Jeju Island

Wel...I did not do that well keeping up with my research! Things have been very, very busy. School finished up. It has taken me quite a while to get things organized, packed, and my family's schedule all set for the time I will be gone. 

Here is some information I pulled of the website for Jeju Island. We will be there for two nights. Lots of things are planned! Here is brief description of each of them.


Jungmun Beach

This beach is surrounded by steep cliffs that create a cozy and romantic atmosphere. It is situated within the Jungmun Tourism Complex where visitors can enjoy summer vacation by taking advantage of a variety of entertainment and recreation facilities. You can enjoy wind surfing, water skiing, parasailing and swimming in the indigo sea. You can feel the soft wind on a sandy hill and listen to the waves rolling into the rocks. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs selected Jungmun Seakdal Beach as the best beach in Korea under the four categories of management, water quality control, scenery and safety. After sea bathing, it would be great to take a slow walk through the gardens of famous hotels nearby.


Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum

The display all the way from the formation of Jeju Island to the ecology of its natural resources and its unique culture, to help visitors to understand the island and people better. When you enter from the left, the first thing you will see is the natural history exhibition room. Here, the history of the formation of Jeju Island is shown through geological models and samples of mushrooms and citrus. Folk exhibition room No. 1 displays materials on the rite of passage from birth to death of the Jeju natives and folk exhibition room No. 2 shows materials that represent the traditional ways of living, including those used by the haenyeo (diving women), and farming and hunting tools. You can also see scenes of Jeju people making their living in the traditional ways. The outdoor exhibition space holds agricultural stone tools such as a millstone and a Jeongjuseok (gate stone), and other traditional cultural objects.

Youngdaum: Dragon Head Rock

Yong means 'dragon', du means 'head' and 'am' means 'rock. Yongduam was thus named as it resembles a dragon’s head. The best-known legend has it that an envoy that the Dragon King sent was looking for a medicinal plant on Mount Halla when the mountain god shot an arrow at him, and he fell and died. If you walk down the stairs to the east, you can sample fresh seafood that the haenyeo (female divers) has just caught, such as octopus, sea cucumber and sea squirt. You won’t be tempted by other food in any luxurious restaurant after you have eaten fresh seafood while sitting on a rock by the ocean lulled by gentle waves. When the waves surge over Dragon Head Rock, it looks as if the dragon is about to ascend to heaven.

Seongeup Folk Village

The Seongeup Folk Village has preserved and recreated a traditional Jeju town as it used to be. The thatched roofs weighed down with rocks to prevent them being blown away by the wind are particularly memorable. The village, where Ilgwanheon, a district office where the Jeonguihyungam (mayor) worked during the Choseon Dynasty, and castle built during the reign of King Sejong are preserved, is designated as Important Folk Material No. 188.

Haenyeo (Woman Diver)

The number of women divers who were once a symbol of the strong Jeju women is dramatically decreasing, largely because women have more job opportunities because of more education and a more diverse industrial structure. In addition, more and more women are avoiding the backbreaking labor in the ocean. Mothers do not want their daughters to follow in their footsteps into this strenuous and inherently dangerous profession.

The decrease in women divers entails a reduction in the number of fishermen. According to the survey by the Jeju Provincial Government in 2006, among the total of 5,406 women divers (as of the late of last year), those over 60 accounted for 65.8% (3,557), those between 50 and 59 24.6% (1,331), and those between 30 and 39 9.6% (518), and those below 30 were merely 2. This demonstrates that women divers are decreasing in number. This is in marked contrast to the 1970s when the percentage of divers over 60 was 4.6%.

Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak)

99 rocky peaks surround the crater like a fortress and the gentle southern slope connected to water is a lush grassland. On the grassland at the entrance of Sunrise Peak, you can enjoy horseback riding. Breathtaking scenic views while taking a rest in the middle of climbing up the peak such as Mount Halla, the deep blues of the ocean, the multi-colored coast line, and the picturesque neighboring villages will become unforgettable memories.

The Road of Mystery

The Jeju Mysterious Road, also known as Dokkaebi Road, lies on a hill at the foot of a mountain, and connects two major highways on Jejudo Island. It has earned its name, as objects and liquid appear to roll and flow up the hill instead of down, when, in fact, such image of gravity defiance is an optical illusion rendered by the seemingly high surroundings.

Halla Arboretum   

Halla Arboretum (한라수목원) was established for the study and the preservation of natural environment. Opened in December 1993, Gwangioreum there are 909 kinds of native trees and subtropical plants exhibited here. In the gardens there are 506 kinds of trees and 90 kinds of plants, and in the greenhouse there is the Subtropical Plant Hall (105 kinds) and the Native Plant Hall (103 kinds) with a total of 208 types of plants. There are 2,722 stumps of endangered and rare plants such as the Michelia Compressa and Euchresta Japonica, and the Chloranthus Glaber that only grows at Cheonjiyeon. At Halla Arboretum you can meet the four-season flower forest, colorful forests, and the beautiful seasons of mother nature at Halla.

Hongik Child Welfare

http://www.jejuweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=667

I have not been able to find much on this agency. I finally came across this article describing it. We are also visiting a location called "ChangAhm Children's Rehabilitation Home," but I have not been able to find any information on this.

Honggik is an orphanage, so I am imagining it is going to be a very emotional visit for everyone on the trip.