[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Food, fun, faith all in one place at Baekyang Temple

As year-end nears, some may have already begun reviewing the to-do lists they wrote for 2023 and felt the urge to do at least some of them. For some, winding down for a mentally soothing time and learning to meditate in peace might have been part of the list. If that's the case for you, going for a temple stay program at Baekyang Temple might be a great option.

The temple is located in Mount Baegam, inside Naejangsan National Park, Jangseong County, South Jeolla. The temple stay program here offers an excellent two-day escape from your everyday life.

However, reserving a spot for a stay is a competitive process due to the temple being a popular option for many looking for a weekend getaway far away from the city.

Despite being far away from Seoul, getting to the temple isn't too difficult as both express buses and KTX bullet trains connect visitors from Seoul to Jangseong County. If you are keen on experiencing the ultimate winter tranquility, Baekyang Temple is the destination for you, and here are four reasons the Korea JoongAng Daily believes it is.

Food 

Baekyang Temple is very well known for its exquisite food program, run by well-known "philosopher chef" monk Jeong Kwan. She is famous for her appearance in the third season of the Netflix show "Chef's Table" (2017). She resides in Chunjinam Hermitage, a monastery a few minutes away from the temple's main buildings, where she runs her culinary program for the temple's visitors.

She believes that food connects the body and the mind and keeps no recipe when preparing meals, only trusting her intuition. She uses seasonal ingredients and keeps her own collection of fermented foods, such as soy sauce and soybean paste. Those who sign up for her food program can taste a healthy and delicious meal that embodies her food philosophy.

"Only through the practice of temperance with food can your mind be at ease and your body spare unnecessary excess of unused energy." Jeong Kwan told the JoongAng Ilbo in November.

One of her signature dishes is boiled mushroom in grain syrup, often served with seasonal dishes. Mid-November meals include fresh herb salad, fried ginseng and pickled herbs. The reservation for her food experience program opens online every 15th of the month.

Programs  

There are currently a total of three programs you can sign up for through the temple's website — the temple food program with monk Jeong Kwan and two temple stay programs identically named "As it is."

The programs are named "Momchum: bichum" in Korean, with momchum meaning stopping and bichum meaning reflecting. You can choose between two types, experiential and freestyle. If you go for the former, you will engage in Buddhist activities such as observing ceremonies and meditating with tea. If you go for the latter, you will engage in more relaxed and autonomous activities, like going for a walk and winding down at your own pace. 

Both types, however, include waking up the next day at four in the morning, through which you can clear your mind and engage in the rest of the activities that day. You can book your stay at the temple through its  website.  

Scenery

Throughout the year, tourists and locals seek Baekyang Temple to witness changes in season and its natural beauty. However, the temple gets crowded around the fall foliage season, when the leaves change shades, and the entire area turns into a mass of fiery red.  

Maple trees, big and small, fill the view, but this fall, the fluctuating weather stopped the trees from embracing their colors to the fullest. Nevertheless, the view is still rewarding. Once you visit, you will spot Ssanggyeroo, a pavilion perched in the middle of the Jangseong Lake, which makes the landscape dramatic. Seeing the pavilion reflected on the lake is another sight you can't miss, as well as looking at the temple from Bakeyang Peak near the temple. When it snows heavily, the entire spot gets blanketed in white.

@baekyangsatemplestay

1239 Baegyang-ro Bukha-myeon, Jangseong County, South Jeolla

(전라남도 장성군 북하면 백양로 1239)

Phone number: 061-392-0434

Website: https://www.templestay.com/temple_info.asp?t_id=baekyangsa

Jangseong Lakeside Trail

On your way out of the temple and back home, stop by and enjoy the Jangseong Lakeside Trail, as walking the trail may be a pleasant way to wrap up your weekend getaway.

There are two paths you can take, one being Chulleong-gil, meaning a wobbly or swaying road, and another being a forest trail. The former is a longer and more dynamic path of 8.4 kilometers (5.2 miles), while the latter is way shorter and more apt for some tranquil strolling at 2.6 kilometers in length. Thanks to the gentle slopes, you won't have to worry about jittering limbs afterward, regardless of your choice between the two. 

If you choose the first path, you will come across some main attractions of the lake, the Yellow Swinging Bridge and the Golden Swinging Bridge. The Yellow Swinging Bridge is 154 meters (505 feet) in length and hangs 21 meters above the water.

As you cross the first bridge, a second suspension bridge, the Golden Swinging Bridge, appears. It can be nerve-wracking to walk past the lowest part of the bridge, which is just two to three meters above the water, but you don't have to worry, as the bridge is strong enough to hold up to 1,000 people on it. To enter the Chulleong-gil, visitors have to pay 3,000 won ($2.3) for admission, for which they get local money vouchers in return. 

176-2 Yonggang-ri, Jangseong-eup, Jangseong County, South Jeolla (parking lot)

(전라남도 장성군 장성읍 용강리 176-2)

BY BAEK JONG-HYUN, KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]