[Gyeong buk Travel] Mungyeong Saejae

Last week I went Mungyeong with my old buddy.

I have been gyeongbuk province before but my friend was first time.

It took 2 hours by car and was good drive course as well.

The weather was nice and warm.

Mungyeong Saejae is a mountain pass in central South Korea. It lies on Joryeong Mountain between the main peak (1017 m) and Sinseon Peak (967 m).
The pass itself rises to 642 m above sea level.

Mungyeong Saejae connects Mungyeong City, North Gyeongsang province with Goesan County in North Chungcheong province.

Water flowing down from the Mungyeong side of the pass eventually flows into the Nakdong River and meets the Sea of Japan (East Sea) at Busan.

Runoff from the Goesan side eventually flows into the Han River, which passes through Seoul to meet the Yellow Sea at Incheon.

As it is located at the northwest of Youngnam region and surrounded with mountains in an arc, it has a basin type mountain climate which has lots of surrounding geographical effects.

For the average temperature of recent each year, the lowest was 10.9℃ in 1993 and the highest was 12.5℃ in 1994.

So it is able to prove that the termerature only fluctuates slightly annually.

Parking cost was 1,000 won.
My car is small compact car.
It was cheap.

This is the museum of old roads.

A external appearance of a building was so nice and neat.

The Museum of Old Roads

The Museum of Old Roads offers the history of traditional roads and routes in Korea. In the past, Mungyeongsaejae was a transportation hub for the people of Korea, particularly during the Joseon Period.

Mungyeongsaejae is home to Haneumjae (one of the oldest roads in Korea, first established in 176 AD), Tokkibiri (a famous trade route), and Yugok Station (a transport hub in the Yeongnam area).

Even though the importance of the roads as travel routes has diminished over time, they continue to increase in culture significance, conveying the area’s rich traditional heritage to visitors.

The Museum of Old Roads was opened in 2009 after having been remodeled from the Mungyeongsaejae Museum, which mainly dealt with local history.

Hour: 09:00am ~ 18:00pm (March 1 – October 1)

09:00am ~ 17:00pm (November 1 – Next year the end of February)

Closing day: Jan 1st and Luna New Year’s Day, Korean thanksgiving day

Entrance cost: Free

 It is not allowed to take a picture inside. If you want to take it you need to tell the staff.

Mungyeong area has had great meaning in historical, cultural and geographical aspects in the viewpoint that it is the interchange of culture between Youngnam area and Giho area from long time ago.

To contribute on the creation of local culture by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and studying cultural remains and by using it as live education field for descendants, Mungyeongsaejae Museum was opened here on April 27, 1997.

Korean old map called Daedongyo map.

Inside museum.

There a lot of places to see except for mungyeong city.

You can check it out below.
http://english.gbmg.go.kr/open_content/main/

Another side of Museum of old roads.

After watching museum I walked down a road to Mungyeong central park.

The valley is truly amazing- beautiful, calm filled with green color and even a few flowers.

Nice view~

All this green color makes me feel peaceful.

Mungyeong is a village surrounded by mountains on all sides.

I also drank Juice of Maximowiczia typica.

I saw this fruit’s information center in here.

It has been using as TV drama locations in KBS historical drama.

Next, I got on the mono-rail to go coal museum.

The ticket price is 5,000 won. And it’s round ticket. I can also enter coal museum.

 This is a mono-rail. It takes about 5 minutes and distance is 400m.

It was too great to make a just one TV drama.
Maybe this sets made for another TV drama before.

It was like a real!!

Nice colorful roof.

Mungyeong is located the hills above the city, you get wonderful views of city lights by day and night.

Here is coal museum.

The Mungyeong Coal Museum exhibits the history of coal and explains its important contribution to Korea's rapid industrialization.

Systematic exhibition of coal and related information helps visitors understand the vital role that coal has played in shaping modern life. The museum displays coal-related relics in addition to scholarly materials.
The museum offers various exhibition halls: the Central Exhibition Hall (1F-2F), Outdoor Exhibition Hall, Mine Exhibition Hall, and Miner’s Private House Exhibition Hall.

Though coal, one of Korea’s few natural resources, used to be the driving force of the Korean industry and economy, it has become less visible due to the emergence of oil and natural gas.

The museum helps visitors appreciate this forgotten resource as well as the lives of miners in Mungyeong, once one of the most productive coalfields in Korea.

Great work of art.
Opening hours: Summer time (March 01~October 31) 09:00-18:00,
Winter time (November 01~February 28) 09:00-17:00


 

The background of museum establishment

Coal is our only natural energy resource and has been contributing to the progress of national economy by playing an essential role in providing fuel and national infrastructure industry.

However, as material enlightenment is growing, the demand is decreasing.

So this museum was built to be important historical data by collecting the history of coal industry at one place and provide learning field to understand about coal industry on the whole for descendants.

1F exhibition room


Introduction


- Video clip (2 works, 2 minutes each): As an actual scene of coal of miners mining, it rearranges all the workings of miners from entering to gallery to coming out from gallery.
- An Image of a blind end in a mine gallery and FRP emboss of coal seam image (using the surface of wall)
- Block coal exhibition and synthetic guide sign


2F Exhibition room


● Scene of coming out of gallery
● Exhibition of individual equipments


Mungyeong culture hall
- Searching information: introduces culture and tourist spots of Mungyeong with touch screen using computer
- Culture of Mungyeong (around 3 minutes) : Elicit the image of Mungyeong people who resemble the elegant smile of Maeseuokbul in Rough but simple and warm mountains seen while listening to melodies on a bamboo flute
- Industry of Mungyeong (around 3 minutes) : Expresses the image of Mungyeong that would progress to become a core city in mid-land with a strong mood of rising of people who are standing up to the drum sounds of Samulnori.
- Sightseeing of Mungyeong (around 3 minutes) : Elicit the image of Mungyeong by setting traditional dance of women harmonizing with the melody of Gayageum as subject.

The view from this part of the city is beautiful.