I visited an unusual modern ‘palace’ on my way to Namwon. This was the third day of my 5-day trip to the Jirisan area.
After my Jirisan hike yesterday, I was feeling quite energised, surprisingly! I had breakfast at the accommodation, took a few photos, and thought about what to do. There were a few places in mind but I didn’t rush to get there since it was probably before opening. One interesting looking place was an odd looking palace about 20 minutes drive west of where I was staying. I made my way slowly there making a photo stop along the way. I was also wondering why my car was showing me warning signs on the dashboard; low tire pressure and something wrong with the fuel gauge. Perhaps that speed bump I’d hit too fast yesterday had done something?
Anyway, Samseonggung Palace (배달성전삼성궁) was open when I got there. I parked up and got a coffee at the entrance. It was an outdoor cafe next to a stream. The barista said there wasn’t any Americano, only heated up cold brew. I thought that was odd, but got it. It was only later when he brought over a sample coffee he’d just brewed that I realised I’d missed the whole hand drip filter coffee part of the menu. I felt really dumb since that would have been my immediate coffee of choice (note to self: read the fucking menu…). Anyway, it was nice that he gave me a small sample brew.
I paid a fee, and entered this odd, surreal place. After doing some research, it turns out this was build in the 1980s and is a place dedicated to the three mythical founders of the old nation of Korea. It is a large walking trail on the mountain side with lots of stone strctures and paths, and stones carved with designs, forest, ponds and valleys. There are views to the nearby mountains. It’s an unusual but beautiful place, and an Instagrammer’s dream! Just look at the photos; I took a lot!
After the park, I made my way towards Namwon in search of food and coffee. I stopped at a small village for some mountain vegetable topped rice (bibimbap). Pretty good!