By Wu Jinhua

The Korean saying "Chunbaegyang chunaejang" means "Visit  Baegyangsa Temple in spring and Naejangsan Mountain in fall." The mountain in Jeollabuk-do Province is a beautiful spectacle to behold but even more so in fall.

A longtime selection as one of the nation's top eight scenic spots thanks to its gorgeous fall foliage, Naejangsan got its name meaning "a mountain containing countless hidden treasures."

A Korea.net staff writer on Oct. 26 visited Naejangsan National Park a little early in fall. While fall foliage had peaked on Seoraksan Mountain in Gangwon-do Province and Jirisan Mountain in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, that on Naejangsan had just started.

Visitors can enjoy fall leaves through late fall without climbing the mountain. The writer that day walked Nature Observation Trail, Uhwajeong Pavilion, the mountain's observatory, a tunnel of  multicolored fall leaves, Naejangsa Temple and Wonjeokgol Nature Trail in that order. 

Nature Observation Trail is for all ages to enjoy a therapeutic walk while seeing trees and fall foliage. Measuring 2.6 km in length and taking about 40 minutes to complete, the path starts from Geumseongyo Bridge that leads to Naejangsan National Park and ends at Uhwajeong Pavilion.

A shuttle bus takes visitors from the trail's entrance to Nature Observation Trail and the information center, where riding a cable car is available. But to enjoy fall leaves more quickly, walking on the trail is recommended.

The Korea.net writer while on the path saw facilities for growing closer to nature like a wild plant observation center and ecological information signboards.

The trail ended at Uhwajeong Pavilion, the park's leading photo spot. The pavilion was once made of concrete but was rebuilt in 2016 as a Hanok (traditional architecture) with an octagonal roof, making it a leading attraction around the mountain.

The reflection of red fall leaves and the tranquil pavilion on the clear lake looked like a vivid watercolor painting. 

Not far from Uhwajeong is the visitor information center, and just a little further is Iljumun Gate. The path behind the gate is a tunnel famous for enchanting fall foliage.

The 108 Danpung (Fall Foliage) Tunnel got its name from its resemblance to a tunnel formed by 108 fall leaf trees. The short trail that begins from Iljumun Gate connects to Naejangsa Temple before leading to the nature observation trail Wonjeokgol on the mountain.

Tourist flock to the tunnel every fall to see the beautifully red-colored leaves. On Oct. 26, however, fewer visitors were seen as it was still a little too early for the peak of the fall foliage season there. 

This fortunately allowed a more leisurely stroll for the Korea.net staff writer, who arrived in front of the temple and heard the cheerful sounds of a moktak, a wooden handbell often used in Buddhist ceremonies, and Buddhist monks reading Buddhist sutras out loud. 

Pass the temple to reach the 3.9 km-long nature observation trail Wonjeokgol, the first of its kind at a domestic national park.

The road has the most gentle slope among the 10 courses at Naejangsan National Park recommended by park staff including those for Seoraebong Peak and Baegyangsa Temple and many flat areas, so children and the elderly can walk there comfortably.

It gets no better than this since visitors can view the scenery without having to climb the mountain.

The term "Wonjeokgol" comes from the Buddhist hermitage Wonjeogam, where the trail winds along the 3.2 km-long Woneok Valley, which flows through streams originating from the peaks Ggachibong, Yeonjibong, Manghaebong and Bulchulbong.

Those following the gently flowing and clear valley waters can unconsciously hear the sounds of scops owls and great spotted woodpeckers.

Baek Jong-ho, a resident of Daegu who visited Naejangsan with his wife for his first visit there, said, "Fall foliage here hasn't peaked yet but I'm constantly amazed by the mountain's beautiful scenery," adding, "Naejangsan is definitely the best place to see fall foliage."

Rory Monahan, a Dutch national on his first visit to Korea with a friend, said, "There are no mountains in the Netherlands, so I was glad to explore Naejangsan in Korea," adding, "The beautiful views I saw from the mountain today will remain as good memories."

Kim Young, who has worked for about a decade as a guide to the mountain's natural environment, said, "One of the advantages of Naejangsan is that you can see maple trees of various colors on trails without climbing the mountain."

"As its name suggests, Naejangsan is packed with beautiful scenery that are like hidden treasures, so we hope that visitors here can create many good memories."

# In December last year, Naejangsan National Park was included as one of the country's top 100 tourist attractions for 2023-24 and best 100 tourist spots for the third straight year since 2018. #Maple trees are the leading tree species that form beautiful fall scenery on Naejangsan Mountain. Naejangsan National Park has the most species of such trees of any domestic national park with 13 like purple bloom maple, Korean maple, Acer pictum, Amur maple and three-flowered maple.

jane0614@korea.kr