2005-2162 The Buddha’s birthday illuminates Seoul

Travel
Ascension from the sea
Tiny Seokmo Island offers natural and cultural satisfaction
[JoongAng Ilbo]
Seoul may be crowded, but it’s easy to escape
— in fact, access to a mountain and an island
are both within an hour’s drive.
Mount Nakga rises 246 meters on Seokmo
Island, in Ganghwa County, Incheon. And on it
sits Bomun Temple, the center of Ganghwa’s Buddhist
culture.
The tiny Seokmo Island takes five minutes to reach
by ferry from Ganghwa Island, the third-largest island
in Korea, not unlike hopping on two stepping stones.
Atop Nakga’s peak, it’s easy to see the heads of tiny
islands poking above the water, while at the foot of the
mountain sits the Yeochari Tidal Flat, one of the
world’s four largest. Turn north, and the territory of
North Korea is so close that Yeonbong Peak in Hwanghae
Province may seem to be waving hello.
When the sun sets behind the watery horizon and
the crimson curtain begins to fall on the eastern sky,
serenity spreads and time seems to slow over the
ocean.
Famous Korean mountains located on islands
include Mount Halla (Jeju City, 1,950 meters) Mount
Mari (Ganghwa County, Incheon, 486 meters) Seongin
Peak (Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang, 984
meters) Mount Jirimang (Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang,
398 meters) and Mount Nakga.
The highest peak on Seokmo Island is Mount Haemyeong,
but Mount Nakga is better known because it
is home to Bomun Temple. To hike starting from Jeondeugijae
and moving along the ridges of Mount Haemyeong,
Mount Nakga and Mount Sangbong takes
three to four hours. It’s a pleasant trek as the route is
not very steep or very difficult, and offers spectaular
views of the Yellow Sea.
The trailhead at Jeondeugijae can be reached via
the road that connects to the ferry at Seokpo-ri and
Bomun Temple. Walking along the forest for about 15
44 korea May 2009
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