[Joyongjun's Travel Journey] Twisting, Twisting Slow Steps, The Aesthetics of 3km Slowness

Yeseon Slow City Journey - Feeling the Charm While Walking Along the Cozy Village Road

Yesan Slow City Daeheung Neurin Kkoburang-gil Guide (Korea Tourism Organization)

Yedangho Slow Lakeside Trail

Yedangho Suspension Bridge

Sudeoksa

Sudeok Yeogwan

The Loving Brothers Park

[Asia Economy, Yongjun Cho, Travel Specialist] Slow City Daeheung, located in Daeheung-myeon, Yesan-gun, Chungnam, encompasses villages around Yesangho Lake such as Gyochon-ri, Dongseo-ri, and Sangjung-ri. True to its name, Slow City combines natural, cultural, and historical elements. In September 2009, the International Cittaslow Federation officially certified it as a Slow City. It is the sixth in South Korea and the 121st worldwide. Slow City is the English expression of the Italian word cittaslow, meaning 'slow city movement.' Originating from the slow food movement in 1986, which opposed fast food, it extends the spirit of leisurely eating to life itself, signifying a city that wisely preserves tradition and natural ecology while pursuing the aesthetics of slowness. In other words, Slow City invites travelers to explore more slowly and attentively. The average walking speed on flat ground is about 4 km/h. How about walking at a slower pace of around 3 km/h? Yesan Slow City Daeheung is an ideal place to stroll slowly and capture the warm village scenery. Not only that, you cannot miss the beautiful sunset over Yesangho Lake and the popular suspension bridge. Also, there are notable travel spots representing Yesan’s Naepo area, such as Sudeoksa Temple and Sudeok Inn (Chungnam Monument).

The starting point for Yesan Slow City Daeheung is the Visitor Center, where you can obtain maps and promotional materials filled with various information. Before embarking on the village tour, let's briefly learn about the 'Good-hearted Brothers.'

Many may have encountered this story in elementary school textbooks. Long ago, there lived two brothers who were very close. One autumn night, after the harvest, the brothers worried about each other's bundles of rice stalks. Each carried his own bundle and stacked it on the other's bundle. Because both acted the same way, the bundles neither decreased nor increased. One night, while carrying the bundles, they met and realized the truth, embracing each other with tears.

Once considered a folktale, this story was confirmed as true when the 'Brotherly Love Monument' was discovered in Daeheung-myeon in 1978. At the village entrance, a park themed around the brothers' story, called the Good-hearted Brothers Park, was created. It features old houses and sculptures depicting their lifestyle at the time, as well as a crane and a pit house made of rice straw, all worth seeing.

Now, let's embark on the slow journey. Traveling through Slow City Daeheung is simple. Walking along the village paths, you can visit most of the attractions. The 'Slow Winding Path' connecting various parts of the village is divided into three courses. You can choose the path you want to walk by referring to the map obtained at the Visitor Center.

Course 1 (Old Story Path) is 5.1 km and takes about 90 minutes. The first spot you encounter is the 'Tree Where the Boat Was Tied.' It is said that General So Jeongbang of the Tang Dynasty tied his boat here when he came with the Tang-Silla allied forces to attack the Baekje restoration army. It is a zelkova tree over 1,000 years old. From here, you pass through Bongsusan Natural Recreation Forest and Aegipokpo Waterfall before descending to Daeheung Dongheon.

Course 2 (Slow Path) is 4.6 km and takes about 60 minutes. Aegipokpo Waterfall and Daeheung Dongheon overlap with Course 1. Daeheung Dongheon (Chungnam Tangible Cultural Property) is the only remaining government office building in Yesan-gun and was used as the Daeheung-myeon office from 1914 to 1979. Across from Daeheung Dongheon is the Snail Art Museum, which was converted from the Daeheung Health Center building. It is a space to learn about Slow City Daeheung and experience slow living firsthand.

Course 2 follows the Dongseo-ri Stream and passes the mid-slope of Bongsusan Mountain. The village scenery encountered along the way is heartwarming. After passing Aegipokpo Waterfall, you walk the 'Path of Contemplation' along a gentle hill. Enjoy a quiet time with the scent of the forest and the refreshing breeze filling your nostrils. Behind the Path of Contemplation is the 'Peddler’s Path,' once traveled by peddlers. Yesan was a base for peddlers in the late Joseon period, and they traveled between Hongseong and Yesan along this path.

