Ecotourism of Cities and Counties

Geumma Seodong Eco-Tourism

Natural Ecology Resources

Seodong Geumma Eco Park

Iksan-si has natural tourist attraction called Mireuksaji, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, Seodong Ecological Tourist Site is constructed on the area over 300,000 square meters in the Dongodori area of Geumma-myeon where Seodong Rural Theme Park and Dulle-gil Trail adjoins. Climbing Mireuksan Mountain, you can see Seodong eco tourist site at glance that just looks like the Korean peninsula. In Geumma reservoir, endangered wild species like Ditch stonecrop, Red least water-lily, Yellow poppy, and Water poppy are inhabiting, and in Hwanggakcheon, the species only inhabits in first rate water lives such as oriental weatherfish, native freshwater shrimp, and sleeper. In order to create a organic habitat and to create a pleasant village environment, the restoration project of the old ditch in Hwanggakcheon, upstream of the reservoir, is being promoted to the Geumma eco tourist site and Wanggung reservoir areas. Seodong Park which is located around Geumma reservoir is popular not just to tourists, but also to local villagers. The park is decorated with beautiful attractions including the statue of Seodong & Princess Sunhwa, the twelve zodiac animal deilties, and other 93 sculptures and a fountain. The Seodong fountain can shoot up water stream five meters in the air, and the lightings that can change the colour of water stream is a huge bonus to tourists. During summer season, the park is always full with visitors to avoid the heat of town.


Address
Jeollabuk-do Province Iksan-si Geumma-myeon Donggodo-ri 533
Inquiry
063-859-5438 (Green Environment Division, Iksan-si)

Mandarin duck

It is a Anseriformes-order, Anatidae-family bird, designated as a Natural Monument No. 327. Body length is 43 ~ 51cm and weight is 444 ~ 550g. The male has various colored drooped ribbons and white eye-ring, orange feathers (beard feathers) from the chin to the side of the neck, reddish brown upper chest, yellow flanks and bright orange feather (Gingko leaf-colored feather). Females have a brown body with gray spots, the abdomen is white, and have white eye-ring.

Experience Program

 
 

Paradise of Birds - Geumma Learn ecology of wetland in Geumma Reservoir and hear cultural explanation on Mireuksa Temple Site.

 

- Target : All ages (minimum number of people : 3)
- Operation Time : March ~ December (Sat, Sun)
- Time Required : 2 hours


Participation Fee
3,000 won
Inquiry
☎  010-3653-6358 (Geumma Ecotourism Conference)

☎  063-859-5438 (Green Environment Division, Iksan-si)

Historical Culture Resource

Maryongji and Site of Birthplace of Seodong This pond is a Maryongji from ‘Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms’. The relics from Baekje period such as cornerstones and roof tiles are found in the east side of Majoryongji, and it made Maryongji the birthplace of Seodong. Dragon is the imaginary animal that symbolizes the king. Father of King Mu, the royal family of Baekje who lived down to Iksan and gave birth to Jang. Seodong, who lived in Ogeumsan Mountain, married to King Jinpyeong’s third daughter Princess Seonwha, and acquire gold to be ascended to the throne of Baekje’s 30th King and transfer the capital to Iksan.

Address
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Seogodo-ri
Inquiry
063-859-3873 (Tourist Information Center)

Lodging

Mireuksan Mountain Nature School Pension
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Samgi-myeon Jukcheong-gil 46-60
063-858-2580
Baekje Ilbeonji
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Geumma-myeon Godo-9gil 110-35
063-831-2442
Seodong Seonwha Korean-style house experience B&B
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Geumma-myeon Godo-5gil 5
010-5054-6182
Haneulsup B&B
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Geumma-myeon Hyangsan-gil 12-2
063-856-1221

Recommended Course

Coordinate Tourism

Goseurak

Located in Iksan-si, Hamyeol-eup, Dasong-ri, Goseurak is the place for the gorgeous taste of traditional paste only made with organic ingredients, and it is one of the biggest tradional food facilities in Korea with more than 3,500 traditional pots on a 66000-square meter land. And the quietness of the garden lets you feel the charm of ‘slow life’ with family and acquaintances.

