Herb and Ginseng Shopping Course in Geumsan Chungnam | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Geumsan Hongdo Village is a rural village located in Namil-myeon, named Hongdo Village because it resembles a red peach placed on a soban (small traditional table). It has long been famous for its abundance of peach trees. At the village entrance, you can sense the bittersweet scent of ginseng and medicinal herbs, as there are many ginseng and herb fields. Every April, the Hongdo Flower Festival is held, attracting tourists who come to admire the village filled with about 12,000 Hongdo flowers. Nearby are Sipipokpo Falls, known as the waterfall exhibition hall, Jinaaksan Mountain, a famous mountain in Geumsan, and Yongdam Dam, which is popular as a driving course, making it great to visit together.

Geumsan Ginseng and Herbal Medicine Market is a ginseng market located in the center of Geumsan-gun, Chungnam. Geumsan is the origin of Korean ginseng, where 80% of the national production volume is traded. It is also emerging as a nationwide herbal medicine market along with ginseng. Within the Geumsan Ginseng and Herbal Medicine Market are the traditional open-air market, Geumsan Ginseng International Market, Geumsan Fresh Ginseng Center, Geumsan Ginseng Hotel Shopping Center, and Geumsan Herbal Medicine Department Store. Compared to other regions, various ginseng products and medicinal herbs can be purchased at relatively low prices. Especially on the market days held on the 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd, and 27th of each month, known as the Geumsan Gold Market Day, merchants and consumers gather from all over the country from dawn. The herbal medicine industry around the ginseng market has also greatly developed, and many well-known herbal medicine shops can be found. Herbal decoction service businesses are located throughout the town, and there are many folk medicines and health foods. It is conveniently accessible, approximately a 5-minute drive or 20-minute walk from Geumsan Intercity Bus Terminal.

These are two stone carvings each depicting a dragon and a tiger. Located 100m north of Jewon Bridge (濟原大橋) on the banks of the Cheonnae River flowing west of Cheonnaeri, Yongseok (Dragon Stone) is positioned, and 500m further north lies Hoseok (Tiger Stone). Yongseok features multiple spiral-shaped protrusions and a sculpted, wriggling dragon body, with gills and whiskers on both sides of its mouth holding a yeouiju (如意珠). Hoseok depicts a tiger sitting upright on its front paws, with thick protruding curves and circles carved to create the tiger's fur patterns. The tiger’s body faces west but its head faces north with its mouth wide open. According to legend, during the late Goryeo period's Red Turban Rebellion, King Gongmin came down to Andong and chose this location for his tomb, preparing these stone figures as necessary artifacts, but left them as is after returning to Gaegyeong. (Source: Geumsan-gun Cultural Tourism Homepage)

This center exhibits the excellence of Goryeo (Geumsan) ginseng both domestically and internationally, showcasing ginseng cultivation, equipment, models, effects, food, ginseng varieties, and products, along with various audiovisual installations. It is a comprehensive ginseng exhibition hall where all information about ginseng can be easily understood. Every year, the Geumsan Ginseng Festival holds a ginseng selection competition, and the winning ginsengs from past years are displayed in the first-floor lobby, offering a unique experience.