Boryeong
Boryeong[dead link] (보령) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea
Boryeong has been referred to as Manseji Boryeong. Famous for Daecheon beach and its annual mud festival as well as Muchangpo beach where is a mysterious sea path, islands, famous mountains such as Sungju and Oseo mountain, as well as various cultural properties such as Sungjusaji, Ocheonsung and the Galmaemot Martyrium.
The city's beach-mud is widely touted for its cosmetic properties. As elsewhere along the southwest coast of the Korean peninsula, there are numerous small islands, many of which are connected by ferry to Daecheon Port.
Understand
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Get in
By train
By bus
- From Seoul you can there are buses from the Central Express Bus Terminal (2 hr 20 min) and Dong Express Bus Terminal (3 hr, ₩8,700) to Daecheon terminal in Boryeong. From there you can continue to the Daecheon beach.
- There is a direct bus from Incheon that directly goes to Daecheon Beach (Boryeong) but only once a day. It departs at 13:20, ticket price is ₩13,400. However, it will be very difficult to find a ticket for this. You can also take a bus to Cheonan and transfer there to a bus that takes you to Daecheon (2 hr 30 min, ₩7,400).
- From East Daegu Express Bus Terminal there are buses to Daejeon terminal (2 hours. Economy class ₩7,400, Business class ₩10,800)
- From Busan you need to take a bus to Gunsan (4 hr 40 min, ₩20,000) and another one to Daecheon.
By car
Kyungbu Highway
Cheonan IC → Ansan → Hongsung → Boryeong
Yusung IC → Gongju → Cheongyang → Boryeong
West Coast Highway
(Soe hae An Highway)
Seoul → Poseung IC → Asan → Hongsung → Boryeong
Honam Highway
Yeonmudae IC → Nonsan → Buyeo → Boryeong
Get around
See
- 1 Daecheon Beach (대천해수욕장), Sinheuk-dong (041-933-7051). This is the beach that represents Boryeong. Endlessly continuing beach with white sand, blue sea, small and big islands dotted along the horizon, colorful swimsuits looks, pine forest enough to keep the sunshine off, the sun dropping slowly behind the horizon.
- 2 Wonsando (Wonsan Island) (원산도), Wonsan-ri, Ocheon-myeon, ☏ +82 41-930-3618. Jeodu, the entrance of Wonsando (Wonsan Island), is a 30 minutes from Daecheon port by ferry. People in the village named this island Wonsando, because the geographical features of the island looked like a wild boar. This island is very famous for the shipping spot. You can reach Seonchon, the biggest village in the Wonsando, when you take a walk for 10 minutes from Jeodu.
- 3 Mt. Seongju (성주산), Seongju-myeon, ☏ +82 41-930-3529. In Boryeong, there is a place reminding the sentence, "When I got out of the tunnel, there was a snow country", which is the first sentence of Japanese author Kawabata Yasunari's novel Yukiguni. That is "Seongju" tunnel. Passing through the Seongju tunnel, which connects downtown and Seongju-Myeon, gives us novel feeling as if we step in totally different world.
- 4 Coal mining museum (보령석탄박물관), 508, Seongjusan-ro, Seongju-myeon, ☏ +82 41-934-1902. 09:00-17:00 (Closed on Monday). Both in and out door coal mining museum has a collection of 1,700 artifacts such as mining tools and mineral samples. Inside the museum six different halls present their unique collections. The Guiding Hall provides general information and has gift shop. The Research Hall shows developing of coal, the Discovery Hall presents samples of coal and other mineral and history of mining industry and the Participating Hall has artificial coal pit that looks realistic. \2000(Adult), \1500(Teenager), \1000(Child), Free(Under 6 years old, over 66 years old).
Do
- Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach. This festival has been held at Daecheon beach every July since 1997. It's held on a unique shell-covered sand beach only found in the Far East. You may swim and massage with a mudpack at the same time. Furthermore, there are mud massage programs (self massage at the beach, ultra modern mud massage) and a mud experiential land program where mud powder made out of processed and filtered mud is used. The mud itself is very good for your skin and health, so you can save money on a facemask and have fun at the same time.There are many events such as mud wrestling, mud king contest, mud fireworks fantasy and mud sliding. There will also be a photo competition featuring winners from earlier years. This is a high profile event. The gorgeous beach will come in handy as you won’t have any choice but to get dirty. You will be put into a "prison" until you get some mud on your body. At night, you can relax or experience some games and watch fireworks with friends at the gorgeous night beach. The beach itself is very beautiful and a great place to go swimming, and this is one of the biggest festivals in Korea, so please don’t miss out on this great day!
- Sea fishing. There are five outports, Daecheon Port, Ocheon, Muchangpo, Jukdo and Songdo, for sea fishing in Boryeongcity that is famous for boat fishing in West Coast. In Daecheon Port, about 40 boats are ready for boat fishing.
Sightseeing by car
Drive course 1 - Travel along the road where you can watch the sea. Daecheon beach-Nampo bank-Junko travel destination-Muchangpo beach-Busa bank The best thing of the drive course in Boryeong city is to enjoy the fantastic coast. This course begins at Daecheon beach and goes along Nampo bank. Stop at Jukdo travel destination in the middle of the bank. It is romantic to feel the sea from there.
