튤립 공원 가는 길

From Gwangju

To get to Shinan Tulip Festival, I have to take a bus from Gwangju U Square Bus Terminal, board a ferry at Jeomam Ferry Point (점암선착장) and take a shuttle bus at Jilli Ferry Point (진리항). Total journey time: close to three hours.

At Gwangju U Square Bus Terminal, ticket booths of Express Bus and Inter-city Bus operate side by side. The bus ticket to Jido (지도), where Jeomam Ferry Point is located, can only be bought at the Inter-city Bus's ticket booths. The bus ride is about 2 hours long and terminates at Jeomam Ferry Point.

After I got down from the bus, I followed the crowd and found the ferry ticket booth beside a "windmill". The windmill is actually the restroom. It seems taking ferry is no longer a straightforward business after the Sewol ferry tragedy. If you travel in group, you have to submit a nominal roll using the form provided at the counter. For individual, identity card is required for registration. As a foreigner, I showed my passport and in return got a ferry ticket. I did not pay for the ticket then but that did not mean it was free. I paid the full fare on my return trip.

It took about ten minutes for the ferry to arrive at Jilli Ferry Point (진리항), Imja Island (임자도). The shuttle bus taking visitors to the Shinan Tulip Park was already waiting at the ferry point. The shuttle bus service was free but entrance to the festival cost 5,000won. I must say getting to Shinan Tulip Festival was a breeze.

At Jeomam Ferry Point. Restroom on the left (windmill), ferry ticket booth on the right.

Journey from Gwangju U Square Bus Terminal to Shinan Tulip Park is about three hours

Ferry approaching Jilli Ferry Point, Imja Isalnd

In a queue to disembark once the ramp was lowered. Tulip-shaped restroom on the left.

Confirmation shot: I was at Imja Island ㅋ

Arrived at the festival site: Shinan Tulip Park. Daegwang Beach at the back

Sculpture of horses at Daegwang Beach

Walking towards the entrance, guided by tulip flowers.

Back To Gwangju

At Jilli Ferry Point, I have to show my passport at the ticket booth again and paid 3,200won for the ferry ticket. Back at Jeomam Ferry Point, I bought a bus ticket back to Gwangju at a provision store with the sign "매표소". The bus ticket was more expensive than the one bought at Gwangju and I guess the store owner needs a cut off the sales.

To find the bus back to Gwangju at Jeomam Ferry Point requires a little searching. There is actually an inconspicuous bus stop at a side road beside the provision store. It is important to look at the destination plate on the bus's screen before boarding. Buses at Jeomam Ferry Point are bound for either Mokpo (목포) or Gwangju (광주). If you are not careful, you may end up in Mokpo instead of Gwangju or vice versa.

Waiting for ferry to arrive at Jilli Ferry Point. The ferry was packed with passengers.

Waiting for ferry to depart

Even fishing boats on Imja Island are painted with tulip motif. Welcome to the hometown of tulip in Korea.

안녕~ 임자도

바다 노래

The sky above Daegwang Beach on a clear sunny day in spring.

Located on the western side of Imja Island and beside the Tulip Garden (the venue of the annual Shinan Tulip Festival) is the Daegwang Beach (대광해수욕장 , 大光海水浴場 ). What is so special about this beach is you don't seem to be able to see the end of it no matter how far you walk. It is Korea's longest and widest beach - 12km in length and 350m in width at low tide. If you are to walk from end to end, it will take you about an hour and 20 minutes. Even on bicycle, you will need half an hour. The white sandy beach is also the only beach in Korea that has no gradient, or in other word, flat. Due to ideal environmental conditions, horse racing competition is held annually at the beach since 2008. It is the dream horse riding ground for many enthusiasts. I can't help imagining how amazing a spectacle it would be to watch horses galloping across the open beach, splashing water like fountain with every steps.

The tulip festival was on and so tulips were planted on the beach

Two of the five sculptures of racing horse at Daegwang Beach.

Ribbons fluttering in strong wind by the beach. The wind was chilly but the sun relentless.

The white sandy Daegwang Beach is long, wide and flat. It seems like you can see one end but maybe not.

The Daegwang Beach is just beside the Tulip Garden (where the windmill is located)

Seagull in flight

Moving away from the beach and on my way to the next destination - Imjado's stadium

On the day of my visit, there was a recording for the KBS's long-running singing program - 전국노래자랑 (National Singing Contest). The program is into its 27th year since its debut in 1988. It was the second time Shinan Imja Island was chosen as the program's venue. The last filming took place 17 years ago. The show was scheduled to start at 1pm at the stadium.

Colorful tulips lining the road to the stadium

The stage is set for recording to begin

When you speak of 전국노래자랑, you can't avoid mentioning the host of the program, the 88 year old Korean singer, comedian and entertainer, Song Hae (송해, 宋海). Song Hae is 전국노래자랑 and 전국노래자랑 is Song Hae, they are synonymous and inseparable. The moment you see and hear him on stage, you will realize why the veteran is so popular in Korea, especially among the older generation.