After passing the Peddler’s Path and continuing down, you reach Daeheung Hyanggyo. Daeheung Hyanggyo (Chungnam Monument) overlaps with Course 3 (Love Path). The ginkgo tree in front of Daeheung Hyanggyo is over 600 years old and affectionately called the 'Love Tree.' About 150 years ago, a zelkova tree took root inside the ginkgo tree, and now they live as one. Course 3 is 3.3 km and takes about 50 minutes. It passes through rice paddy ridges between Gyochon-ri fields, especially charming in autumn. Any course on the Slow Winding Path takes 60 to 90 minutes to walk, and the entire route takes just over three hours.

The village offers various hands-on programs such as making wish mobiles, fans, and jegi (Korean traditional shuttlecock). The most popular experience is making egg bundles. Children, who have only seen egg cartons at supermarkets, are wide-eyed with wonder. The coarse-looking straw is soft, and following the instructions makes it easy to create. Residents’ works are exhibited at the Snail Art Museum. There are jars, baskets, and bags?all made from straw, which is astonishing. Currently, these programs are suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but may resume when social distancing measures are eased.

Across the village lies Yesangho Lake, created to irrigate the Yesang Plain. Completed in 1963, it has a circumference of 40 km. There is a 5.2 km 'Slow Lakeside Path' along the lakeshore. Walking along the wooden deck over the lake, you can feel the late winter atmosphere of the lake. The fishing platforms scattered in the middle of the lake seem to herald the warm scenes of the coming spring. You can also walk the Yesangho Suspension Bridge, opened in 2019, and visit Yesangho Sculpture Park, which offers a panoramic view of the lake.

Even beyond Slow City Daeheung, Yesan offers many leisurely travel destinations. Among them, you cannot miss Sudeoksa Temple, a representative ancient temple of the Yesan Naepo area. The bulging pillars of Sudeoksa’s Daeungjeon Hall (National Treasure) naturally evoke awe. The unadorned wooden lattice doors quietly press upon the hearts of those standing before them. Visitors praying with clasped hands inside the hall wear serious expressions.

Walking around beside Daeungjeon, you encounter the pinnacle of its beauty. The side view of the gabled roof perfectly displays the essence of simple beauty without any excess.

Below Sudeoksa is Sudeok Inn. Sudeok Inn (Chungnam Monument) holds traces of singer Yoon Sim-deok, writer Kim Il-yeop?one of the three great new women of the late Joseon period?and painter Na Hye-seok. It was also the residence of painter Lee Ungno before he went to study in France in 1958. The rock sculpture in front of Sudeok Inn is a petroglyph left by Lee Ungno. He carved it upon returning from the Dongbaekrim Incident; it resembles both letters and human figures.

You must not miss the old house where the calligrapher Kim Jeonghui (Chusa) was born. It is a typical Joseon-era noble house in the shape of a square (ㅁ). It feels as if you can hear Chusa’s dry cough from somewhere inside the room. To the left of the old house is Chusa’s tomb, relocated from Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do, in the 1930s. Next to it stands the Chusa Memorial Hall.

Yesan = Text and photos by Yongjun Cho, Travel Specialist jun21@

◇ Travel Notes

△ Getting There = To reach Yesangho by car from the Seoul metropolitan area, take the Seohaean Expressway, then transfer to the Dangjin-Yeongdeok Expressway at the Dangjin Junction. Exit at the Yesan Sudeoksa Interchange, then follow Guksabong-ro and Yesang Tourist Road to reach the Good-hearted Brothers Road and Slow City Visitor Center.

△ Food = Gwangsi Hanwoo Village boasts over 30 years of tradition. It has formed a town due to word of mouth about its tender meat and reasonable prices. In Sapgyo-eup, restaurants specializing in beef head soup and grilled pork intestines are clustered. Near the entrance to Sudeoksa, many restaurants serve mountain vegetable set meals and bibimbap.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.