VISIT JEJU

Springtime begins with a splendid fire, one that burns so hot it seems like the entire island is engulfed. It’s a time to reduce past misfortunes to cinders and welcome prosperity anew. The Jeju Fire Festival, which this year is from March 7 to the 10th, gives visitors fresh hope for the future. Highlights include the controlled lighting on fire of a section of Saebyeol Oreum, a volcanic cone, on the third day of the festival.

In Korean, the word for the canola flower, or yuchae, evokes the idea of cheerfulness. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why walking among the yellow blossoms is so attractive. During the month of March, you’ll find this cheerful flower all around the island, but the area around Sanbangsan Mountain and the Handam coast at Aewol are especially rich. You can take plenty of spectacular nature photographs here as a precious Jeju keepsake.

We recommend a one-day flower arranging class as a special way to greet spring in Jeju. Businesses that offer these classes include the flower shops Kkotnang and Early Spring Flower in Jeju City, and Mirena in Dumo village, Hangyeong-myeon. If you want to apply for a one-day class with them, you will need to book a week or two in advance. If you are planning to take your wedding photos here or simply shoot selfies of your time on Jeju, think about taking what you learned in the flower arranging class to make your own personalized bouquet for the photo-op!

Imagine the sweet taste of a flowering blossom in a sip of tea. It’s quite hard to imagine without first experiencing it. If you’d like to try this for yourself, Musang Tea House is in the Yongdam area of Jeju City and Dorihwagwa is in Ora-dong, Jeju City. The first operates from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with magnolia blossom and ginger tree blossom teas being their representative menu items. It is closed Wednesdays. Dorihwagwa, meanwhile, has a variety of black and herbal teas, in particular peach flower petal tea. It is open from noon to 8 p.m. and is closed Tuesdays.

In Nakcheon village there are 9 rituals, or ‘gut’ in Korean, so this is how it got its name Nakcheon-ri Nine Rituals Village. You’ll find the Nakcheon Chair Park here, boasting 1,000 examples of chair sculptures placed all about the natural landscape. There is also a fun experience program offered here where you can make Jeju barley pizza or hand-pulled barley dough flakes.

Geumsan Park is a protected forest designated as a natural monument by the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. This region is the only evergreen forest that remains in the flat western district of Jeju City. It is composed of evergreen trees and 200 other species of temperate zone plants. Historically, the comfortable climate of Nabeup village meant that was a preferred place for classical scholars to live, converse, and write.

Behind Jeju International Airport you can enjoy the bright colors of spring along the Yongdam Coastal Road near Dodubong Peak. The barrier wall there has been painted in bright colors, making it a fun, picturesque place to take selfies with family and friends. The walls of Deoreok Elementary School in Aewol-eup have also been transformed with a pleasant coat of rainbow paint. It brings smiles to people’s faces as they explore this tourist attraction. Please note: This is a working school, so no one is allowed on the grounds before 6 p.m. on weekdays. Please respect the privacy of students by not taking their photographs or causing distractions.

On the eastern side of Jeju Island on the mid-mountain area of Hallasan Mountain at Songdang Village is an easy to climb volcanic cone with an amazingly circular crater. The outer circumference is about 1,400m but it’s only 51m from the base to the crater lip. There is a heavily forested area of cedars but it is possible to walk the circumference slowly. It’s a pleasant springtime walk that should be easy for most visitors.

How would you feel if you suddenly became a giant? In Seogwipo there is a place that can help you imagine just what it would be like. Soingook Theme Park has scale models of various world famous buildings ranging from Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul to the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall. Another highlight is their “Alice: Into the Rabbit Hole,” exhibit which started last September. Twelve teams of artists put together a media art display reproducing scenes from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll.

The filefish is called gaegjuli in Korean and jwichi in the Jeju language. It is commonly eaten dried like a jerky, in which case it is called jwipo. The filefish is especially common in Jeju stews and is favored for its unique combination of salty and sweet flavors. Filefish are caught year round but when the weather prevents them from being caught, restaurants run out of this key ingredient from time to time. If you are very keen on trying Jeju fishfish dishes, then it might be a good idea to call in advance to double check availability.