Address
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Hamyeol-eup Iksandae-ro 1424-14
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Hamyeol-eup Iksandae-ro
1424-14
Inquiry
063-861-2288

Yusang Goksu(流觴曲水)

Yusang Goksu is a tradition of floating a cup on the flowing stream and composing a poem before the cup arrives at Samji Day. The stream water curves along the rock cracks in Poseokjeong Pavilion and scholars at that time floated a cup from the above and composed a poem before the cup arrives before them. If the cup arrives before completing a poem, the scholar had to drink as a penalty.

Address
Jeollabuk-do Iksan-si Gumma-myeon Sinyong-ri 91
Inquiry
063-859-3873 (Tourist Information Center)

A Bio-resource Survey

Biological Distribution Range

Hwagak village, Seodong park, Dule-gil trail, Geumma reservoir

Remark

Extra caution is required, when observing butterflies or moths; you should protect your eyes to prevent the scales to get into your eye. You may get burned if you touch Asian bombardier beetles with bare hands. There is a rough buttonweed habitat.

  • Common dayflower
    Plant

    It is an annual herb that is commonly seen on the fields and streets in Korea. The stems tend to root at the basal nodes. The herb is soft and delicate. The leaves grow in an alternate (spiral) leaf pattern and are mostly bright green on the surface while the back sides of the leaves are pale-green. The flowers bloom from July to August – blooming in the morning and wither in the afternoon.

  • Azure-winged Magpie
    Bird

    It is a resident bird that is common throughout the Korean peninsula. It is 37cm long. The head is black; the back is gray; the wattle, chin and throat are white; the belly is light grey; the coverts and tail are light blue; and the beak and legs are black.

  • Red long-winged planthopper
    iInsect

    It is in the Derbidae family, which usually lives mainly on gramineous plants. It lives throughout Korea. The body length is 4 mm long and 20 to 22 mm with wings. The distinctive features of the species are bright orange body, long wings, and a gap between narrow compound eyes. It is not like a living insect, but a character that just popped out of a cartoon. The imagos have relatively large wings compared to their bodies, but they do not fly; rather, they jump cheerfully, even against a storm.

  • Baby rose (Jjile namoo)
    Plant

    It is a broad leaved srub that is commonly found in near valley and forest rim with a good amount of sunshine. In the Koryo Dynasty, a girl named Jjille and her sister Dalle, were sent to Yuan of China as a tribute. One day, Jjile got a chance to visit her hometown under the owner’s permission, but she couldn’t meet her father and her sister, Dalle. When she finally got to meet her family, she was too frail and died. The white flower bloomed on Jjile’s grave reflects Jjile’s longing for her family, and people have called the flower as JJileggot (Korean name for baby rose), naming after her.

  • Water deer
    Animal

    The male water deer has canine teeth. The water deer like water, so they are commonly found in the fields and creeks. They also like beans and plants and are considered as vermin in Korea. Water deer are found nationwide in Korea, but they are not found in other countries, besides in Yangtze region. It has a lot of heat in its body, so it rest on the bare ground, removing fallen leaves. You may check its inhabitancy by marks of territory with its canine teeth, feces and footprints.

  • Chipmunk
    Animal

    Unlike other rodents that are active at night, chipmunks are diurnal animals and hibernate during winter. It has a check pouch to carry acorns, and eats insects or grasses. It makes a sharp metallic sound which enables you to check the inhabitancy of it.

  • Damaster mirabilissimus mirabilissimus
    Insect

    The males are 23 to 25 mm long and the females are 25 to 28 mm long. The species is very colorful – shiny dark blue and turquoise with black base. It has a big head and a big and strong jaw. Its neck is exceptionally thick and it has long oval shaped elytrons, like meshes. It can’t fly, because wings are atrophied. It is Korean endemic species, and rarely found in a primeval forest.

