Find the Hidden Sakgat-baemi Rice Paddy!

Gacheon Darangyi Village is a village where terraced rice paddies, carved into cliffs from the hillside down to the sea, remain as Scenic Site No. 71. About 680 paddies are packed into the hillside, ranging from just 3 pyeong to as large as 300 pyeong. In particular, there is a story about 'sakgat-baemi,' a tiny paddy so small it could be hidden beneath a straw hat (sakgat) left on the ground. Be sure to visit Gacheon Amsu Rocks at the center of the village and the suspension bridge strung across the jagged coastal cliffs.

Along the way

1. 1

   Munhang Fishing Village Experience Center (Namhae Munhang Village)

   문항어촌체험마을(남해 문항마을)

   Munhang Fishing Village is a place where visitors can enjoy most of the experience programs held at sea. A spacious parking lot is provided at the village entrance, next to the experience center. Inside the center is an auditorium where visitors can hear a brief explanation of the programs, along with a foot-washing area. A large village map for visitors is displayed in a corner of the parking lot for added convenience. The location of each experience site and its program details are marked in detail, making it easy to plan your route.\nMoreLess

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2. 2

   Namhae Dacho Reservoir (Jangpyeongji)

   남해 다초지(장평지)

   Heading toward Idong from Namhae-eup, you'll come across the Agricultural Technology Center building, with a reservoir right in front of it. This is Jangpyeong Reservoir, known for its famous cherry trees. Cherry blossoms cascade like snow from the drooping branches of old trees on every side, and Jangpyeong Reservoir looks as if it is submerged in a watercolor painting. It seems as if dipping your hand in the water would tint it with cherry blossom color. Photographers highly praise it as a great spot for photography, saying backlit shots taken in the morning produce especially fine images.\nMoreLess

   

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3. 3

   Lunch (Mijo Restaurant)

   점심식사(미조식당)

   Located in Mijo-ri, at the very tip of Namhae-gun, Mijo Restaurant sits right in front of the harbor, so you can watch anchovy and hairtail boats holding their auctions firsthand.\nSashimi made from anchovies and hairtail freshly caught in the pristine waters of Namhae, mixed with vinegared chili paste made in-house at Mijo Restaurant, is by far the highlight.\nMoreLess

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4. 4
   Yongmunsa Temple

   용문사

   This old temple sits at the foot of Hogusan Mountain (560m above sea level) in Idong-myeon, Namhae-eup, overlooking Aeng-gang Bay, which spreads out like the folds of a skirt. Hogusan faces Mangunsan Mountain to the north and Geumsan Mountain to the south. Though somewhat overshadowed by the fame of those two mountains, it has been designated a county park by Namhae-gun for its secluded and outstanding beauty. From the summit, looking north beyond Mangunsan, the layered ridgelines of Hadong, Gwangyang's Baekunsan Mountain, and the distant ridges of Jirisan Mountain come faintly into view. To the south lies the picturesque scenery of Aeng-gang Bay, in front of which is Nodo Island, where Seopo Kim Man-jung wrote 'Sassi Namjeonggi' while in exile. To the east, Geumsan Mountain, home to Boriam Hermitage, and further off, Tongyeong and Geoje-do come into view, and beyond Changseon-do, the coastal villages of Sacheon and Goseong and the inland scenery can be seen; turning your gaze west toward the Yeosu Peninsula, the somewhat unfamiliar sight of the Yeocheon petrochemical complex and the artificial island of Geumho-do, part of the massive Gwangyang steelworks, comes into view. Beside the marker stone at the summit of Hogusan stand three small stone towers, likely a remnant of folk belief. At the foot of Hogusan is Yongmunsa, the oldest temple in Namhae, founded during the reign of King Aejang of Silla and the largest temple in Namhae, having produced twelve eminent monks.\nMoreLess

   

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5. 5

   Gacheon Darangyi Village

   가천다랭이마을

   Gacheon Darangyi Village in Namhae is a village that borders the sea yet has not a single boat. This is because the village sits along coastal cliffs. Unable to build even a single breakwater or dock, let alone a harbor, the villagers reclaimed the barren land and began farming. The terraced rice paddies (Scenic Site No. 15), built up layer by layer with stone walls, were born from that effort. A visit to Gacheon Darangyi Village begins with a walk through the terraced paddies, which embody the tenacity of the people of Namhae. Though the paddies are irregular and oddly shaped, pleasant walking trails and observation decks are set between them, allowing for a comfortable tour. Touring the village's famous Amsu Rocks (Gyeongnam Folklore Material No. 13), the Bap-mudeom (rice mound), the suspension bridge, and the round pebble beach takes a little over an hour. Along the way, a village guide will share interesting stories about the village's origins.\nMoreLess

   

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