Mungyeong Saejae Outdoor Performance Venue to 3rd Gate... Enjoy Scenic Views on a 7km Walk
Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy, "Plan Your Trip on Gyeongbuk's Roads This Fall"
'Mungyeong Saejae Barefoot Festival,' over 10,000 barefoot walking clubs and participants gathered from across the country waiting for the starting signal.
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwi-yeol] Passing the autumnal equinox, the threshold of autumn according to the solar calendar, the mornings and evenings feel cool, but the daytime sunshine is still filled with heat.
On the 20th, the outdoor performance venue at ‘Mungyeong Saejae’ was bustling from early morning.
About 10,000 barefoot walking club members and participants from across the country were waiting for the start like athletes at the 100m starting line. Their coordinated outfits were a spectacular sight.
With the powerful signal of the ‘2022 Mungyeong Saejae Barefoot Festival,’ everyone started simultaneously.
On this day, Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, Shin Hyun-guk, Mayor of Mungyeong, Park Young-seo, Vice Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, the Chairman of Mungyeong City Council, and local council members also walked together.
The distance of this barefoot walking festival was 7 km, starting from the Mungyeong Saejae outdoor performance venue to the 3rd gate.
Entering the 1st gate (Juhul Gate), groups of three to five people chatted warmly, creating a friendly atmosphere.
Along the way, participants took commemorative photos with backgrounds such as the Time Capsule Plaza celebrating the 100th anniversary of Gyeongbuk Province’s establishment, the Mungyeong Saejae open set, and Gyogujeong, where the Joseon Gyeongsang Governor handed over duties.
Although the hot sun was rising, the shaded, tree-lined path provided ample coolness.
The barefoot procession passed the 1st gate (Juhul Gate) and entered the 2nd gate (Jogok Gate).
Near Jogok Gate, participants quenched their thirst with water from the Jogok spring flowing through the valley, and at the roadside tavern, reminiscent of the Joseon Hanyang road, scholars and merchants were seen refreshing themselves with a cool glass of Makgeolli, as if relieving their fatigue.
As the procession entered the 3rd gate (Joryeong Gate), the line seemed to shorten slightly, reaching the destination where participants received their completion medals.
Walking is the best exercise. It is said that walking releases serotonin, the happiness hormone, which promotes health.
Especially, barefoot walking, which connects you with the earth, improves immunity through contact with good bacteria, balances brain development, and discharges static electricity from the body, keeping diseases at bay.
For children, it fosters creativity and social skills, and has effects such as alleviating colds, asthma, and atopy.
This top barefoot walking spot is also near the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office. It is the Cheonnyeon Forest Hwangto Trail.
Located where the provincial office is visible, this place features an 800m Hwangto (loess) trail through the millennium forest, a Hwangto experience center, a Hwangto acupressure path, and foot washing facilities. It serves as a healing and relaxation spot for residents of the new provincial office, a place to maintain health, and a playground for children.
Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy, who attended the event, said, “Mungyeong Saejae is a healing road so highly regarded that it was selected as the number one domestic tourist destination Koreans must visit. Autumn is a perfect season for walking. In Gyeongbuk, many themed trails, healing paths, coastal roads, and forest trails are well developed by region. I hope people plan trips along Gyeongbuk’s trails this coming autumn.”
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