Ibike Korea People-to-People Program
   
 

 

Photo essay: Nakdong Trail -
Yangdong River to Sangju
 

Mungyeong to Sangju (53mi, 85km) Quiet roads or river side trail – both have one major climb. Beautiful views.
Points of Interest:, museums, bicycle capital of Korea.
  Bicycling touring on rural road past rice farms, Gyeongsang Province, Korea Christian chruch, Sangju, Gyeongsang Province, Korea

Gyeongsang Province is considered the breadbasket of Korea.  Historically farm land has been carefully managed and protected.  The field go up to the edge of the rice mills, churches and villages.  There is a lot of fear that the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement is going to undermined traditional agricultural and land-use patterns. (It is believed that the FTA will mostly benefit the industrialists.)
  countryside, Gyeongsang Province, Korea Here is a look back at some of the lush and beautiful countryside that we had passed through.  It also verifies that we were in fact traveling by bicycle and the land is not flat -- if you had any doubts.  Topography is beautiful.
  Sangju Museum, Korea Plaza, Sangju Museum, Koreabicycle racks, Sangju Museum, KoreaSangju Museum covers a lot of local archeology and cultural history including the Sabeol Kingdom, which doesn't exist in many history books on Korea.  Adjacent to the museum building is an outdoor exhibit of replicas of Korean heritage. There is a large plaza for kids to play in.
  Sustainable Energy Exhibit, Sangju Museum, Korea Sangju Museum, KoreaThis geodesic dome, next to the Sangju Museum, houses the Solar Museum. It would be more accurately described as an alternative energy museum because exhibits covered wind and water, as well as solar energy.  Adjacent to the museum is a large array of solar panels (right)
  Bicycle Sculpture, Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea Bicycle practice area, plaza, Sangju Bicycle Museum, KoreaEast of Sangju, itself, along the river and the National Cycleway is the Sangju Bicycle Museum. In addition to the numerous rooms and hallways of exhibit on the history of bicycling, they have managed to work bicycle motifs into almost everything in the area:: the shelter for the bicycle racks, railing along the bridge and the restrooms for trail users.
  bike rack shelter, Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea bike sculpture on bridge near Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea bike sculpture on bridge near Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea bike design restrooms near Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea bridge near Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea
  Bike exhibit, Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea Bike exhibit, Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea Bike exhibit, Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea Bike exhibit, Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea Bike exhibit, Sangju Bicycle Museum, Korea
  Road construction near Sangju Museum, Korea Woman processing crop, Sangju, KoreaBetween the Sangju Museum and the Gen. Chong memorial is a large new road with a separated (brick) bikeway -- the road is a better riding surface.

Early in his career Gen. Chong served under Gen. Sin Rip.  He defeated Japanese troops in Geochang, rescued Gen Cho Gyeong in the battle of Gunsan, successfully blocked the Japanese advance into the fertile Jeollo province, and recaptured Sangju, Hapcheong, Ulsan and Gyeongju in the 1597 offensive to drive the Japanese out of Korea.
  Bicycle sculpture, Sangju, South Korea Bicycle sculpture, Sangju, South KoreaSangju is the self-proclaimed "Bicycle Capital of Korea". Sangju was the first Korean town to embrace bicycling in a big way, but it is now no longer alone. Its expresses its commitment to bicycle transportations with its investment in bicycle infrastructure and using the bicycle as the theme in several pieces of public art.  The sculpture on the left is along Rt 25, the main east-west highway in town, and the sculpture on the right is in a riverside park. Sangju also host a big bicycle festival every year in the fall.
  Riverside bicycle trail, Sangju, Korea Bicycling in the cosmos, Sangju, KoreaThere is a river across the north end of town and to the east of town.  Both have non-motorized trail facilities along them.  In the sections shown here, one is tree lined and the other is cosmos lined -- they bloom in the late summer-early fall.  Hence, it can be definitively stated that we were bicycling in the cosmos.
  Central market, Sangju, Korea Garlic market, Sangju, KoreaIn the center of town is the central market.  The offerings are as varied as other markets (fresh and dried fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, grain, nuts, canned goods, dry goods, prepared food, etc.), but of particular note was the amount of garlic that was in stock.  An what you see in the photo is after a couple of trucks had pulled up, been packed with garlic and driven off, so the inventory was significantly reduced.  What is garlic suppose to ward-off? No vampires in this market.
  Various sized of dried small fish, Sangju market, Korea Women selling vegetables in the central market, Sangju, Korea nuts and seeds, Sangju market, Korea dikon, Sangju market, Korea
  bicycle infrastructure, Sangju, Korea In the downtown core some of the streets around the market are blocked to motor vehicles and on the main street there are bike racks every 100 meters -- which are heavily used.  City official say that there are about 85,000 bicycle in the city.  An average of two bicycles per household.
  Students bicycling, Sangju, Korea Students bicycling, Sangju, KoreaThe number of students using bicycles is given as approximately 14,000.  When the school day ends they flood the streets heading in all directions.  For more on bicycling in Sangju see www.ibike.org/engineering/korea/index.htm#Sangju
    The old Sangju Bicycle Museum
  Old Bicycle Museum, Sanju Sangju Bicycle MuseumFittingly, Sangju is also home to a Bicycle Museum. The original building (shown in this section) was west of town. The new building is along the Nakdong River Trail. Besides a variety of exhibits on the the history and technology of bicycles, there were a variety of bicycle out in the front of the museum that visitors can try for themselves.
  display, Old Bicycle Museum, Sanju display, Old Bicycle Museum, Sanju display, Old Bicycle Museum, Sanju display, Old Bicycle Museum, Sanju
   
 

Mungyeong Nakdong Rivers - National Cycleway        

   

 Hahoe   Central Cultural Route

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