![]() My leisurely stroll soon became a more heart-pumping aerobic workout as the trail steadily climbed. (Some locals believe the sound is that of the sons bemoaning their lost mother.) A howling wind whipped across the route for much of the way. The sweet scent of Korean pines was especially intoxicating as I ambled through groves of evergreens and maples along a well-defined trail surfaced with wooden planks. This duo of trails promises a delight of colorful springtime wildflowers, gurgling streams, thick pine forests and, of course, the much anticipated petrified sons from the folk tale. ![]() Instead, I decided to forgo the high-sweat factor in favor of a less demanding trek along the Yeongsil Trail (which takes only a couple of hours or so) and then loop back down the slope on the Eorimok Trail, for another two-some-hour jaunt. ![]() But that would mean an exhausting round-trip of eight or more hours. Many trek the popular pursuit on either the Seongpanak or Gwaneumsa trail, two of the park’s five main trails. I considered hiking to the summit during my visit to the national park. Here’s where to find traces of myths, how to get to Hallasan National Park, and what to do once you’re there. The summit of the dormant volcano-where some say Grandma’s spirit lives-rises over 6,000 feet above sea level. (Plenty of the island’s creation lore features Granny as a prominent goddess.) Dubbed “The Hawaii of Korea” for its white sand beaches, tumbling waterfalls, turquoise waters, and dramatic scenery, this picturesque island features verdant fields peppered with canary yellow canola flowers, orchards that produce the sweetest and juiciest tangerines around, and abundant black lava stone-scapes.Īt its center is South Korea’s highest peak, called Halla or Hallasan, for which the park is named. Hallasan National Park is one of the most popular destinations on Jeju Island, which sits just over 50 miles from the mainland and came into being thanks to undersea volcanic eruptions. As the realization sank in, the sons cried their eyes out until each of them turned to stone-where they can still be found along the Yeongsil Trail. When the young men returned home, mom was nowhere to be found still, they dug into the soup, which contained a curious array of bones. Somehow she fell into the giant cauldron, drowning in the scalding broth. The folk tale has many variations, but they more or less agree on the basics: a giant mother (referred to as Grandmother Seolmundae) with an enormous family-500 sons, to be exact-cooked up a pot of soup while the boys were out hunting. A local legend about the Yeongsil Trail in South Korea’s Hallasan National Park captivates visitors’ attention-even if it’s admittedly a bit macabre. ![]()
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January 2023
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