Travel for Save the Earth : Water, Nature and Humankind

Water, Nature and Humankind: Travel for Save the Earth

“Logging out” of life for a while!
Daecheongho Obaeknigil Trail Section 5
- Written and photographed by. Lee Si-mok(travel writer)
A “damp” mind needs wind. I dried my “damp” heart with the green wind at Daecheong Lake. The wind always started at the lake, passed through the reed field, a forest, village, and mountain, and blew back to the lake. I especially like the “Daecheongho Obaeknigil” Trail, because it leads to a walk around Daecheongho Lake. Notably, I walked the beautiful trail section 5, which covers a deep green reed field, a mysterious lakefront revetment, and a mountain with a great view. Section 5, which was selected as a carbon neutral tourist destination last year, is easily accessible by public transportation or foot. If you decide to take a break from your daily routine, enjoy a breath of fresh air while walking along the trail?

Daecheongho Obaeknigil Trail, an inland “Dadohae” accessible by foot

One of the ways to find cool and fresh relief from the summer heat is to go to a lakeside in the shadow of trees. Daecheongho Lake, which was formed by the construction of Daecheong Dam, is an ideal leisure destination. Built over 40 years ago, Daecheongho Lake is surrounded by lush forest and known as a clean lake free from trash, thus it is a great summer spot with cool and fresh breezes, offering pristine and lush green scenery everywhere.
Many unsung efforts lay behind a well-maintained space. Ongoing environmental cleanup activities have contributed significantly to attaining today’s clean landscape of Daecheongho Lake. In addition, as citizens have performed their community service “plogging”(jogging with picking up litter), along with a carbon neutrality(net zero) destination near to the lake, Daecheongho Lake has been well-cared after.
Furthermore, the Daecheongho Obaeknigil Trail was established so that people can enjoy taking a stroll along Daecheongho Lake while appreciating this ecologically pristine lake up-close. This 220km-long trail covers several areas including Daejeon Metropolitan City, and Cheongju-si, Okcheon-gun, and Boeun-gun in Chungcheongbuk-do, passing through a lake, forest, mountain, and villages. It is divided into 21 sections and 27 courses, with each section being ascribed its characteristic name to the area. The trail offers different sections by length, difficulty, duration, and landscape, so that visitors can choose a section based on their preference and accessibility. Notably, the Daejeon sections(Sections 1 to 5, & 21) are popular among visitors with their convenient link to public transportation.

1. A view of Daecheongho Lake from Bangchukgol in which the lake contains the reflecting images of clouds and the blue sky.

Baekgolsanseong Nangmangil Road, a “steady seller” of Daecheongho Obaeknigil Trail

Baekgolsanseong Nangmangil Road is a popular path of Section 5 among the Daejeong sections for its special charms. It is well-harmonized with different sceneries along with “hot attraction” cafes and fantastic landscapes. The road stretches along Local Road 571, and taking one of the many side streets situated along it, visitors can change their walking path. For instance, if you feel a bit exhausted or want to skip a section, you can get out of Local Road 571 and take a public bus(Nos. 62 & 63), which runs at an hourly basis through Daejeon Station and the area of Section 5.
Overall, Section 5 is regarded as a well-balanced walking path. On the 13km-long course(approx. 6 hrs required) from Sinsanggyo Bridge to Wajeong Samgeori in Dong-gu, the section connecting Sinsanggyo Bridge, Heungjin Village, and Bakkatagam(entrance to Baekgolsan Mountain) is a pleasant walking path where you can walk and chat at a leisure pace with your partner, while the Baekgolsan Mountain Section(340m) is a hiking course of mid-level difficulty. Then, the section from Bangcukgol, which is a café town at Daecheongho Lake, to the Saseong Senior Citizens’ Center, is a leisure hiking course that consists of forest and cherry blossom trails, providing a spectacular cherry blossom scenery in spring. You can also encounter a village and an observatory with impressive views.

2. A summer reed field of Heungjin Village Dullegil, which offers a beautiful silver grass scenery in autumn.

Highly recommended road of Section 5 from Heungjin Village and Baekgolsan Mountain to Bangchukgol

The starting point of this road is the entrance to Heungjin Village, which is at the end of Sinsanggyo Bridge. Heungjin Village is located on protruding land resembling a rabbit’s tail from Bakkatagam, where Beotkkothanteo(parking lot) is situated, towards Daecheongho Lake. Nicknamed as Heungjin Village Dullegil(3.1km long, approx. 50 min required), the road surrounded by reeds, a symbol of autumn, leads a tour of Beotkkothanteo. While walking along the curvy lakeside sandy stretches and reeded road, you will enjoy the fresh ambience of the autumn atmosphere across a fantastic silvery field.
Then, you will meet a highlight of Section 5, Baekgolsan Mountain, which is associated with a sad story about the collapse of the Baekje Kingdom and attracts many people to Section 5. Although it is not easy to ascend to the summit with its entrance being on an incline, when you encounter a great view from the top of the mountain, you will forget your worries and feel a weight off your shoulders. The distance from Bakkatagam to the top is about 2.8km, and requires 1hr and 10min to the top.
As a popular tourist attraction, Bangchukgol is another charming spot of Section 5 on the Daechangho lakeside, which resembles a ria shoreline. You can take in the lake view from the comfort of a quaint coffee shop, and walk to the lakefront sandy field at the north end of the café town. You will admire the spectacular scenery of the reflection of the blue sky and white clouds off the pristine lake when the weather is nice. In fact, the official Section 5 stretches from here a further way down to Wajeong Samgeori. However, you can stop here to enjoy a moment of zoning out while observing the lake under the shade of trees, doing plogging and taking a stroll along the deck, which is nicknamed “the world’s longest cherry blossom road,” all the way to Bakkatagam.

