Sumbisori

Jeju diving women emerging from the waves

 

In order to survive, the diving women of Jeju Island paradoxically must stop breathing. Working meters under the surface of the ocean for minutes at a time and on a single lungful of air, the haenyeo emerge from beneath the waves with their catch. The sharp sound of their breathe echoes over the sea and is easily heard from shore. All around the island they toil using traditional diving techniques rather than modern gear. They are careful to maintain only a sustainable, environmentally friendly quota of marine products. They are truly stewards of the ocean, especially at Hado-ri, Beophwan Port, Hallim and Ojo-ri, among other fishing villages and ports around Jeju. The haenyeo are now celebrating their first anniversary as a designated UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To learn more about Jeju women divers, visit the Jeju Haenyeo Museum in Sehwa village.

Jeju Gotjawal Provincial Park

Gotjawal is a unique forest created on a lava region. It is spread over a vast expanse of land, including Gueok Village, where Chusa Yobae-gil Trail (Exile Path) passes through, and nearby areas like Mureung, Sinpyeong, and Jeoji Village. Gotjawal, widely known as the lungs of Jejudo Island, has a very unique ecological system where different species of plants grow together. As Chusa put it, inside Gotjawal, only strands of the sky can be seen from the shade of the trees. He also said that he saw trees that did not wither in winter as well as beautiful autumn foliage. He enjoyed the exotic view of the forest, which was very different from the forests inland.

Jeju Geotrail

This is a trail built along a UNESCO-recognized Jeju Geopark site. It brings travelers past a number of internationally valued Jeju geological features, including the Yongmeori Coast and Sanbangsan Mountain, and the history and culture of surrounding villages like Sagye, Hwasun and Deosu. This 13-kilometer-long Geotrail starts at Yongmeori and ends at Sagye Port and in the spring has many fields replete with bright, beautiful yellow canola blossoms.