Drive course 2 - Quiet drive along the cultural assets. Chungcheon reservoir - Oseosan-Chungso-Ocheon port - Boryeong thermoelectric power plant. Follow No. 36 national road to Chungyang. Turn right at three-way junction in Dokjung and drive along the Chungcheon reservoir. This road that is connected to No. 619 national road is again connected to No. 4 city road through Hwaam Lecture Hall. There are a few cars on this road so that you can enjoy the quiet drive. Climb the long hill in Oseosan and pass Chungso. And you can see Cheonsuman all through the way to Ocheon.
Drive course 3 - Along the road where the mountain and the lakes are harmonized. Seongjusaji-Seongju Mountain Recreation Forest-Coal Museum-Boryeong dam-Ungcheon Sukjae street Take No. 40 national road from Daecheon station to Buyeo, take the left road in the three-way junction in Seongju and you can find Seongjusaji, the most famous cultural property in Boryeong city. This road is connected to the beautiful drive course with mountains and lakes, Seongju mountain recreation forest and Coal museum. At Dohwadam you can taste spring water. Turn left to No. 11 city road. You'll pass Ami mountain known for its fall foliage and at the end of that road there is Boryeong dam that is the most famous in Chungam. The road along the lake is as beautiful and spectacular as the Chungjuho drive course.
Buy
- Mud from Boryeong. Mudpack that is claimed to be good for skin health and beauty.
- Nampo Inkstone. Inkstone that is one of the four precious things for study of scholars was once as essential as computers are nowadays. Inkstones made in Nampo out of natural stone from the Sungju mountain were considered the most precious. As modern society influences in our life, inkstone is not used much and 60% to 70% of inkstones that are produced in Korea is made in Boryeong. So Boryeong is the main area for inkstone. The inkstone manufacturing in Nampo was designated as intangible cultural asset No. 6 in Chungcheongnamdo.
- Ungcheon Stone. Osuk produced in Ungcheon is glossy and black like a feather of crow and the quality is excellent. So it is used as the material for various epitaph, tomestones, etc. As you trim the stone more and more, the black color becomes distinguished, and as you carve, the white color comes forth. Especially Osuk from Sungju mountain area is famous as the best quality in Korea and is the indigenous specialty of Boryeong. Boryeong is also famous for Chungsuk with blue color and Aesuk that is mainly used for religious purposes.
- Marine products. Launce that is caught in the sea of Boryeong is regarded as having superior quality. Especially pickled launch that is caught in May and June, salted at the ratio of 8 to 2 and ripened has a unique taste. Due to the large tide in the area it takes longer time for oysters to grow and that allegedly gives them a better taste.
- Agricultural Products. Western mushrooms in Boryeong and other mushrooms that are grow above an underground closed mine taste excellent, but on the other hand they are not durable. Grapes that grow along No. 21 national road from Nampo to Ungcheon has superior sweet taste and best nutrition. Especially, Sahyung grape from the Nampo area is famous for its very sweet taste. Masan area produces various edible greens such as seasoned aster. Especially, seasoned aster from Misan is popular thanks to its fragnancy and good taste. Lots of Painted maple are growing in the dense forest of Sungju mountain. The sap of Painted maple is especially good for people who have stomach problems and it is known to be useful for neuralgia and improving physical constitution.
Eat
There are many restaurants in Boryeong, of which most offer fresh seafood. There are also other types including Korean Barbecue restaurants and Galbi Houses.
In Boreyong Town there are several restaurants between the bus terminal and Emart which serve Western food, such as Raracost, McDonald's and Fex.
- 1 Sujeong Restaurant, 482-6, Myeongcheon-dong, ☏ +82 41-936-2341. Monday to Friday 09:30 to 19:00. Only in-store meals are available. It sells Korean dishes such as bibimbap and bibim-guksu.
Drink
- 1 Lilith Cafe, 177-2 Gaehwa-ri, Seongju-myeon, ☏ +82 7041332845. 09:30 to 18:00. Cafe in Gyehwa Art Park, vintage and beautiful scenery.
- 2 Cafe Blue Lake, Cheongho Garden 1st floor, 596 Jangsan-ri, Cheongna-myeon. 10:00 to 19:00. The outdoor photo zone view is pretty, the interior of the cafe is small, and there is no space or peculiarity to take pictures.
Sleep
There are basically 3 kinds of accommodation available in Boryeong.
The most popular ones are motels. They are easy to be found because they are all over the place in this beach area. There are also many hotels. You can tell the difference between a motel and a hotel by the size of the building. Buildings that are more than 5 stories and larger in size are hotels. The quality of the room is not much different, but they have more facilities that customers can use such as spas, swimming pools and restaurants.
If you do not mind experiencing a Korean-style house for couple of days "minbak" (a private residence temporarily taking lodgers) is the one for you. In fact, there are more "minbaks" than any other accommodation, because for many people there, it's become another way to make a living.