3. The signpost of Daecheongho Obaeknigil Trail. The yellow strip represents the entire section of Daecheongho Obaeknigil Trail, while the purple strip indicates the trails of Section 5.

How to Enjoy “Carbon Neutral” Tourism in a Sensible Way: Four Promises for Daecheongho Lake; How to have a self-fulfilling and interesting time at Daecheongho Lake _ Dawn Healing Tour & Daecheongho Lake Circular Bus
The charming Daecheongho Lake provides splendid views, which vary according to the season. The Dawn Healing Tour program run by Daejeon Metropolitan City invites you to experience a one-of-a-kind, interesting trip by discovering the hidden charms of Daecheongho Lake. The program consists of two trails: the Daedeok-gu Daecheongho Lake Course(departure point: old Chungnam provincial government office; transportation: bus; duration: 3hrs), and Dong-gu Daecheongho Lake Course(departure point: old Chungnam provincial government office; transportation: bus; duration: 3hrs). You can apply to participate in the program via the Story Tour Application website(http://bit.ly/2UHReM9), and contact the Daejeon Experience Travel Cooperative at(042-252-3305). If you take the Daecheongho Lake Course by getting on a Daecheongho circular bus, which runs from Daejeon Station to Sintanjin Station, you can visit various attractions such as the Meditation Garden and Daecheongho Lohas Eco Park. This circular bus tour program allows passengers to board and alight a bus at will and runs only on weekends. For detailed information, please refer to the City Tour Course- Circular Tour on the Daejeon City Tour website(www.daejeoncitytour.co.kr).

Daejeon's Top Attractions

: a nice relaxing café with a view of Daecheongho Lake Pangsion
Pangsion is a popular brunch café where people enjoy meals and desserts with a view of the pristine and blue Daecheongho Lake. Its outdoor garden is an ideal place for admiring the lake’s scenery with a beverage or coffee. If you can spare the time, it is recommended to walk along the path around its rias shoreline style lakefront from the café entrance to the north end of the area. As the café is located in Bangchukgol, a point of Daecheongho Obaeknigil Trail Section 5, it is a good rest stop for visitors.

: which provides an unfettered view of Daejeon Sikjangsan Sunrise Observatory
The Sikjangsan Sunrise Observatory is located at Sikjangsan Mountain(598m), which is the highest mountain in Daejeon. It is well-known for its breathtaking views of the sunrise, sunset, and nightscape in Daejeon. Featuring a hanok-style pavilion, the observatory provides not only sceneries of downtown Daejeon, but also an unfettered view of Daecheongho Lake. The last parking lot is located around the ridge near the mountain summit, while there is another parking lot, in the Secheon Recreation Area at the entrance to the mountain. It takes about 10 mins by foot from the last parking lot to the observatory.

: a mural village on a windmill hill Daedong Sky Park
Daedong Sky Park provides a beautiful scenery of downtown Daejeon below and is known for the beautiful sunsets, nightscape, and interesting murals. With many cafes boasting breathtaking views having opened, the park has become a popular nighttime spot for a cup of coffee. Located in Dae-dong, Dong-gu, the park was originally a shanty town formed by refugees of the Korean War. The sky park, where a pretty windmill is situated, is located at the highest point of the village where rows of terraced houses are built. Notably, it is famous for its charming nightscape scenery.
However, as it is a residential area, visitors must be mindful to enjoy the park quietly and refrain from staying late into the night.

: a unique and beautiful nostalgic attraction Soje Railroad Worker Housing
Daejeon was developed as a key traffic hub when the construction of the railroads began in the area. Soje-dong, which takes 5 mins by foot from Daejeon Station, is deeply intertwined with the history of Daejeon. After the opening of the Gyeongbu Line in 1905, these railroad worker housing was established for the workers living in this area close to the station in the 1920s. Later, as this urban area retaining its blast-from-the-past ambiance, has still kept some of its olden day’s appearance, it has become a nostalgic attraction. In recent years, as many newtro(new+retro) cafes and restaurants have been established in the area, it has become a renewed popular spot in Daejeon.

List of Tasty Eateries in Deajeon

- Chogarang
  Located at Daecheong lakeside, Chogarang is a Korean restaurant with over 30 years of tradition. The restaurant is known for 15 varieties of its signature tasty pickled vegetables sourced locally and served on a big tray at once. Its seafood pancake, which is made with seafood and crunchy mung bean sprouts, is also another popular dish.
- Wonmi Myeonok
  Wonmi Myeonok, Daejeon’s major restaurant for cold buckwheat noodles, is carrying on a three-generation family business from 1953. Its signature dish, cold buckwheat noodles, are made with chicken broth, and the noodles are made by roasting buckwheat grains for a long time and grinding them. The dish is served with shredded chicken meat as a garnish.

- Jillo Jib
  The restaurant Jillo Jib is well known as the original restaurant of stir-fried bean curd, which is Daejeon’s famous dish. It was started as a food stall in 1969 and became a main restaurant of stir-fried bean curd. Its tasty bean curd cooked with rich and spicy sauce attracts many customers including regulars, who have been coming here for decades.
- Seongsimdang
  Seongsimdang, one of the three best bakeries in Korea, is a gourmet travelers’ must-visit place. Its famous menu items include twigim soboro (fried pineapple bun with red bean filling), chive bread, Bomunsan meari (soft and sweat bread), and pollack roe baguette, which was praised by famous Korean comedian Lee Young-ja.

Enjoy Daejeon 100 times more!

There are three themed trails to discover Daejeon’s beautiful nature and culture!