynasty (born ~1186). He was a civil official. Seven generations earlier the Uiryeong Nam Ssi clan was naturalized from China.
  Chiljeongryeo, Uiryeong, Korea On the outskirts there are well preserved and maintained jeongryeo and a seoweon.

Deokgok seoweon, Uiryeong, KoreaChil (7) jeongryeo (left) is a row of seven shrines from the Joseon period to educate people on loyalty to the country, filial piety and heroic activities. These wood and tile ryeo were constructed between 1712 and 1905 to commemorate various people and events.

Deokgok seoweon (Confucian Academy) (right) was established in 1645. Seoweons had the combined functions of a Confucian shrine and a preparatory school. It was demolished after the order to close private schools, in 1871, and then restored and rebuild between 1902 and 2012.
  three-way, suspension bridge, Uiryeong, Korea In a park, over a stream / lake, at the edge of town is a unique, three-way, suspension bridge. One leg leads to the center of town, one leg drops into a neighborhood, and the third walkway leads to hiking trails in Namsamn Park. Not a typical for public works projects, there is also a fountain around the base, and the structure is light at night.
  greenhouses in the mix of agriculture activity, Jinju More greenhouses in the mix of agriculture activity -- click -- oh, a big pile of organic fertilizer in the foreground as well.  Greenhouses tend to be increasingly common as we approached big cities.  This farm is within ten miles of Jinju.
The farms end and the city begins, Jinju The farms end and the ever expanding city of Jinju begins.

Into Jinju-si.
 

Heoyang Jinju-si

Travelogue Main PageTour InformationTour mapRegister for this tour
 

Please contact us if you would like to be added to Ibike's mailing list or have questions, comments, corrections or criticism. (Also, please let us know how you learned about us and found this site.) Privacy policy.

  IBF Homepage           Ibike Programs            Ibike Schedule            Search

"Hosted by DreamHost - earth friendly web hosting"
Created by David Mozer
Copyright ?1993-2018 Ibike LLC. All rights reserved.