Wellness Trip to Yeongju — A 2-Day, 1-Night Wellness Journey in Gyeongsangbuk-do
Wellness Trip to Yeongju — A 2-Day, 1-Night Wellness Journey in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongsangbuk-do Tourism Organization organized, and Impact Square carried out, the *‘Local-Attachment’ program in Yeongju this past January and February. Working with three travel startups, the program introduced Yeongju travel packages that make use of local resources, aiming to encourage visitors to stay longer in the region. Here, we introduce three ways to experience Yeongju as proposed through the Local-Attachment program.
The first is a 2-day, 1-night wellness trip. With its rich forest resources, including Sobaeksan National Park, and pristine natural surroundings, Yeongju has recently drawn attention as an eco-tourism destination. Honord, a premium domestic travel service run by Four Parents, has taken note of this appeal and proposes a ‘2-Day, 1-Night Wellness Trip to Yeongju.’ Discover Yeongju’s hidden charms by visiting serene spots deep in nature, enjoying healthy meals, and experiencing tea therapy.
Words Pyo Youngso, Parc Jinmyoung
Photos Son Dongju
In collaboration with Impact Square
*A program designed to increase the potential for a larger resident population by linking travel startups’ ideas with local tourism resources. Three companies — Honord, a premium domestic bus travel service; Fairplay, an outdoor activity platform; and Petel, a pet-friendly travel platform — took part in planning Yeongju travel packages.
To See
Sosu Seowon & Seonbichon
Yeongju is home to Korea’s first royally chartered Confucian academy (賜額書院), founded in the mid-16th century. Sosu Seowon is recognized for its contribution to the development of the seowon system and Confucian scholarship during the Joseon dynasty. It began as Baegundong Seowon, established by Ju Sebung, then magistrate of Punggi, and in 1549 it became a state-recognized educational institution at the recommendation of scholar Yi Hwang (Toegye). It is also one of the 47 seowon that survived the 19th-century order to abolish such academies. Today it is designated Historic Site No. 55 of South Korea and is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The academy grounds, spanning about 90,000 square meters, blend beautifully with the Sobaek mountain range, Jugyecheon Stream, and pine forests, making it a lovely place for a leisurely stroll. Beyond the education and memorial halls, the grounds also feature pavilions such as Chwihandae and Gyeongnyeomjeong, where scholars once rested and admired nature. Just next to Sosu Seowon lies Seonbichon, a village where visitors can get a closer look at the lives of Joseon-era scholars. Twenty-eight traditional Joseon houses have been restored here, and the village offers various hands-on programs, including stays in traditional houses, rice-cake pounding, natural dyeing, and tea ceremony experiences.
Admission 3,000 won (includes entry to Seonbichon)
2740 Sobaello, Sunheung-myeon, Yeongju-si
Musum Village
A traditional village designated as a National Folklore Cultural Heritage in 2013. With the ridges of Taebaeksan and Sobaeksan mountains behind it and a tributary of the Nakdong River curving around it in front, the village sits on a classic river-meander landform — its shape resembling an island floating on water, which is how it got the name ‘Musum,’ meaning ‘water island.’ People began settling here from the 17th century, and at its peak the village was home to as many as 120 households. Today, about 50 traditional houses remain, including Haeudang, which bears a plaque handwritten by Regent Heungseon Daewongun, and Manjukjae, the oldest house in the village. On a hill at the village entrance stands the restored Adoseosuk, once a base for anti-Japanese resistance activities during the colonial era. The sandy riverbank stretching in front of the village and the winding single-log bridge over the stream are among Musum Village’s most iconic sights. The bridge was once the only route connecting the village to the area across the river; it had disappeared after a concrete bridge was built in the 1970s but has since been restored.
