Taejon's My Kind of City (Daejeon)

Member Name: michaelhudson

Product:	Daejeon
Date:	17/09/01 (1114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Centrally located, friendly people, close to some great tourist sights such as Kyeryongsan N.P., Puyo and Kongju

Disadvantages: Not the most attractive of cities

I first saw Taejon on a cold, grey morning in late November 1999. To be perfectly honest, my initial impression of Korea's sixth largest city was far from positive: the ubiquitous apartment buildings, seemingly interspersed only by traffic-clogged roads and shabby looking corner shops, immediately depressed me with their drab uniformity. After travelling for twenty hours to get to Taejon, I was suddenly overcome by the horrible feeling that I had ended up in the Asian equivalent of Hull-perhaps the Lonely Planet's description of the city as a "sterile" place serving merely as a transient stop en route to somewhere else had been correct after all. As I struggled against the enveloping fatigue, the prospect of spending a year living here seemed less enticing by the minute.

A year later I left my adopted home-now officially named Daejeon after some government inspired tweaking of the romanisation system-with a very heavy heart. For, from the friendliness of the 1.5 million inhabitants of the city to the scenic beauty of the ring of hills encircling them, Taejon is a truly a place that you can't help falling in love with.

GETTING THERE

Centrally located in South Chungchong province,Taejon is one of Korea's major transportation hubs. Three train lines-the Kyongbuson which runs from Seoul to Pusan,the Honamson which starts in the capital and ends in Mokpo and the Chollason which terminates a little further south in Yeosu-pass through the city, stopping at either the main Taejon Station(located in the heart of the city centre and accomodating Kyongbuson trains) or at Seodaejon Station(West Taejon). Journey times for the Super-Express Saemaul(pronounce se-ma-ool) trains average around ninety minutes from Seoul on the Pusan bound trains, with an extra quarter of an hour required if you wish to travel to Seodaejon(closer to the hotels and World Cup stadium situated in Yusong).

Coaches run direct to Taejon's Eas
t Bus Station(Tongbu Terminal) from in front of the arrivals hall at Incheon International Airport(the journey time is around four hours). Alternatively, there are frequent buses departing the two main terminals in Seoul-Kangnam Express Bus Terminal and Tongseoul-which take half the time.

ACCOMODATION

Yusong, a suburb of Taejon famous for its Hot Springs, and recently designated by the central government as a special tourism zone, is the site of large tourist hotels such as the deluxe Riviera(Tel: 042 822 0041) and the cheaper Gallery(Tel: 042 825 6400) which features the city's best known nightclub. Yogwans abound near the train and bus stations, although the higher class establishments are found in Yusong or behind the Lotte Department Store.

TOURIST INFORMATION

There is a tourist information centre located inside Taejon Station. The staff speak good English and will gladly provide you with maps and the usual tourist literature.

ENTERTAINMENT

The three main entertainment districts are Kung-dong(next to Chungnam National University), Unhaeng-dong in the city centre and Yusong.

Kung-dong is a hive of student activity and is probably the main hang-out for the English teaching crowd. Most foreigners go to either Santa Claus(look for the green sign saying 'Music Pub' next to the branch of the Lotteria fast food restaurant) or The Zoo(a Shooter Bar owned by a Canadian five minutes up the road, www.thezookorea.com). It's best to ask a taxi driver to drop you off outside Lotteria(ask for goong-dong lo-te-ria) otherwise you'll get stuck in the human traffic.

Yusong is a little more upmarket, with the most popular drinking venue being the aforementioned Gallery Nightclub. There are some decent bars, notably the rooftop pub in the Riviera Hotel.

J-Rock and Watermelon Sugar attract the majority of western drinkers in the city centre. A ten minute walk from Taejon Station, J-Ro
ck can be reached by walking up the main street-Chungang-no-leading from the station until you see the Galleria Department Store on your right. Take the left turn immediately opposite Galleria and then another right straight after you pass the Korea Exchange Bank(the best place to change money or use a foreign credit card). Go straight ahead until you see a sign saying Junis Coffee Shop, turn right in front of this and take your first left. There are several other bars in the vicinity as well as a great Italian restaurant(take a left in front of Junis and it's approximately fifty metres down on the left side of the street).

The best cinema in the city is the eight screen multiplex located on the tenth floor of the Lotte Department Store(Lo-tay Pek-hwa-jom). Tickets cost 6000 Won.

