[Jo Yongjun's Journey] Walking the Path of Yellow and Red Spring Flowers and the Novel

Literary Trip to Jangheung
Cheongwansan Camellia Forest Filled with Blood
Canola Fields in Seonhak-dong, the Novel's Setting

On a spring day, the land of Jangheung in Jeonnam is filled with the fragrance of literature. The spring energy bursts forth from the blooming canola flowers on the hill of Seonhak-dong, a small coastal village, as well as from the camellia forest trail of Cheongwansan. The mountains and seas of Jangheung, including Cheongwansan and Deukryang Bay, serve as vivid backdrops in the outstanding works of literary figures. Perhaps because of this, when traveling through Jangheung, one might feel as if a scene from a novel is unfolding or imagine the protagonist appearing from somewhere. Following the spring literary trail, we enter the works where people become scenery and stories come alive.

In April, bright yellow canola flowers bloom profusely in Seonhak-dong Village. Following this path, you can step into the scenery of Lee Cheong-jun's novel.

Among the writers born in Jangheung, the late Lee Cheong-jun (1939?2008) best expressed the sentiment of his hometown. Many Jangheung-born authors have written works set in Jangheung, such as Song Gi-suk’s novel "Nokdu General," Han Seung-won’s "Port," and Lee Seung-woo’s "Saemseom." However, Lee Cheong-jun stands on a different level. Few would oppose naming him as one of the most intellectual writers who illuminated modern Korean literature. More than 20 of his works, including the representative "Snowy Road," "Festival," and "Seonhak-dong Traveler," were born against the backdrop of his hometown. Director Im Kwon-taek adapted several of Lee Cheong-jun’s novels into films, among which "Festival" and "The Thousand-Year Crane" (originally "Seonhak-dong Traveler") were filmed in Jangheung.

The birthplace of Lee Cheong-jun in Jinmok Village

Works by Lee Cheong-jun Exhibited at the Birthplace

The first place visitors usually arrive at is Lee Cheong-jun’s birthplace in Jinmok Village. Traveling from Jangheung-eup toward Cheongwansan, you reach Jinmok-ri in Hoejin-myeon. There, you can trace the breath of the late writer at his birthplace. Entering the modest village’s narrow alley and stepping into the house, travelers are greeted by a room quietly displaying relics and photographs and a yard with traditional jangdokdae (earthenware pots).

Leaving the birthplace, you begin the "Jeongnamjin Literary Trail" Course 1, "Snowy Road." It is a forest path stretching 4.6 km from the village, passing the old mountain pass, to Yeonji Samgeori in Daedeok-eup. This is where the most beautiful modern Korean novel, "Snowy Road," was born. "Snowy Road" depicts Lee Cheong-jun’s harrowing memory of visiting his hometown after hearing that his family home had fallen into the hands of creditors.

In the winter of his second year in high school, while studying in Gwangju, Lee Cheong-jun hears the news that his family home has been taken over by others. Returning to his hometown, he spends a night in the old house, now someone else’s, with his mother. That night’s memory forms the plot of the novel "Snowy Road."

Canola Field in Seonhak-dong Village

Upon hearing that her son was coming, the mother pleaded with the homeowner to let her son stay in the old house. The mother and son walk to the three-way intersection where the intercity bus stop is located at dawn the next day. It was a snowy dawn, and only their footprints marked the path. After the bus carrying her son departs, the mother walks back alone along the same road.

The second course of the literary trail is called "Literary Road," extending 3.5 km from the three-way intersection to Cheongwansan Literary Park. From the intersection, heading toward Hoejin Port leads to Seonhak-dong. In his novel, the author wrote, "When the port fills with water, Gwaneumbong Peak drifts over the water like a crane. Seonhak-dong was a village nestled in the embrace of a flying crane. That is how the village came to be called Seonhak-dong." Seonhak-dong is a fictional place name, but the actual setting, Sanjeo Village, was renamed Seonhak-dong Village after the film shoot. It was also the site of a one-month living project by the celebrity couple Choi Soo-jong and Ha Hee-ra on a TV variety show. From April to early May, canola flowers bloom profusely, and in autumn, buckwheat flowers cover the area.

