Hearing Good News Along Mungyeong Saejae

Mungyeong, whose name means 'to hear good news,' was once part of the old Yeongnam-daero road that crossed Mungyeong Saejae Pass between Hanyang (old Seoul) and the Yeongnam region. Passing through the three gates of Juheulgwan, Jogokgwan, and Joryeonggwan, you cross the Baekdudaegan ridge into the territory of Chungcheong-do. At the entrance to Mungyeong Saejae, there is much to see alongside the walk itself, including a natural ecology park, a KBS filming set, and the Old Road Museum. After visiting the third gate of Mungyeong Saejae, it's also worth relaxing your tired body and mind at Mungyeong Hot Springs.

Along the way

1. 1
   Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park

   문경새재 도립공원

   Crossing the ridge of Joryeongsan Mountain in the Baekdudaegan range, Saejae has long been the highest and most rugged pass along the Yeongnam-daero road connecting the Han River and Nakdong River basins. The name 'Saejae' is said to come from various origins — a pass so hard to cross even birds (sae) struggled to fly over it, a pass overgrown with silver grass (eoksaepul), or a 'new' pass (sae) between Haneuljae and Iurijae passes. After the Imjin War, three gates — Juheulgwan, Jogokgwan, and Joryeonggwan (Historic Site No. 147) — were built here and used as a strategic national defense fortress.\nMoreLess

   

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2. 2

   Somunnan Restaurant

   소문난식당

   Somunnan Restaurant has been in business since the 1960s, and that history speaks for the taste of its food before anything else. The main ingredient of its signature dish, cheongpo (mung bean jelly), is rich in vitamins, protein, and carbohydrates, known to be effective for skin care and to have excellent detoxifying properties, making it a pioneer of well-being cuisine. The restaurant is famous for its cheongpomuk jobap — mung bean jelly mixed with rice and a seasoning sauce served alongside doenjang stew — a delicacy not easily found in Seoul.\nMoreLess

   

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3. 3

   Mungyeong General Hot Springs

   문경종합온천

   Mungyeong General Hot Springs was designated a hot spring district by Gyeongsangbuk-do at the end of 1995 and opened as a general hot spring facility on March 24, 2001. It has spacious parking for about 1,000 vehicles and a large bathing facility that can accommodate 2,500 bathers at once.\nIt is the only combined therapeutic hot spring facility in the country where visitors can enjoy two different types of hot spring water with a single admission — calcium bicarbonate spring water rising from between granite and limestone layers 900m underground, and alkaline spring water rising from a granite layer 750m underground.\nMoreLess

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