TOURIST SIGHTS

The city has designated eight sights as its signature attractions. Listed in order of my subjective opinion of their appeal for the average visitor they are:

1. Yusong Hot Springs

Arguably the most famous Hot Springs in Korea, the water here is said to benefit those suffering from skin diseases(specifically neuralgia), arthritis and diabetes. Typically containing three to five pools of varying temperatures(from ice cold up to fifty degrees celsius), steam rooms and saunas, these spas offer great relaxation once you've got over the embarrassment of walking around naked in front of dozens of strangers. Try the Hotel Spapia, Hotel Legend, Hotel Adria, Hotel Expo or, my personal favourite, the Yusong Hotel which all charge an entrance fee in the region of 3500 Won(less than two pounds). Simply ask a taxi driver to take you to Hotel Expo/Hotel Legend etc, Yusong and then ask directions to the Onchon(Hot Springs) inside.

2. Pomun-san

Pomun Mountain towers over the city centre and offers unrivalled views over the southern half of the city. You can take a cable car halfway up to the observation post, from which a
ninety minute hike leads to the 457-metre-high peak. Also of note is the delightfully named Pupu Land(adjacent to the cable car terminus) which boasts a small amusement park and an outdoor swimming pool.

3. Daecheong Lake

A 72 kilometre lake which provides the source of the city's drinking water. If you have a car then the riverside roads offer great views. If you're reliant on public transport then I wouldn't bother making the trip to see the Dam alone.

4. Expo Park

In 1993, Taejon became the first city in a developing country to host the International Exposition. Almost a decade later, six pavilions still offer shows and exhibitions in the middle of the landscaped Expo Park. Fifty pence will get you inside the park itself, with another four pounds getting to entrance to all the pavilions(the most impressive of which is the Earthscape Pavilion with its Alien Invaders IMAX movie) and the 'Tower of Great Light', a gleaming chrome tower 93 metres in height which features a viewing platform at the top. The Kumdori Land fairground is located adjacent to Expo with 10000 Won buying you general entrance and five rides. Kumdori is also the site of the largest outdoor swimming pool in the city.

5. Sikjangsan

Southeast of the city, Sikjang Mountain is the loftiest of the encircling peaks at 623 metres. Two famous Buddhist temples, Gosansa and Gaesimsa, are located here.

6. Jangtaesan

To the southwest of the city, Jangtaesan Recreational Forest offers a gorgeous lake surrounded by pine trees rising to the top of the 186 metre Mount Jangtae. Again, I'd recommend this more to those with access to a private car.

7. Gubongsan

Next to Jangtaesan, the nine distinct peaks in this area are best viewed in Autumn. The tourist literature evocatively, or perhaps bafflingly, describes Gubong Mountain as being like "Oriental paintings on a folding screen".

8
. Gyejoksan

Mount Gyejock rises to 423 metres and is reputed to offer the best views of the sunset. There are also some excellent views of Daecheong Lake at the summit.

OTHER SIGHTS

Hanbat Stadium

If you walk straight on past the Korea Exchange Bank in Unhaeng-dong for ten minutes you'll reach the Hanbat Sports Complex, encompassing football, baseball and basketball stadiums(home to Taejon Citizen F.C., Hanwha Eagles and the Hyundai Gullivers respectively). The football season runs from late March until early October with tickets costing 6000 Won(games kick-off at 3pm on Sundays or 7pm on Wednesdays).

The National Science Museum

Across the road from the main entrance to Expo Park, the Science Museum is extremely interesting if you're interested in that sort of thing. Admission is around one pound, with sections on the geological and natural history of the Korean Peninsula, the history of Korean science and technology and the evolution of the universe.

Kyeryong-san National Park

Saving the best until(almost) last, this stunning National Park is located 20km from the city centre(take bus number 102 or 103 from in front of the Nike Store,located across the road directly in front of Taejon Station and then about a further 50 metres up the street on the left, on Chungang-no. Covering 61 square kilometres, Kyeryong-san N.P.(pronounced k-yeah-ree-ong-san gook-rim-kong-won), has some great hiking trails in addition to two excellent Buddhist temples called Tonghak-sa and Kap-sa(the buses from the train station will drop you off a ten minute walk from the former, with Kap-sa best reached by bus from Kongju on the other side of the park).

The World Cup Stadium

Located in Yusong, the Taejon World Cup stadium was officially opened four days ago(September 13th) when Korea drew 2-2 in a friendly match against Nigeria. Holding 42,000 spectators, the stadium will host two first stage ga
mes(B4 vs B1 on the 12th of June and D2 vs D3 two days later) plus the second round game between the winners of Group D and the runners-up in Group G(18th June).

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