In Search of Pine Trees that Love Makgeolli | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Yecheon Cheonhyang-ri Seoksongnyeong, which grows in front of the village hall of Seokpyeong Village, is estimated to be about 600 years old, with a tree height of 9.2 meters and a girth of 4.2 meters at chest height. The tree branches out from the base in multiple directions, forming an overall umbrella shape, and stone pillars have been erected in various places to support the weight of the branches. According to legend, about 600 years ago, when a large flood hit the Punggi region, a passing person rescued a pine tree drifting along the Seokgancheon stream and planted it here. Later, a person named Lee Su-mok, who lived in this village, named it 'Seoksongnyeong,' meaning 'the pine tree with spirit living in Seokpyeong Village,' and gifted the tree 6,600㎡ of his own land along with registration, making it a tree with property. Also, the late President Park Chung-hee once bestowed 5 million won to it. The village uses Seoksongnyeong's property to establish scholarships for students and holds a ritual every year on the first full moon of the lunar year praying for the village's peace. Yecheon Cheonhyang-ri Seoksongnyeong is a tree that is difficult to find elsewhere in the world in terms of having property, paying taxes, and providing scholarships like a person, and it holds very high cultural value as a material reflecting our nation's view of trees, so it has been designated and protected as a natural monument. (Source: Cultural Heritage Administration)

The Gamcheon-myeon area in Yecheon-gun, including Gwamhyeon and Cheonhyang-ri, has many place names related to water such as Yecheon, Gamcheon, and Onsu Valley, indicating a historical presence of hot spring water. According to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty on September 22, 1599 (Seonjo 32), the king, when unwell, wished to visit Pyeongsan and records state he went to Onyang or Yecheon, showing Yecheon Oncheon has a long history. It opened in 2000, and in 2012, outdoor baths of 100㎡ each were added to the existing facilities for men and women. Facilities include indoor baths, hot baths, outdoor baths, sauna rooms, and resting areas. The hot spring water, with a pH of 9.52 to 10.25, is alkaline and sourced 100% from a spring over 800m underground. This high-quality water is soft, removing surface body oils to provide a refreshing feel and moistens the skin. It contains abundant beneficial elements such as sodium bicarbonate, chlorine, silica, and calcium, making it suitable for bathing. It is particularly effective for skin beauty and skin diseases, and is known to aid fatigue recovery, blood circulation, stimulant effects, calming effects, metabolism, and anti-aging, attracting many visitors.

Yecheon Astronomy and Space Center is a theme park focused on stars and space, opened in November 2004, equipped with facilities such as the Space Tower, observatory, and Star House. The Space Tower offers astronaut training experiences, a 4D theater, media exhibitions, and experience rooms. On the 1st floor, visitors can experience gravity changes using a variable gravity machine; the 3rd floor provides constellation drawing and light sketching activities; the 4th floor offers a 4D video experience. The astronomy observatory includes a main observation room, auxiliary observation room, planetarium, and observer accommodations. In the main observation room, the universe can be observed using a research-grade 508mm (20-inch) reflecting telescope controlled by computer. The auxiliary observation room features a 4-tube solar telescope for observing solar phenomena such as sunspots and gigantic fiery pillars called solar prominences. The planetarium is a space theater with a digital planetarium and video projector that displays seasonal constellations and astronomy-related videos on a dome-shaped ceiling screen. There is also an exhibition room and auditorium displaying real meteorites and other items.

봄, 여름, 가을 그리고 겨울 사계절마다 그 모습을 달리하는 신라식물원은 자연을 느끼면서 뽕나무에서 채취한 오디로 만든 특제소스와 예천참우로 만든 떡갈비의 깊은 맛이 어우러진 밥상을 제공한다. 직접 재료를 채취해 씻고 다듬어서 요리를 만드는 체험활동이 가능하며, 직접 만든 요리를 이용해서 "숲속에서 만나는 행복한 팜파티"를 열수도 있다. 신라식물원을 방문하면 식물원 관람과 다양한 식물에 대한 설명을 들을 수 있다. 원예체험을 별도로 할 수도 있고, 카페에서 전통차를 마실 수도 있으며 선물용 포장으로 구매도 할 수 있다.

Named because it resembles lotus flowers floating on water, Geumdangsil Village is located in Sanggeumgok-ri, Yongmun-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It is an experiential village where you can stay in traditional Hanok guesthouses among six restored thatched-roof houses and seven tile-roofed houses. The village preserves many cultural relics including the site of Yangjudagam Iyuuin's 99-room mansion, the ancestral home and Choganjeong of Chogan Kwon Munhae, Yongmun Temple, Geumgok Confucian Academy, Chuwonjae, Sagwaedang old house, and Bansongjae old house in memory of Kim Bin, a royal secretary from King Sukjong of Joseon’s era. A stone wall path connects about ten old houses like a maze, maintaining the village's original appearance. Another attraction is Choganjeong and the pine forest to the northwest of Geumdangsil, designated as a natural monument. About 900 pine trees covering approximately 800 meters from beneath Geumdangsil Omibong to in front of Yongmun Elementary School form a naturally twisted forest around 200 years old, 13-18 meters high. Created for flood prevention and wind protection, today it serves as a resting and event space for the village.