  • Broad-billed roller
    Bird

    It is about 29.5 centimeters long. The male’s winter plumage and sides of the head are dark brown. The upper back is bluish brown, but it gradually moves into a blunt bluish-green color from the mantle, lower back, and waist to upper tail covert.

  • Chinese muddy loach
    Fish

    The body is about 20cm long and slightly flat. It has 3 pairs of barbels, and the longest barbel is about four times bigger than the pupil. The body is yellowish brown; the back is darker and the belly is lighter. It inhibits in mud floors of creeks or agricultural waterway and is omnivorous. It spawns from April to June. A male loach wraps its body around a female’s body to pressure the belly to induce spawning on a rainy day.

  • Rough buttonweed
    Plant

    It is native to North America and is an annual herb that grows in seaside in Korea. The stem is reddish, has short hairs and is split into many pieces on the bottom. It is a plant with opposite leaf arrangement and long hair on nodes; it doesn’t have a petiole. The reddish-white flowers bloom from the axils and they don’t have peduncles.

  • Eagle owl
    Bird

    It is about 70 cm long and is the largest among the strigidae family in Korea. It is easily distinguished by its large size and ear tufts. The eyes are orange-yellow. The back and wing coverts have black and dark brown stripes on a light brown background color. The vertical stripes on the chest and belly get thinner as they goes downwards.

  • Carp
    Fish

    It is about 1 meter long and is fusiform with slightly flat torso. Its overall color is greenish brown; but the back is darker, the belly is lighter and the sides are brown. It has two pairs of barbels, a rear pair is longer and bigger. It lives in lakes, swamps, and creeks, and generally finds food from the river bed.

  • Japanese Bush Clover
    Plant

    It is a shrub that grows in the mountains. The stem grows straight, up to 1 to 2 meters high, and has many branches with white hair all over. The compound leaves of three small leaves, grow in an alternate (spiral) leaf pattern. The petiole on the stem is longer than the petiole on the branch; all petioles have hair.

  • Asian bombardier beetle
    insect

    Asian bombardier beetles are found widely in Korea, and also in Japan and China. They are 11 to 18 mm long and have a small black spot on the vertex; the center, top and bottom of paranotal lobe are black. It is similar to a ground beetle; but a ground beettle has black elytrons while Asian bombardier beetle has yellow elytrons.

  • Source by

    National Institute of Biological Resources
    (https://species.nibr.go.kr)

    Korea National Arboretum
    (https://www.nature.go.kr)

A Bio-resource Survey

Biological Distribution Range

Hwagak village, Seodong park, Dule-gil trail, Geumma reservoir

Remark

Extra caution is required, when observing butterflies or moths; you should protect your eyes to prevent the scales to get into your eye. You may get burned if you touch Asian bombardier beetles with bare hands. There is a rough buttonweed habitat.

  • Common dayflower
    Plant

    It is an annual herb that is commonly seen on the fields and streets in Korea. The stems tend to root at the basal nodes. The herb is soft and delicate. The leaves grow in an alternate (spiral) leaf pattern and are mostly bright green on the surface while the back sides of the leaves are pale-green. The flowers bloom from July to August – blooming in the morning and wither in the afternoon.

  • Azure-winged Magpie
    Bird

    It is a resident bird that is common throughout the Korean peninsula. It is 37cm long. The head is black; the back is gray; the wattle, chin and throat are white; the belly is light grey; the coverts and tail are light blue; and the beak and legs are black.

  • Red long-winged planthopper
    iInsect

    It is in the Derbidae family, which usually lives mainly on gramineous plants. It lives throughout Korea. The body length is 4 mm long and 20 to 22 mm with wings. The distinctive features of the species are bright orange body, long wings, and a gap between narrow compound eyes. It is not like a living insect, but a character that just popped out of a cartoon. The imagos have relatively large wings compared to their bodies, but they do not fly; rather, they jump cheerfully, even against a storm.

