One of my favourite hobbies here in Korea is taking photos of the beautiful scenery and attractions across this country. Dwarfed and often overlooked in favour of its neighbours, Japan and China, South Korea has many beautiful spots that are yet to be fully explored and appreciated on a large scale by foreign tourists. Two such examples are: Daewonsa {대원사 : 大原寺} Buddhist temple in Boseong county, Jeollanam-do, approximately one hour from Suncheon and forty minutes from Gwangju; and Jinju castle {진주성 : 晉州成} in Jinju, approximately one and a half hours from Busan and one hour from Suncheon.
Daewonsa {대원사 : 大原寺} Buddhist temple - Boseong, Jeonnam, South Korea
Daewonsa is a beautiful, tranquil spot nestled in the mountains, not far from Juam Lake. The drive to Daewonsa becomes very popular during early Spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Also located next to Daewonsa is the Tibetan Museum which is worth a visit. The photos on the left are taken from my trip last Autumn, and the photos on the right are taken from early year in Spring – (this album is not yet on the Net, but will be soon I promise!) The photo album for my Spring 2007 visit is located here. There, you can also me at my fattest, man-boobs and all! Enjoy~!
 Buddha and pavilion  Traditionally coloured Korean Buddhist pavilion |
 Beautiful, intricate artwork  Buddha amongst a sea of mini-Buddhas |
Jinju castle {진주성 : 晉州成} - Jinju, Gyeongnam, South Korea
Jinju castle overlooks the picturesque Nam River in the pleasant regional city of Jinju. The castle is famous for being the site of the Siege of Jinju, where the first – successful for the Koreans – battle took place against the invading Japanese under Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1592 and the second – unsuccessful for the Koreans – taking place the following year. Jinju castle is also famous for Non-gae, a ditiful kisaeng, who according to legend sacrificed her life and that of a Japanese general during the Seven Year War against Japan by embracing him and jumping off the cliff onto rocks below. She has since been honoured as a heroine for her self-less act of courage. The photos below are from my trip to Jinju castle last year and they are available in full here. Enjoy~! (Meanwhile, I will shortly upload my photos from my second trip online.)
 Nam river scene with a pavilion in honour of Non-gae  Dusk descends on Jinju castle |
 The western gate with an Asian maple tree in the foreground  Jinju castle in flood-lit glory |
Posted by elcanguro76 