From the middle of Seonhak-dong, the shimmering Deukryang Bay spreads widely. At the port, the tin-roofed set of Im Kwon-taek’s 100th film "The Thousand-Year Crane," based on "Seonhak-dong Traveler," recalls those times.

Camellia flowers viewed from the Dongbaekrim Observatory at Cheongwansan

The scattered red camellias add to the charm.

Leaving Seonhak-dong, head to Cheongwansan Literary Park, the place that creates the red spring days of Jangheung. Cheongwansan, counted among the five famous mountains of Honam along with Jirisan and Naejangsan, has a camellia forest covering 200,000 square meters. It is the largest natural camellia habitat in Korea and is designated and managed as a forest genetic resource protection forest.

Following the forest road toward Cheongwansan Natural Recreation Forest, you will see a large monument inscribed "The Best Camellia Forest in the World, Cheongwansan." To the right of the monument is a stone commemorating the 2007 record for the largest single-species habitat in Korea, and to the left is a monument with the song "Cheongwansan Camellia Forest." The song begins, "I went to see the camellia flowers in the valley of Cheongwansan, and the silk hem sparkled all around. Jeongnamjin camellia flowers, red love, so beautiful..." The lyrics were written by the late Kim Hwang-hee, a poet and environmental activist who created many environmental songs.

Forest road leading to the Camellia forest of Cheongwansan

Descending from the monument, you will find an observatory. This is the place to take in the camellia forest at a glance. On sunny days, the glossy camellia leaves sparkle endlessly.

The forest is as charming from the inside as it is from the outside. Once inside, the camellia leaves are so dense that the sky is barely visible. Starting from the upper observatory, the trail descends. Keep in mind that returning to the starting point requires walking uphill the same distance. The trail is partly wooden deck but mostly dirt path, with a babbling stream flowing alongside. The atmosphere of an untouched primeval forest remains. Walking through the forest, one’s heart is tickled by camellia flowers casually fallen on the stream or dirt path.

A Quiet Beach Encountered on Han Seung-won's Literary Walkway

The village of Nampo in Yongsan-myeon, the setting of the film "Festival," should not be missed. Nampo is a quiet seaside village with a few pine trees standing on Sodeung Island in front of the village. Facing Sodeung Island, one recalls both the original novel and the film. The modest coastline of the port, the quietly spreading sea, and the island floating in the village’s front sea resemble a picturesque painting.

Also, in front of the writing studio of novelist Han Seung-won, Haesanto Cave, the "Han Seung-won Literary Walk" welcomes visitors. It is a 600-meter walking path tracing his vivid and salty language drawn from the sea.

◆Travel Notes

△How to get there=From the Seoul metropolitan area, take the Honam Expressway, exit at Munheung IC, and take National Route 29 to reach Jangheung. From the Seohaean Expressway, exit at Mokpo IC, take the Mokpo-Gwangyang Expressway, and exit at Jangheung IC.

△Attractions=Jeongnamjin Cypress Forest Wood Land, Jeongnamjin Observatory, Sodeung Island, Deukryang Bay, Jeongnamjin Jangheung Saturday Market, and more. The Jangheung Water Festival held in summer is so popular it is called the festival of festivals.

△Food=We recommend Jangheung Hanwoo Samhap, a representative dish made from the land and sea of Jangheung. It combines high-quality Hanwoo beef raised in pristine nature, shiitake mushrooms, a representative agricultural product of Jangheung, and fresh pen shell scallops from Deukryang Bay. The subtle shiitake aroma, tender pen shell scallops, and juicy Hanwoo beef each and together unleash their charm in your mouth.