🌺 Busan Dongbaekseom Island: The Ultimate Healing Walk (With Nurimaru APEC House)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LFwH9j36sWu4ViM4A
Oh my god, seriously, this Busan Trip was absolutely insane!
🤩 Since it was just me (and my husband/friends) without the kids for
our 2-night, 3-day trip, I knew we had to hit Dongbaekseom
Island. I was kinda sore from all the running and walking the day before,
you know? But we went anyway! Gotta pat myself on the back for that
determination. ✌️
💡 Dongbaekseom (Camellia Island) – Just realized
why it's called that! 'Dongbaek' is the Camellia Flower and 'seom' is
island. Duh! It's famous for those beautiful flowers blooming from Winter
to Spring, usually around December through March.
🚶♀️ Dongbaekseom Island Circular Trail: The Ultimate Loop (Distance: 930m)
The Dongbaekseom Island Circular Trail is seriously so easy to
walk! It's only 930m, so you finish it super fast. On the way, you pass
the Nurimaru APEC House, the Lighthouse Observatory, and the
place with the Carved Stone of Haeundae. This is the main, easiest
route.
But there are forks in the road! If you're feeling energetic, you can
climb uphill to the highest point where the Choi Chi-Won Statue is; or
you can go down to the Coastal Trail along the water. (I preferred the
coastal path, just saying!)
1. Nurimaru APEC House (The Super Major Stop!)
This place is the absolute landmark and hotspot of Dongbaekseom
Island. It was specifically built for the 2005 APEC Summit where the
heads of state from 21 Asia-Pacific countries gathered. The name means
'Nuri' (World) and 'Maru' (Summit) combined. I got major
national pride just thinking about it!
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (they stay open until 7:00 PM
in July & August, though!) / They close on the first Monday of
every month, so check first!
- Admission: Free is AMAZING! 👍
You can tour the inside across 3 floors. The 3rd floor is the main event! It has the actual 2005 APEC Summit Hall and the APEC Memorial Hall.
The Summit Hall is preserved exactly as it was! The big round
meeting table, the chairs, the name plates... I stood there and felt like the
president for a second, ha!
💡 On the 3rd floor, look for the artwork of the 12
Symbols of Longevity—it’s super cool! It has the sun, cloud, mountain,
rock, water, crane, deer, turtle, pine tree, herb of eternal youth, bamboo
and the mythical peach. Don't just walk past it!
The Views from Nurimaru APEC House are seriously the reward
for the walk. To the left, you see the island's lighthouse standing
tall. To the right, you can see the Gwangandaegyo Bridge and the Oryukdo
Islets. Total viewpoint winner!
2. Lighthouse Observatory (Must-Take-a-Picture Spot!)
The lighthouse is another famous landmark here. From the
observatory deck, you get this huge panoramic view! You can see all of Haeundae
Beach, the huge Haeundae LCT the Sharp - Landmark Tower (the tallest
building in Busan), down to Mipo Port. You can even spot the
popular Haeundae Sky Capsule moving along the coast! Plus, the Gwangandaegyo
Bridge, Igidae, and Oryukdo Coasts—it's all there!
3. Choi Chi-Won Statue & Octagonal Pavilion
If you're feeling that uphill burn, take the stone steps opposite the Lighthouse
Observatory up to the highest point. That's where you find the Choi
Chi-Won Statue, he was a scholar and writer back in the Shilla Kingdom.
Right next to him is a colorful 2-storey Octagonal Pavilion. (P.S. This
is also a major Camellia Flower viewing spot during the season!)
4. Craved Stone of Haeundae Observatory
Just about 10m left of the Lighthouse Observatory is another
spot to view the 'Craved Stone of Haeundae'.
💡 The origin of the name Haeundae comes from here! Choi
Chi-Won was so blown away by the natural beauty that he carved the three
Chinese characters 海雲臺 (Sea Cloud
Platform) on a rock below the viewpoint. His pen name was even 'Haeun'! Isn't
that crazy cool?!
🏝️ Dongbaekseom Island Coastal Trail (Distance: 450m)
The Dongbaekseom Island Coastal Trail is probably the easiest,
prettiest, and most accessible coastal trail in all of Busan.
They built the path right over the rocks using raised wooden decks, so it's so
comfortable to walk. It's only 450m, so zero stress! This path connects
back to the Circular Trail near the lighthouse.
💡 Fun fact: This coastline is actually part of the Busan National Geopark! It’s not just pretty—it has remains of volcanic activity from the Late Cretaceous Period. That’s some precious geological heritage right there!
💡 This is also a small part of the popular Busan Galmaet-gil Trail! That trail is 278.8km long, across 21 sections—and we just walked a tiny bit of Course 2-1.
1. Suspension Bridge (Totally Freaky!)
Walking the coastal path, you hit this Suspension Bridge near the Mermaid
Statue. It looked sturdy, but when you walk on it, it definitely wobbles
and made me freak out a little! But the view of the Dongbaekseom
Island coast from here is insane, so you gotta be brave and cross
it.
2. Mermaid Statue (Princess Hwangok Statue)
The coastal walk leads you right to the famous Mermaid Statue (also called Princess Hwangok Statue) near The Westin Josun Busan hotel.💡 The legend is kind of sad! Princess Hwangok
(Topaz) came from across the sea to marry King Eunhye, but she got
terribly homesick. She used to look into her topaz mirror where her homeland
was reflected every full moon to ease her sorrow.
🌅 Sunset &
Nightfall @Dongbaekseom Island
Dongbaekseom Island is also super
popular for its sunset views. Watching the sun drop below the horizon with
the Nurimaru APEC House and the lighthouse in the foreground is
seriously beautiful. If you can time it right, it's worth the wait!
Comments
Post a Comment