The romance of spring fragrance…Time to set out on a journey
(Published March 26, 2013)

[Visit Gyeeonggi Province for spring outing ①] Colorful flowers and green sprouts of Anseong and Pyeongtaek area welcome the fragrant spring. The spring wind carrying the refreshing smell of fields, appetizing food, and smile of people all deliver the scent of the spring in swarms. Now, I’d like to introduce tourist spots of Gyeonggi Province full of the spring fragrance, which are suitable for joyful spring outings. Spring of Gyeonggi Province is romance.
 
☞ Spring outing course carrying the fragrance of fields and traditions
 
Anseong Farmland → 6km(12min.) → Anseong Machum Museum → 5km(10min.) → meal(Anseong Jangteo Gukbap) → 7km(12min.) → Namsadang Concert Hall
 
■ The field of spring ‘Anseong Farmland’

◇ Anseong Farmland is the largest amusement park for livestock experience in the nation and is the most beautiful in April, when ryes become green. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
As the air shimmers, the new buds of ryes appear on the fields. It’s heartwarming to hear sounds of laughter of children running along the white fence at the large green land. Refreshing smell of the field brought by the spring wind is a gift of spring.
 
Anseong Farmland is the largest farm amusement park for livestock experience in the nation, where visitors can see a variety of cattle grazing and strolling about and also cowsheds. It is amazing to see the Frisbee performance at the dog show performance hall, and it is joyful to run with, touch, and feed various livestock. The Farmland runs a variety of experience programs including horse riding and making ice cream, cheese and animal-shaped cookies. It has the most beautiful views in April, when ryes become green, and it created shepherd’s purse farms in large scale for the operation of ‘Spring Shepherd’s Purse Picking Experience’, where visitors pick the shepherd’s purses by themselves.
 
Charge: KRW 8,000 for children & teenagers (at the ages of 3~18), K
RW 10,000 for adults (Tractor carriage : KRW 4,000 for children & teenagers, KRW 5,000 for adults / Horse riding : KRW 10,000)
Open hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (Foodvill Market & restaurants: 10:00 to 22:00) Closed on Mondays
Contact: 031-8053-7979 http://www.nhasfarmland.com/
Address: 451 Sindu-ri, Gongdo-eup, Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province
 
■ Anseong Machum Museum◇ Anseong Machum Museum is a theme museum displaying a variety of materials and data related to history, types, and the producing process of Anseong Traditional Brassware, other brassware for living, the local data, and data related to the agricultural history. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
Anseong has a long reputation for brassware. ‘Anseong Machum’, which refers to ‘ideal and perfect’ in English, derived from upstanding craftsmanship and excellent skills of the craftsmen. Anseong Machum Museum is a theme museum displaying a variety of local data and data related to the agricultural history of Anseong City as well as history, types, and the production process of Anseong Traditional Brassware and other brassware for living. Group visitors can be guided by culture and tourism guides at request other than regular guide time.
 
Entrance Fee: Free for minors/seniors, KRW 500 for others
Open hours: 09:00 to 18:00, Closed on Mondays
Contact: 031-676-4352 http://www.anseong.go.kr/position/museum/
Address: 4726-15 Seodongdae-ro, Daedeok-myeon, Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province
 
■ Delicious food – Anseong Jangteo Gukbap◇ Anseong Jangteo Gukbap keeps the original taste of the old Gukbap (Korean traditional hot soup with steamed rice) which was served in full in an earthen pot at the corner of the busy marketplace (‘Jangteo’ in Korean) ⓒ G-News Plus

Anseong Jangteo Gukbap handed down over 4 generations, remaining for a hundred years together with Anseong Traditional Market. It still keeps the original taste of the old hot Gukbap, which was served in full in an earthen pot at the corner of the busy marketplace. The soup which is boiled down with beef led bones, briskets and flanks, and then together with dried radish greens, taros, and bean sprouts for a total of 13 hours, tastes deep from the first try. Despite a handful of beef contained in the soup, the price is still KRW 5,000. Anseong Jangteo Gukbap is a great comfort to ordinary people.
 
