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Start
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Donghaewon
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Royal Tomb of King Muryeong
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Gongju Hanok Village
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Gongju National Museum
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Muin Hotel
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Cherry Blossom Festival
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Donghak Temple
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Finish
1 Night 2 Days Gongju Travel
Among a number of Jjamppong restaurants, there are several ones that have a title, 'Korea's Top 5 Jjamppong'. It's not chosen by authorized organizations. It's introduced by bloggers who cover famous restaurants and reporters but Donghaewon got credit for its good taste by the public as well. Korea's top 5 Jjamppong restaurants include Bokseongru in Gunsan, Gyodong Banjeom in Gangreung, Yeongbinru in Songtan(Pyeongtaek), Jinheung Banjeom in Daegu, and Donghaewon in Gongju. We came to Gongju, then don't we have to try Jjamppong that is well-known throughout the country?
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Actually I have tried all the top 5 Jjamppongs, and I found a characteristic that these restaurants look small and shabby and have long waiting lines. Donghaewon is modern, neat, and large compared to other top 5 restaurants. It was also simple like a grandmother's house, but the restaurant was moved to here and rebuilt largely after the original spot had been redeveloped. Anyway it was very crowded on the week day when I visited. I waited just about 10 minutes due to its large size, though.
Among customers, I'm the only foreigner. Others are mostly local employees and residents. Usually well-known restaurants to tourists are likely to be neglected by local people, but this restaurant is not.
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Open hour of Donghaewon is only 4 hours during lunch time from 11 am to 3 pm. If you think you would have dinner, you would have no choice but to turn away at the door. This limited time keeps eaters dangling.
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It's a new building so inside of the restaurant is big and neat. This large restaurant was already full of customers and I had to wait outside. I could get a seat in 10 minutes due to many rooms and seats in the hall.
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Mostly top 5 Jjamppong restaurants have simple menus. There is even a restaurant that only sells Jjamppong. Unlike these restaurants, Donghaewon has Jajangmyeon so we ordered one Jjamppong and one Jajangmyeon.
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After 10 minutes, Jjamppong came out first. Its broth looks very red and spicy. I'm wondering what this Jjamppong that is allowed to try for only 4 hours taste like.
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I like the top 5 Jjamppongs, because their broth tastes unique and special compared to normal Chinese restaurants. The broth of Donghaewon is also very spicy at first. I coughed several times… but it leaves refreshing and clean aftertaste. You would forget its spicy flavor while eating the noodles. The broth of common Jjamppong is made of mainly the seafood such as mussels, squids, and shrimps. It's strong to the first taste and leaves a simple aftertaste.Appreciating its flavor carefully, I taste savory and cool with pork and squids. Besides, ample sweet vegetables such as zucchinis, cabbages, onions, and chives are in the broth, so it tastes bittersweet. This mysterious flavor makes me keep eating soup.
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Secondly I tried noodles and it's just normal noodles produced by machine. However it's different from normal one containing artificial gluten that makes noodles artificially chewy. As a noodle dish, it's quite chewy and soft. These noodles absorbed some soup and go well with it. That's why the noodles of Donghaewon are much better than ones of other restaurants.
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I'm wondering what Jajangmyeon taste like at the specialty Jjamppong restaurant. Here is very famous for Jjamppong but I heard the unique secret method is in the Jajangmyeon and order a bowl of Jajangmyeon with curiosity.
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Sauce tastes sweet with zucchinis, onions, cabbages as well as some meat and savory Chunjang. Usually sugar is added, but this Jajangmyeon tastes sweet due to the sweet vegetables rather than sugar. It has fresh texture of noodles. It seems that sauce was not made in large quantity long time ago. I can feel the texture of ingredients and the freshness of sauce.
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Soft noodles like Jjamppong soaked in the soup have good texture and taste with much savory sauce. I can feel them in my mouth. Their sweet flavor is little different from one of usual restaurants, so there are clear likes and dislikes. These Jajangmyeon noodles taste better than Jjamppong ones for my taste. It's a bit ironic that Jajangmyeon tastes better than Jjamppong at the specialty Jjamppong restaurant.
