The Wolseong Belt
Having only a day to ourselves, we decided to check out the Wolseong Belt.
The whole compound itself is part of the
The best part? It is walkable from our Hanok stay
Okay lets go~
I kinda love the walk over to the Wolseong Belt. To walk alongside the traditional walls that stood across the test of time (with preservation efforts), is somewhat beautiful. It felt like we're time travelers coming in time to revisit all these majestic sites. This place isn't a UNESCO heritage area for nothing. The overall entrance felt like it is a park.
We'd got some tombs scattered in the corner, with a huge field area where there is a huge amount of kites soaring in the skies. And to think that I'm the only guy who flies one in the Kite Beach (Dubai). Perhaps it's because of the weekends, the place is alittle too lively and crowded. There is a small shuttle train that runs around the area where they ferry families and children across the compound.
We found our first checkpoint not far from here, which is the Observatory. As it's being fenced up, we didn't stay too long at this area, only to leave after admiring for a second. There is also a barrage of locals trying to take a photo of it.
(throughout the whole experience, it felt like we are the only foreign tourist in the Wolseong Belt).
We walked deeper into the compound and found ourselves lost in the Gyerim forest. Well, not lost literally, but just getting lost in the forest, to get away from all the noise in our headspace.
We wandered towards the famous bridge
It is actually surprising how many locals were here, giving me a very new insight or a glimpse into the domestic tourism in South Korea. I noticed similarities in Asian architectures, namely religious buildings, temples, castles and so forth. The emerald reminded me of Osaka Castle, and the tiling and patterns remind me of the temples in Thailand.
The Anajip pond sadly is too crazily crowded, and it was pretty late and we left our place with just sweaters so... It is really bad since we were trembling for the past 2 hours. We skipped it with a heavy heart and went back. Since the moat is still under maintenance, I guess this place is still ultimately left unchecked because I'll really like to revisit again when everything is back up and running properly.
Despite that, I still honestly enjoyed the walks around the forest, and also the traditional housing compound, which is really quiet if you venture deep enough. It felt like you're just there by yourself, without any white noise, just you by the mountains, right out of a 15th-century Korean Film. The fleeting feeling of sublime happiness is nevertheless vivid, yet you know it would always be there in your heart.
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