Price: KRW 5,000 for a Jangteo Gukbap, KRW 5,000 for Mug bean jeon
Open hours: 07:00 to 21:00, Open year-round
Contact: 031-674-9494
Address: 20-2 Dogi-dong, Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province
Recommendation for linkage tour – Namsadang Concert Hall
 
■ Namsadang Concert Hall
 ◇ Namsadang Concert Hall of Anseong is a dedicated venue for Namsadang Nori, which was built in Anseong City, a base of Namsadang, to succeed and develop the performance continued from the late of Joseon Dynasty. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
Namsadang Concert Hall is a dedicated venue for Namsadang Nori, located in Anseong, a base of Namsadang, to succeed and develop the performance continued from the late of Joseon Dynasty. Throughout the performance including the enthusiastic Poong-mul Nori, Beona Nori showing complaints and humors of the grass roots, and tightrope walking showing the tightrope walker’s jokes and arts, the performers touch the audiences with sincere stories of their lives. At the wrap-up party after the show, the performance groups and audiences enjoy in harmony. That is, the groups run traditional culture experience classes where audiences can enjoy and learn Namsadang Nori in rhythm.
 
Charge: KRW 1,000
Open hours: Sat. 16:00 to 18:00, Sun. 14:30 to 16:00
Contact: 031-675-3925 http://www.namsadangnori.org/
Address: 34-3 Bokpyeong-ri, Bogae-myeon, Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province

☞ Spring outing course enjoying wild greens

Sudosa Temple → Temple stay → Buddhist temple food experience → 15km (20min.) → Pyeongtaek Lake Tourist Complex
 
■ Temple stay full of fragrance of wild greens, ‘Sudosa Temple’◇ Sudosa Temple is a Buddhist temple for slow-food experience, designated by Gyeonggi Province, and is famous for the place where Saint Wonhyo drank water in the skull and then achieved the spiritual awakening. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
After the dawn-time Buddhist service and 108 prostration, the special schedule of temple stay ‘Unryeok(labor time)’ starts. Unryeok, as one of the important Buddhist practices, is the labor time in public with the chief priest to collect wild greens such as aster scaber and Wonchuri in a basket in full. After the time, visitors learn, make by themselves, and taste Buddhist temple food by using spring vegetables in the vegetable garden. For lunch, they experience Balwoo Gongyang with newly-cooked hot steamed rice and wild greens of special scents and tastes. This is what only Sudosa temple stay specializing in Buddhist temple food experience can offer.
 
It is a Buddhist temple for slow-food experience, designated by Gyeonggi Province, and is famous for the place where Saint Wonhyo achieved the spiritual awakening after drinking water in the skull.
 
Charge: KRW 60,000 for 2 days 1 night
Open hours: 16:00 to 15:00 of the next day
Contact: 031-682-3169 http://www.templefood.co.kr
Address: 119-1 San, Wonjung-ri, Poseung-myeon, Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province
 
■ Temple life – Buddhist temple food experience◇ At Sudosa Temple, visitors can learn to make Buddhist temple food by the guide of Priest Jeokmoon, an authority of Buddhist temple food. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
This program offers learning and cooking program of Buddhist temple food by the guide of Priest Jeokmoon, an authority of Buddhist temple food. During the program, visitors can learn the origin and characteristics of the foods and see how to cook various temple foods including temple vegetables per seasons, lotus soup, oyster mushroom soup, and aster scaber & soft tofu gimbap with the theme of popular and special Buddhist temple foods such as those preventing lifestyle diseases, those for diet purpose, and health foods. Through the foods, visitors can feel the gratitude for their being and value the nature.

Due to an increase in the Buddhist temple foods, 3-month regular programs are always crowded with learners to capacity.
 
Charge: KRW 40,000
Open hours: 09:00 to 14:30
Contact: 031-682-3169 http://www.templefood.co.kr
Address: 119-1 San, Wonjung-ri, Poseung-myeon, Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province
 
■ Pyeongtaek Lake Tourist District◇ Visitors can appreciate craftworks and artworks of the regional artists at the pyramid-shaped Pyeongtaek Lake Art Center. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
In Pyeongtaek Lake, created by building 2km of Asan Bay Seawall in the sea between Pyeongtaek City and Asan City of Southern Chungcheong Province, visitors can enjoy the natural scenery of the sea and the lake. A variety of attractions such as wooden decks around the lake, sculptures for memorable photos, 105 meters –high water fountain, drama location sets, and recollective drive-in theater welcome the spring tourists. At the pyramid-shaped Pyeongtaek Lake Art Center, visitors can appreciate craftworks and artworks of the regional artists.

Free of Charge
Contact: 031-8024-8687
Address: 26-15 Gisan-gil, Hyundeok-myeon, Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province
 
ⓒ G-News Plus News | Lee Joon-kyun eyekle0723@kg21.net
 
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