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Donghaewon has been run for about 40 years since 1973. Looking at the old sign, I can feel its old time. Signs used to be made by wood and hung in vertical in the past. The memories of that time keep popping up in my head.
Jjamppong is very common food that you can try with only one call but one of Donghaewon is special and hard to try for tourists, because the restaurant opens only 4 hours a day. It's quite different from common Jjamppong that the Jjamppong of Donghaewon has the strong and heavy taste at first and clean aftertaste. I recommend you to try it when you visit Gongju. Jajangmyeon tastes better for me!
+ Address : 194-1, Sohak-dong, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
+ Telephone : 041-852-3624
+ Open Hour & Holiday : 11 am ~ 3 pm, Sunday Closed
Ancient fortress that was once capital of Baekje, Gongju Walking Cherry Blossom walkway of 'Gongsan Fortress'
King Munju of Beakje(475) moved the capital from Hanseong to Ungjin(Present Gongju) because of King Jangsu(Goguryeo)'s attack. A fortress that was used in this time is Gongsan Fortress in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do. Ungjin was the capital of Baekje until the 16th year of King Seong(538) through King Samgeuk, Dongseong, Muryeong as well as King Munju. Then the capital was moved to Sabi(Present Buyeo) and the king's palace(Ungjin Palace) was there for 64 years.
The fortress has length of 2,660m and has 4 gates at all quarters. Jinnamru on the south and Gongbukru on the north are left and gates of east and west were restored in 1993. Inside the fortress, there are traces of building Ungjin Fortress in Baekje dynasty. It was not restored. Only traces are left. It takes about an hour to go over the fortress overlooking Geum River. It might be a gentle stroll.
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Looking from the ticket office, there is a west gate, 'Geumseoru' that looks down proudly. Over the years, buildings were collapsed and it was used as a passage leading to the fortress. Then it was restored in 1993.
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In Gongju, free bicycle rental shops are installed at touristic sites. It's very convenient to take a bike, because this city doesn't have many uphill and downhill paths. However it's not possible to lend a bicycle with resident registration numbers because a law which is relevant to collecting resident registration numbers was recently changed.
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Now you should sign up for a membership on the Gongju-si bicycle homepage and get a membership card at 'Physical education department' of Gongju city hall. This is transitional inconvenience due to enforcing a law of personal information protection. There will be a new certification system soon updated. It seems very convenient that you can return the bicycle to other bicycle rental shops.
+ Gongju-si Bicycle Rental Homepage : click
+ Issue Fee of Membership Card : 1,500 won (Temporary)
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There is admission fee to go to Gongju Fortress. It costs 1,200 won for adults, 800 won for youths, and 600 won for children. I will give you a tip how to look around charged cultural heritage sites run by Gongju-si for free. It's not a trick but a formal business supported by Gongju provincial government. I also looked around all the heritage sites in Gongju for free.
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You can get 'Onnuri Gongju Citizenship' on the homepage of Gonju-si. By signing up for this, you can visit charged cultural heritage sites for free and get a chance of 20% discount for a room charge of Hanok Village which is managed by Gongju-si. You can also get maximum 20% discount at other Onnuri affiliated stores located in Gongju-si. It's not complicate to get it, so it will be very useful during the Gongju trip. If you travel with your family, they can sign up as well like a picture above. Just fill out the address of place where you like in Gongju.
+ Onnuri Gongju Homepage to get Citizenship : click
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Let's go up to the Geumseoru for free with Gongju Onnuri citizenship. There is a group of memorial stones that honor great men from Gongju. Contents are mostly for praising good deeds of them.
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I came into the Geumseoru. It could not decide whether to go right or left. I chose steeper way on the right. It must be easier later if I walk up much in the early stage. Originally Gongsan Fortress had been an earthen fortress in Baekje dynasty, but it was rebuilt as the stone one in Joseon dynasty. You can still find traces that stones that stonemasons tried to cut around streams in Gongju. They are easily found around the stream in front of Donghak Temple.
