By Lee Hae-rin
The Year of the Dragon begins this year on February 10.
South Korea has 1,261 places with dragon, yong in Korean, in their names. Here are some of the best dragon-themed travel destinations recommended by the Korea Tourism Organisation and the Seoul Tourism Organisation.
1. Make a wish at Busan’s Yonggung Temple
The Haedong Yonggung Temple is arguably the most beautiful temple in Korea. The temple’s name translates to “Dragon Palace Temple”, referring to the royal residence where the Dragon King, Yongwang in Korean, lives under the sea.
What Chinese animal am I? Their characteristics and when their years fall
What Chinese animal am I? Their characteristics and when their years fall
According to the temple’s foundational legend, the sea king appeared to monk Naong in a dream and told him to build a seaside temple at the edge of Mount Bongrae, where he should pray to alleviate hardship and bring people happiness when the nation was suffering from drought. Thus, the temple was established by the monk in 1376.
At the entrance of the temple stand statues of the 12 zodiac animals, believed to protect the land from evil spirits and offer blessings to humanity.
Today, the temple is a popular place to visit at sunrise. Its motto says: “At least one of your wishes will be answered here through your heartfelt prayers.”
The temple opens to visitors at 4.30am and closes at 7pm. Admission is free.
2. Dragon’s stairway to heaven in Goheung
Mirumaru-gil in Goheung, South Jeolla province, is a path along a picturesque coastal cliff, where a dragon is believed to have soared to heaven.
The name of the road is a combination of the old Korean terms miru and maru, which mean dragon and sky.
Local legend says two dragons were fighting each other in a race to heaven and to obtain a magic pearl with supernatural powers that grants all wishes.
One day, a village archer named Ryu Shi-in had a dream of a grey-haired wise man telling him to prevent misfortune to the village by shooting one of the dragons with an arrow and ending their fight.
His arrow hit one dragon. The other dragon, while on his way to heaven, stepped along the cliff and left a five-metre-long footprint, still visible today in colours that are different from the rest of the rock layers.
The path offers picturesque, panoramic views of the ocean.
At the end of the path is the Goheung Space Launch Observatory and Korea Aerospace Research Institute, which has an exhibition on the history of Korea’s space development.
3. Panoramic sunrise view at Mount Yongma
The peak of Mount Yongma in eastern Seoul offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the capital.
According to local legend, an ordinary couple living on the mountain had a baby that had extraordinary powers to climb over rooftops.
However, the villagers feared the baby’s uncommon powers and killed the infant.
On the night of the baby’s death, a winged dragon horse, or Yongma, was waiting for its owner, the baby. The baby never came and the dragon horse flew away from the mountaintop after emitting a long howl to mourn the baby’s death.
Near the summit of the mountain is Yongma Falls Park, home to three artificial waterfalls built on a rocky cliff, that operates from May to August.
4. Urban night view from Yongyang Peak
The park was named after a temporary palace nearby, where King Jeongjo, the 22nd ruler of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), used to rest on his way to visit his father’s grave.
The king himself named the palace after the scenery, which he thought resembled a dragon soaring to the sky with its head held up high.
The picturesque view of the mountains that the king saw is now gone, but the venue presents an unhampered view of the city that never sleeps, filled with skyscrapers.