  • Baby rose (Jjile namoo)
    Plant

    It is a broad leaved srub that is commonly found in near valley and forest rim with a good amount of sunshine. In the Koryo Dynasty, a girl named Jjille and her sister Dalle, were sent to Yuan of China as a tribute. One day, Jjile got a chance to visit her hometown under the owner’s permission, but she couldn’t meet her father and her sister, Dalle. When she finally got to meet her family, she was too frail and died. The white flower bloomed on Jjile’s grave reflects Jjile’s longing for her family, and people have called the flower as JJileggot (Korean name for baby rose), naming after her.

  • Water deer
    Animal

    The male water deer has canine teeth. The water deer like water, so they are commonly found in the fields and creeks. They also like beans and plants and are considered as vermin in Korea. Water deer are found nationwide in Korea, but they are not found in other countries, besides in Yangtze region. It has a lot of heat in its body, so it rest on the bare ground, removing fallen leaves. You may check its inhabitancy by marks of territory with its canine teeth, feces and footprints.

  • Chipmunk
    Animal

    Unlike other rodents that are active at night, chipmunks are diurnal animals and hibernate during winter. It has a check pouch to carry acorns, and eats insects or grasses. It makes a sharp metallic sound which enables you to check the inhabitancy of it.

  • Damaster mirabilissimus mirabilissimus
    Insect

    The males are 23 to 25 mm long and the females are 25 to 28 mm long. The species is very colorful – shiny dark blue and turquoise with black base. It has a big head and a big and strong jaw. Its neck is exceptionally thick and it has long oval shaped elytrons, like meshes. It can’t fly, because wings are atrophied. It is Korean endemic species, and rarely found in a primeval forest.

  • Broad-billed roller
    Bird

    It is about 29.5 centimeters long. The male’s winter plumage and sides of the head are dark brown. The upper back is bluish brown, but it gradually moves into a blunt bluish-green color from the mantle, lower back, and waist to upper tail covert.

  • Chinese muddy loach
    Fish

    The body is about 20cm long and slightly flat. It has 3 pairs of barbels, and the longest barbel is about four times bigger than the pupil. The body is yellowish brown; the back is darker and the belly is lighter. It inhibits in mud floors of creeks or agricultural waterway and is omnivorous. It spawns from April to June. A male loach wraps its body around a female’s body to pressure the belly to induce spawning on a rainy day.

  • Rough buttonweed
    Plant

    It is native to North America and is an annual herb that grows in seaside in Korea. The stem is reddish, has short hairs and is split into many pieces on the bottom. It is a plant with opposite leaf arrangement and long hair on nodes; it doesn’t have a petiole. The reddish-white flowers bloom from the axils and they don’t have peduncles.

  • Eagle owl
    Bird

    It is about 70 cm long and is the largest among the strigidae family in Korea. It is easily distinguished by its large size and ear tufts. The eyes are orange-yellow. The back and wing coverts have black and dark brown stripes on a light brown background color. The vertical stripes on the chest and belly get thinner as they goes downwards.

  • Carp
    Fish

    It is about 1 meter long and is fusiform with slightly flat torso. Its overall color is greenish brown; but the back is darker, the belly is lighter and the sides are brown. It has two pairs of barbels, a rear pair is longer and bigger. It lives in lakes, swamps, and creeks, and generally finds food from the river bed.

  • Japanese Bush Clover
    Plant

    It is a shrub that grows in the mountains. The stem grows straight, up to 1 to 2 meters high, and has many branches with white hair all over. The compound leaves of three small leaves, grow in an alternate (spiral) leaf pattern. The petiole on the stem is longer than the petiole on the branch; all petioles have hair.

  • Asian bombardier beetle
    insect

    Asian bombardier beetles are found widely in Korea, and also in Japan and China. They are 11 to 18 mm long and have a small black spot on the vertex; the center, top and bottom of paranotal lobe are black. It is similar to a ground beetle; but a ground beettle has black elytrons while Asian bombardier beetle has yellow elytrons.

Source by

National Institute of Biological Resources (https://species.nibr.go.kr)

Korea National Arboretum (https://www.nature.go.kr)