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Watch out! You can walk either along the city wall or on the straight road toward the fortress, but you should be careful when you walk along the city wall. As you see, cliffs are lined up outside the fortress. You should be careful not to cross the Lethe!
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Inside the fortress is full of cherry blossoms and various colorful flowers. I don't feel tired walking through the spring flowers.
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Going up the first low hill, a pavilion 'Ssangsujeong' stands with dignity on top. There are small pieces of wood in a large open space in front of the pavilion. They mark the site of the Ungjin Palace. Its building is not restored yet.
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Ssangsujeong pavilion was built by a governor Yi Su-hang in 1734 during King Yeongjo of Joseon dynasty to commemorate King Injo. It was served as temporary housing for King Injo who sought refuge from the rebellion of Yi Gwal (1642). He stayed for 6 days here until the rebellion ended. During his stay, he is said to have leaned against two trees. He conferred Jeongsampum on them. Ssangsujeong was built there long after the death of the trees.
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As I Look around the site of palace, there is a round sunken place whose diameter is about 10m. This is an artificial pond made in the Beakje Dynasty. There is no facility that draws water. It seems the pond collected and stored rainwater. It must have been used to put out fires. It would be a good idea to dig the ground and farm or wash cars with leftover water in these days, as well.
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If you look from outside the fortress, it's so beautiful that cars have to stop by. Inside the fortress is also wonderful with colorful flowers. White magnolia, yellow white dandelion, purple Bomkkachikkot(Bird's eye flowers) as well as cherry blossoms has come into bloom.
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Walking on flatland and uphill is more interesting than taking a trekking course. It's a great cultural heritage site and rest area for citizens.
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'Jinnamru(鎭南樓)' on the south of the Gongsan Fortress was a gate of the three southern provinces of Korea in Joseon dynasty. This gate was built as the stone fortress was rebuilt in the early Joseon dynasty. There is a high road of fortress towards the east. Baseball player Park Chan-ho is one of representative men of Gongju. Didn't he go up and down these stairs with leapfrogging? ^^*
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After passing by Ssangsu Bridge in front of Jinnam Gate, there is a small temple called 'Yeongeunsa(Temple)' located at a pothole. This temple was built in the period of King Sejo. Monk soldiers were trained here. In the period of King Gwanghaegun, the king hired a leader of them to manage all temples over the country.
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Sincerely to people who visit here and read this journey, “Be happy everyday~”
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Nam River runs in front of Yeongeun Temple. Opposite side of the river is north side. Gongju-si is divided into Gangnam and Gangbuk along the Nam River. Unlike Seoul, Gangbuk is a new section of Gongju and Gangnam is an old section.
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Stones stacked up on the slope. It looks unique that they stacked up without cutting the tree in the middle of the slope. Guarding soldiers might have taken refuge under this tree to avoid hot sunlight.
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There is Manharu(挽河樓) and special structure beside the Nam River. This structure with a big hole looks like the public bath in the Roman times. It's a 9m-deep of artificial pond constructed by stone platforms. There are passways on the east and west. It has the inverted pyramid structure. There is a hidden gate on the bottom but I can’t see it now because of water in the pond.
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'Prison Experience'. I'm wondering if we really have to experience this kind of thing, but it looks interesting. It seems I can spend enjoyable day laughing out loud with childrenby being imprisoned and being hit with a stick. Besides, you can experience an archery on weekends and holidays, so it would be good to take a stroll with your family. Don't forget bringing your Onnuri Gongju Citizenship before the trip!
+ Address : 280, Woongjin-ro, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
+ Telephone : 041-840-2265
+ Open Hour : Always Open (The day of Chuseok and Seol Closed)
+ Entrance Fee : Adult 1,200 won, Youth 800 won, Children 600 won (Free Parking)