Sudo-ri, Munsu-myeon, Yeongju-si
Buseoksa Temple
If asked to name Yeongju’s foremost travel destination, most would point to Buseoksa Temple. Founded by the Silla-era monk Uisang, it belongs to the Hwaeom school of Buddhism and sits on the slopes of Bonghwangsan Mountain, about 25 kilometers north of downtown Yeongju. The temple holds numerous national treasures and treasures, including Muryangsujeon Hall — one of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in Korea — as well as Daeungjeon Hall, stone lanterns, Josadang Hall, and a seated clay Buddha statue. Stone terraces rise in stages from Cheonwangmun Gate to Muryangsujeon Hall, so that the view opens up dramatically once you reach the top of the temple grounds. Standing before Muryangsujeon Hall, famous for its entasis columns, and looking out past Anyangnu Pavilion at the layered ridges of Sobaeksan Mountain is a breathtaking sight no matter how many times you see it. The temple is included in ‘Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea,’ a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
345 Buseoksa-ro, Yeongju-si
To Do
National Forest Healing Center
Located at the foot of Munsusan Mountain, 10 kilometers from downtown Yeongju, this forest healing culture center offers healing programs that make use of the surrounding forest and natural environment. The facility is divided into the Juchi District in Yeongju and the Munpil District in nearby Yecheon, about a 10-minute drive away. Programs range from forest trekking and forest meditation to tea ceremony experiences and singing bowl meditation, available as either day programs or overnight stays. The center’s health checkup facility is equipped with various therapy equipment, including half-body bath machines and the latest massage devices. Accommodations are available in rooms for two, four, or six guests, and meals can also be arranged.
209 Therapy-ro, Bonghyeon-myeon, Yeongju-si
To Eat
Jangsu Pyogo Restaurant
About a 20-minute drive from Musum Village, Jangsu Pyogo Restaurant serves a variety of dishes made with fresh mushrooms grown in Yeongju. The restaurant was opened by a family that has run a mushroom farm for more than 20 years, and most of the mushrooms used — including shiitake — are grown on the farm just behind the restaurant. The signature dish is a mushroom hot pot filled with an even mix of shiitake, oyster, king oyster, and enoki mushrooms. The chewy texture of the mushrooms paired with the mild yet deep broth make for an exceptional dish. From the shiitake tea served before the meal to the array of neat side dishes you can’t stop reaching for, plus other mushroom-based dishes like knife-cut noodles and soft tofu stew, this is a place to experience a truly wholesome meal.
Shiitake mushroom hot pot (serves 2) 28,000 won
252-4 Jangsu-ro, Jangsu-myeon, Yeongju-si
Jongjeom Restaurant
This restaurant has held its spot for many years in the dining district near the entrance to Buseoksa Temple. Like many eateries near the temple, its main dishes include wild greens bibimbap, salted mackerel set meal, and whole boiled native chicken, but it has long been more famous for its cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew). The cheonggukjang served alongside the salted mackerel set meal is made with Buseoktae, a native soybean variety grown in Yeongju. The set comes with grilled salted mackerel, handmade tofu, and seasoned acorn jelly, along with a generous spread of banchan, including five or six kinds of wild greens and seasoned Buseoktae beans. Even if you don’t order the bibimbap, gochujang and sesame oil are served alongside so you can mix in the greens and top it with a spoonful of cheonggukjang yourself. The grilled wild deodeok root, seafood pancake, and potato pancake are also recommended as side dishes.
Salted mackerel set meal 14,000 won
1st floor, 319 Buseoksa-ro, Buseok-myeon, Yeongju-si
Yeongju Traditional Mukjip Restaurant
This restaurant serves buckwheat jelly rice soup (memil mukbap) and taepyeongcho, both known as local specialties of Yeongju. Memil mukbap is topped with buckwheat jelly, kimchi, cucumber, and roasted seaweed over rice, finished with a light anchovy broth for a clean, mild flavor. Taepyeongcho is a spicy yet refreshing dish made by simmering buckwheat jelly, pork, ginseng leaves, and perilla seeds in a kimchi hot pot broth. Yeongju’s tradition of eating memil mukbap, dating back to a time when buckwheat farming was common in the region, has a painful historical background: after the failed restoration movement for King Danjong in the late Joseon dynasty, the region suffered great bloodshed, and memil mukbap remained one of the few foods available during that difficult period. There are also several stories about the origin of taepyeongcho, one of which holds that scholars exiled to Yeongju at the time ate it while praying for peaceful, prosperous times. Yeongju Traditional Mukjip Restaurant is a favorite among locals, and its neat table settings served on brassware only add to the appetite. Besides memil mukbap and taepyeongcho, its soft tofu stew and plain tofu are also well known.
