Beyond Seoul: Weekend in Busan

Busan is on the entirely opposite side of the Korean peninsula from the city of Seoul. Seoul is better known as a main attraction for tourists coming to South Korea, so why, then, do some tourists decide to visit Busan? If you're a fan of Korean pop music, then the answer may be more apparent: two members, Jimin and Jungkook, from the popular K-pop group BTS grew up in the coastal city of Busan. Therefore, many murals and BTS-inspired activities are available for fans to experience (including Jimin's father's cafe). If you aren't a BTS fan, what else is there? Well, Busan offers a unique combination of urban and coastal, with Gwangalli, Haeundae and Songdo beaches being popular spots to get a good look at the sea whilst towering city buildings articulate the background. The combination of nature and city also attracts tourists, with lush mountains sprouting between collections of city buildings, bringing in hikers and sky capsules taking individuals who love the sea for a memorable ride above it and along the coastlines. Finally, the food in Busan offers unique tastes when compared to other areas of the peninsula. Busan's fresh seafood and dwaeji gukbap, or pork-rice soup, are especially popular and tasty. Now, what did I do with my time in Busan?

My first day began at about 10 a.m. on Friday when my friends and I left our small hotel room to commute an hour by bus to Gamcheon Culture Village. This village is known for its tightly packed, terraced, pastel-colored homes that came about through several different events, including the Korean War, religious beliefs and the Village Art Project of 2009, which gave the homes their memorable colors and murals and turned its old, abandoned buildings into galleries, shops and cafes. While my group walked around the village, we enjoyed the sights that the differing levels had to offer. We saw a small Buddhist temple, got drinks from cafe DalDal Busan, bought souvenirs from various shops (postcards were a hit for my group), admired BTS murals and took pictures at a photobooth. All of these activities took us a few hours, and then we hopped on the bus and headed to Oryukdo Skywalk, which is a short, horseshoe-shaped glass bridge built over the water. This spot allowed us to look down below our feet and see the waves and their violent connection with the ridged rocks of the shore. We arrived here a little after 4 p.m. and stayed for a good hour, which allowed us to enjoy the sunset. Just a little way away, we sat on the rocks until the sun vanished behind the distant mountains. After this, we decided to head back to our hotel; most of my group had assignments to complete and midterms to study for. The grind never stops, even while visiting Busan!

Saturday, the next day, was an earlier day. We woke up at around 8 a.m. and left the hotel for our two-hour commute to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. We arrived at the temple around 11 a.m., and it was already bustling with crowds of tourists. We decided to have a quick snack — I enjoyed a potato tornado with cheese dust and my friends shared a Korean cheese corndog — before heading to the main temple entrance. The Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is famous for its location right next to the sea, offering an incredibly stunning mix of temple and sea views, with a foreground of rough rock and a backdrop of fall-touched mountains. Two hours passed quickly, and it was time to move on to the next destination: Cheongsapo Daritdol Observatory. Another hour away from the temple, we were presented with a breathtaking opportunity to go out above the sea once again and take in the ocean waves, coastline and far-off cityscape. As this observatory was much bigger than Oryukdo the day prior, it proved to offer an extended experience to the former. The fully glass bottom truly made a person breathless, which was produced not only by the views, but also by the distance between the solid glass under your feet and the sea surface below. After taking many pictures and being blown around by the intense wind that reminded me of North Dakota, we headed off to our next destination, this time by taxi. What a pleasant experience the taxi offered: our Uber driver gave us candy and turned on K-pop Demon Hunters for entertainment. Thanks to his kindness and superior service, we arrived at Gwangalli Beach just as the sun was setting. We wasted no time getting to the water, taking our shoes off and enjoying the soft sand and chilled ocean waves. Then, with bellies grumbling, we headed to a nearby convenience store, microwaved some ramyeon and warmed our stomachs. Not long after, the sky lit up over Gwangalli Beach, filled with hundreds of small drones that created mind-boggling displays and movements. The scene was made even more beautiful by the enhancement of the illuminated Gwangandaegyo Bridge in the background, making for a truly memorable night. On our way back to the hotel, we decided to stop at Chinatown located by Busan Station Square, which was a nice place to wander through and people-watch.

Our final day was Sunday, and we took the day slow. As we moved to the subway station, we popped into stores along the main shopping street around the corner. Packing our luggage into the subway lockers, my group took a bus to Songdo Beach. Here, we walked along another observatory and enjoyed the sights of the sea, ending with a trip to Compose Coffee nearby for a liquid sweet treat. With not much time left before our buses were to head back to Seoul, we decided to go to a nearby market with an array of thrift and clothing shops. This proved mighty dangerous for me, though I managed to contain myself to only buying three pieces. I will definitely be looking for some places similar to these back in Seoul!

Busan, for me, was surprisingly inviting and maintains a hold that has interested me in a second trip at some point in the future. The pace is slower than in Seoul, and the mix of mountain and ocean really satisfied my nature-loving side. The people also seemed incredibly kind and free, from the Uber driver and his kindness to the enthusiastic convenience store cashier and the older people simply enjoying singing and dancing on the street by the beach. It was a place of warmth, joy and genuineness that I hope to return to.