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"Short stories and travel reports from my life adventures around the globe".

Travel Report: Maisan Mountain, South Korea.

Maisan Mountain South Korea.

April 2019. Wherever you’re travelling from, getting to South Korea’s Maisan Mountain is not a straightforward affair. Especially if you’re trying to do it as a day trip. I set off from the city of Jeonju with my brother Cory and his fiancée Kaley one sunny April afternoon.

The first leg of our adventure involved a 25 minute walk to the intercity bus terminal, where we caught a one hour service to the inconsequential town of Jinan. From there, we understood, a further bus to the mountain itself awaited.

Jeonju to Maisan Mountain.

Getting from Jeonju to Maisan Mountain.

The journey took us deep into the mostly unspoiled countryside of Jeollabuk-do Province, which provided some great views from the bus window. After a bit of confusion, we ended up jumping off the bus a few stops before Jinan.

Swiftly realising we had absolutely no idea where we were, Cory got his maps app on the case. Hence we set off on a forty minute hike just to reach Maisan Provincial Park, the gateway to Maisan Mountain.

Tourist village Maisan Mountain.

Maisan Provincial Park, South Korea.

We’d already worked up quite a sweat by the time the three of us arrived at Maisan Provincial Park. Passing through a parking lot and a tourist information centre, we made our way down the so-called Tourist Village, home to roast pork restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops.

Desperate for some caffeine, I insisted we sought out a place that could whip me up a creamy, reenergising latte.

Coffee to go Maisan Mountain South Korea

Coffee to go, Maisan Mountain.

The resulting coffee really hit the spot, while the woman who made it was super friendly. In fact, she never once stopped babbling away in Korean. Not at all put off, it seemed, by the fact that we clearly couldn’t understand anything she was saying.

Maisan Mountain.

Maisan Mountain.

Approaching the foot of the mountain.

From the village it was another fifteen minutes on foot to the entrance of Maisan Mountain. The route took us through an exceptionally lovely garden, where bright pink and purple flowers blossomed among twisting fir trees.

Jinan Scissors Museum South Korea.

Cory losing his shit over Jinan Scissors Museum.

We also saw signs related to the park’s other attractions, including Jinan Scissors Museum. Oh how Cory begged us to scrap our mountain plan for a dose of scissors-related education. But we had to be firm with him. He’s still trying to come to terms with it.

Horse Ear Mountain South Korea.

Maisan Mountain’s distinctive horse ear peaks.

Further on, we crossed a wooden footbridge overlooking a giant reservoir. For the first time the mountain’s signature horse ear peaks came clearly into view and I could see why many Koreans refer to the place as Horse Ear Mountain. In fact, “Mai” means ear in Korean, while “San” (yes you guessed it) translates as mountain. 

Reservoir Horse Ear Mountain.

The reservoir at Maisan Provincial Park.

As mountains go, this certainly wasn’t the highest trek I’ve done, not by a long shot. Nevertheless, the 685 metre trail comprises of several gravelly inclines and a couple of monster wooden staircases. One of these is a 600-step ordeal called The Saddle.

Horse Ear Mountain.

Hiking Maisan Mountain.

The Saddle.

Scaling The Saddle was a real workout! Thus we found ourselves regularly stopping to drink water and catch our communal breath. It also gave me the opportunity to look back on how far we’d come and, depressingly, how many steps we still had to go.

The colours were gorgeous that day and the walk proved highly atmospheric, thanks in no small part to a drumming monk, whose soft, consistent beats echoed through the treetops.

At the top of The Saddle there was another almighty staircase to negotiate, although this time the going was at least downhill. Here, the foot traffic got a little busier, with groups of Koreans streaming past us with their hiking poles and North Face jackets.

“Hello!” “How are you?!” cried a few of the men as we passed. The older women, meanwhile, just glared at me as if I had perhaps invaded their private garden. I was well used to this after four years in China. Grandmother Syndrome, as a few of my teaching colleagues and I called it.

Finally, we arrived at a large crossroads platform located right between the towering horse ear peaks. According to the giant map board, a variety of hiking trails branch off in several directions.

Map of Maisan Mountain Horse Ear Mountain South Korea.

Pick a trail, any trail.

We continued straight down, until we arrived in a valley containing Eunsusa Temple, a Buddhist, Joseon Dynasty structure located at the foot of one of the horse ears.

Maisan Mountain.

Eunsusa Temple South Korea.

Eunsusa Temple.

Apparently, the modest little temple went through a number of names, until King Taejo of Joseon paid it a visit and commented that the surrounding streams and waterfalls were “as clean and smooth as pure silver”. From that day forward, the temple was known as Eunsusa, which means Silver Water Temple.

Eunsusa Temple Maisan Mountain.

Maisan Mountain.

It had already been quite a day. But actually, everything we’d experienced so far had been a mere prelude to the main reason we’d come all this way. To find out about the next part of our adventure, don’t miss my travel report from Tapsa Temple.

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8 Comments

  • wanderlustig

    Great post again! Love you writing style.
    When I travelled in Korea last year (also in April) I often found it hard and also confusing to get to places on public transport. On Jeju it was worst, f.ex bustrips of nearly two hours with a hundred stops to the start of hiking trails. Unfortunately, I had no international driver’s licence so I could not hire a car.

    November 6, 2020 - 11:18 am Reply
    • Leighton

      Hey, really appreciate your kind words. Like you, I couldn’t drive, so very much at the mercy of buses, trains and taxis. Very cool that you went to Jeju, I would have loved to explore there.

      November 6, 2020 - 11:28 am Reply
  • Jyothi

    Great post and beautiful pictures!

    November 6, 2020 - 5:14 pm Reply
    • Leighton

      Thank you!

      November 6, 2020 - 5:19 pm Reply
      • Jyothi

        You are welcome!

        November 6, 2020 - 5:21 pm
  • Rebecca

    I feel your pain of hopping off too early from the station; I’ve had my experiences of doing the same thing, only to make embarrassingly-long treks to the destination on-foot. I had no idea that a “Grandmother Syndrome” existed, but I find ignoring their judging looks is the way to go! Maisan looks lovely, and it goes to show that there’s so much more to South Korea than just Seoul!

    November 6, 2020 - 7:16 pm Reply
  • Memo

    My first attempt to comment didn’t go through so I’ll try again. The “horse ears” appear totally intimidating to someone who doesn’t like stairs anymore. You did a good job of capturing the strenuousness of the the ascent. And the cliffhanger ending was unexpected. I can’t wait for more.

    November 6, 2020 - 7:45 pm Reply
    • Leighton

      Thanks Memo. Hang on that cliff just until tomorrow morning. It’s also the last South Korea piece, thanks for staying on for the whole ride.

      November 6, 2020 - 10:12 pm Reply

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