Mukbap 8,000 won, Taepyeongcho 9,000 won
24 Wondangno 163beon-gil, Yeongju-si
Nox Gorge
Located on Gwansagol Hill in Yeongju’s old town, once home to the staff quarters for workers at Yeongju Station during the Japanese colonial era, this is a multipurpose cultural space. The three-story building serves as both a café-bakery and an observation deck offering panoramic views of downtown Yeongju and the surrounding mountains. Media art is continuously projected onto the first-floor wall, and jazz and pansori (traditional Korean vocal music) performances are held from time to time. The café’s name is an easy-to-pronounce variation of the Hanja term ‘noksugoji (綠水高地),’ meaning ‘a blue sea atop a high plateau’ — and fittingly, a small garden symbolizing the sea, called ‘Soo Garden,’ has been created inside the building. The menu offers a wide range of coffee and other beverages, desserts and baked goods. The sunset views from the third-floor rooftop are especially beautiful, making it a popular spot for night views as well.
Americano 6,000 KRW, strawberry cheesecake 8,000 KRW
38 Duseogil 87beon-gil, Yeongju-si
[Interview with Jang Sooyeon, Manager at ForParents]
Could you introduce the travel service you operate?
ForParents operates Honored, a domestic travel service for active seniors in their 50s and 60s. Honored is a travel service designed to maximize comfort, featuring convenient transportation via premium buses and a dedicated travel assistant who provides thorough support throughout the trip.
What inspired you to start a travel startup?
The Honored team’s ultimate goal is to enhance national health and longevity by offering the value of ‘enjoyment’ to the active senior generation. Among all activities, we believed travel — a gateway to enjoying beautiful scenery, delicious food and naturally meeting good people — is the healthiest hobby of all. Considering that this generation, after retirement, has a strong interest in domestic trips they can take without much burden, we launched Honored to offer travel that is physically manageable and minimizes hassle.
What kind of travel products did you introduce for the ‘Local Attachment’ project run by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Tourism Organization this time?
We organized our products around three themes: nature healing, hiking, and learning. The overnight package incorporating programs from the National Forest Healing Center focused on relaxation through healing equipment therapy and tea therapy while enjoying the natural scenery. The one-day hiking trip was designed around a section of the Soback Mountain trail that can be enjoyed comfortably even in winter, with a foot bath experience and a nourishing meal added. The one-day learning trip, which emphasizes educational elements including cultural commentary, is an upgraded version of our existing Yeongju travel product, refined based on customer feedback.
If you had to pick one appeal of Yeongju as a sustainable local travel destination?
Its rich tourism resources, where nature and culture exist in harmony. As for who we’d recommend a Yeongju trip to — we think it’s an ideal destination for those who enjoy traveling at a relaxed pace while soaking in a quiet, tranquil atmosphere. We recommend it as a destination that offers a healing experience of becoming one with nature, beyond simple sightseeing.
Do you have a personally memorable travel experience?
The very first trip we ran after launching the Honored travel service remains the most memorable. It was a course combining the Gwangyang Plum Blossom Festival and the Gurye Cornus Festival. I still vividly remember meticulously preparing festival information with photos and text, and personally working as the travel assistant, constantly thinking about how to provide better service. I believe the passion and lessons from that time became the foundation for what Honored is today.
Could you tell us about any travel product projects or goals you’re preparing for this year?
Our main goal is to discover seasonal domestic tourism resources and design products focused on customer needs. In particular, we hope to offer local food experiences that highlight each region’s unique charm, allowing travelers to savor local flavors and atmosphere while creating unique memories with fellow travelers. We also aim to continuously upgrade our products by actively incorporating customer feedback, pursuing sustainable travel that grows alongside the local economy and tourism ecosystem.
Honored Tour: www.honored.kr
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