The more you know about Song Hae, the more likely you will become his fan. It was said that he has three "no" in life  - no car, no mobile phone and no cue cards. Without cue cards, whatever he said or did in his program was hundred percent spontaneous. It was also said that he had on one occasion visited a local bathhouse one day before the recording of his show so that he could get to know the residents better. When asked how long more he would host 전국노래자랑, he said he would continue until it becomes too difficult for him.

Fifteen minutes before the actual recording start, Song Hae came on stage to speak and build rapport with his audience. One of the questions he asked them was, "What is the most valuable thing in life?". After a pause, he said, "It's health. Only with a healthy body will you then be able to pursue other valuable things in life... I wish everyone good health." While there was nothing new, it was still a good reminder, especially when advised by an octogenarian.

Song Hae rehearsing the audience for the show's opening. 전국~~ (Song Hae)  노래자랑!! (Audience)

The forever affable and witty host of 전국노래자랑, Song Hae

신안 튤립 축제

When I saw a picture of windmills and tulips, I told myself I have to go there and went I did. The icons of the Netherlands can be found in Korea at Shinan County (신안군, 新安郡), Imja Island (임자도, 荏子島). Shinan County is the "hometown" of islands and well-known for its skates (cartilaginous fish), sea salt (천일염, 天日鹽) and tulips. But tulip alone was enough to make me embarked on the long trip from Seoul to South Jeolla Province to witness once-a-year spectacle of spring. To me, it was once-a-lifetime experience. As I was preparing this posting for publishing, I could still feel my excitement.

A tulip garden or dreamland. Spring has never been so colorful and sweet scented. 

Scarlet tulips adorned the side of the road to the entrance. 튤립을 보자마자 기분이 업업업ㅋ

More teasers before the grand spectacle. 이제 흥분이 가라앉지 않았다.

A big windmill welcomed visitors at the entrance. It served both as an observation deck and a gallery.

Photozone in front of the big windmill 

Even restrooms are made to look like windmills

Tulip field with different species of tulip planted in neat columns

Tulips made of glass. Regardless real or glass tulips, they are all fragile.

Banner: Flowers bloom by white sandy beach at Imja Island, Shinan County!

Finally, windmills and tulips, the view I have been dreaming of.

Two days of rain had battered the tulips quite a bit but the view was still beautiful

The air at the field was lightly scented by the thousands of tulip flowers around but picture can't tell.

There were so many tulips I have probably seen my lifetime's share of them.

So beautiful that I forgot how to stop taking pictures

The observation tower provides exhilarating view of the tulip field and the surrounding sea

A bird's eye view of the main tulip field. There are more than 30 concentric rings of flowers. 대단하시네요.

숲에 들어가면 숲을 볼 수가 없다. 꽃밭에 들어가면 꽃밭도 못 본다.

세상에 알록달록 꽃보다 더 아름다운 게 있다. 그 건 50년이 지나가도 변하지 않는 사랑.

Looking out at the Yellow Sea from the observation tower

The design of the tulip field may change every few years. The design this year was a giant tulip.

A field of golden canola flowers and tulips where you can experience riding on horseback.

Even though it's not the real thing, I can't resist a closer look.

Kissing triggers release of feel-good chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Being among flowers probably has the same effect. Is it any wonder love and flowers are a good match.

More tulips by the waterside garden and beyond

Slope almost covered in a hue of purple. Visitors were jostling for space to take pictures at the foreground..

Even the gazebo was painstakingly decorated with small baskets of pansies. A lot of hard work has been put in.

A cartload of tulips and pansies

Taeguk Tulip Field

A confirmation shot that this is Korea and not the Netherlands

The visit ended with a walk in the canola field. Another dream realized.

충장로 - 광주

Gwangju (광주, 光州) is the provincial capital of South Jeolla Province (전라남도, 全羅南道), a metropolitan city where the Conservatives can never win an election, a once neglected child of regionalism politics and the birthplace of Korea's democratization movement.

I was back at U-Square Gwangju bus terminal again after 3.5 hours bus ride from Seoul. Gwangju serves as a convenient base for one to explore the South Jeolla Province. In the evening on my arrival day, I visited Chungjangno Street (충장로, 忠壯路). A short description of the place would be it's the "Myeongdong" of Gwangju but less vibrant. That's because there's no throng of tourists to fill the street like Myeongdong. "Chungjang" is actually a posthumous title conferred on a locally born general who led a volunteer army against the invaders during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.

In my opinion, pictures of Myeongdong and Chungjangno don't differ much. This walking street can be reached by taking Exit 3 of 문화전당약 (Culture Complex Station), Gwangju Subway Line 1.