Around Korea: One-Day Trip to Buyeo

One-Day Trip to Buyeo

By Emmanuela Sabatini

Have you heard about Buyeo? Buyeo is a rural area in South Chungcheong Province, the home of the Baekje Kingdom in the Korea of two millennia ago. My friend and I visited Buyeo in the middle of April this year. So, through this article, I would like to share my one-day-trip story. Please enjoy!

Trip Course: Gungnam-ji Pond → Lunch → Baekje Cultural Land & Museum → Café.

If you have time, you also can go to Jeongrim Temple, a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site. And if you travel by car, I recommend you also go to Seongheung-san Sarang-namu (성흥산 사랑나무) to see the famous “Love Tree.”

GUNGNAM-JI POND

After we arrived at Buyeo Intercity Bus Terminal at around 10:30 a.m., we went directly to Gungnam-ji Pond by taxi. It is not far from the terminal, but you need to walk about 30 minutes. I thought the pond was a touristy place or part of a palace and that it required an entrance fee, but it was not so! The pond is part of Seodong Park, so it is surrounded by the park and a field. During our visit, we saw that many people had come to have a walk around the area with their families. We made a good choice to come before lunch, because we were able to take as many photos as we wanted. I came to know of this place because of the Korean drama Mr. Queen (2020–2021), the biggest inducement for me to visit Buyeo.

LUNCH

While walking around the area, we found a restaurant called Mirak-won (미락원), near Gungnam-ji Pond (but you need to cross the field to get there). Anyway, they say this restaurant is famous for its steamed rice wrapped in a lotus

▲ Baekje Cultural Land and Museum ▶ Gungnam-ji Pond ▶ Lunch: steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaf.

leaf, which is a healthy meal. So, we chose this rice set with pork backbone stew and ripe kimchi. It was delicious!

BAEKJE CULTURAL LAND & MUSEUM

For its connection to the Baekje Kingdom, I recommend you visit Baekje Cultural Land. It took about 30 minutes to get there by bus. There you can find Sabi-gung (사비궁, the first restored royal palace of Baekje), Neungsa (능사, the royal temple), Gobun-gongwon (고분공원, the tomb park), Living Cultural Village (communities of varying social classes in Baekje), and Wiryesong (위례성, the capital of early Baekje). Plus, we experienced the traditional clothes of the Baekje Kingdom and sat on the king’s throne!

In addition, we visited the Baekje Cultural Museum, which is located in a separate area and thus requires an entrance ticket. It was a real treat to enjoy a complete package related to the Baekje Kingdom all in one place. The Baekje Cultural Museum is also the filming location of historical Korean dramas such as Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016) and The Last Empress (2018).

OLD-STYLE CAFE STREET

We then moved on to the Guam-ri area in Buyeo, where there is a café street with old-style buildings. It may not seem like much, but it is perfect to have a vintage photo concept. We visited one of the cafés there named Suwol-ok (수월옥), designed as an old-fashioned, traditional-style Korean home.

The trip to Buyeo took me back two millennia to the Baekje Kingdom – to the king’s palace, to village life, to Baekje culture, to delicious cuisine, and to scenic beauty – and all in one day! I recommend that, when you have time for a one-day trip, you consider experiencing the Baekje Kingdom in Buyeo. You’ll be glad you did!

Photographs by Emmanuela Sabatini.

The Author

Emmanuela Sabatini is originally from Jakarta, Indonesia. After graduating with a master’s degree in South Korea, she did an internship at the Gwangju International Center during September–December 2020. Since March 2021, she has enjoyed a career in one of the many educational institutions in South Korea. You can follow her life journey at www.emmasabatini.com. @emmasabatini