If someone asks me to name the most beautiful place I have ever visited, without hesitation my answer will be Jejudo or Jeju Island, South Korea. In Jeju, my favorite location is Seongsan Ilchulbong, or the Sunrise Peak. I have watched the sunrise peak from a distance, sitting on moss covered rocks for hours.
Jeju is an island of sky and sea, it is an island of wind, it is an island of nature, it is an island of oreums, it is an island of brave women divers "Haenyeo", it is an island of longevity, it is an island of will, it is an island of stones, it is an island where the majestic Halla mountain is ..... there is so much to talk about with this island of treasures located south of the Korean peninsula.
Oreum is a word in Jeju dialect that refers to distinctively raised land (like small mountains) and includes volcanoes like tuff cones, tuff rings, lava domes and circular-cone-shaped scoria cones. There are 368 oreums on Jeju island, height ranging from 100 to 700 meters. These oreums, or parasitic volcanic cones, along with Mt. Halla, define the topography of Jeju island. The word Oreum suffixed to a cone's name is replaced by "bong" when the peak arises from the sea. With both "San" and "Bong" suffixes, the name Seongsan Ilchulbong translates into "Castle Mountain, Sunrise Peak".
Seongsan Ilchulbong is located on the east coast of Jeju. It is about 182m in height from the sea level and indeed looks like a grand old castle. It was formed 5000 years ago by an underwater eruption on the shallow sea bed. This formation was the last hydromagmatic eruption on the eastern part of the island. It is a tuff cone with a wide crater at the top, formed by phreatomagnectic eruptions (magma water eruptions).
With a background of sun rising in the east, the beauty of Seongsan Ilchulbong is beyond imagination. Thousands gather at the top to see the first seaside sunrise of the new year every year.
I had a bottle of mandarin juice and slowly hiked to the top. The hike to the peak was not strenuous. The views from the top were beautiful. Yet, my favorite viewing point was watching from a distance, sitting on the moss covered rocks.
I wished that time could stand still for that moment! I was in pure admiration, in awe, in wonder, and in adoration. I stood outside of myself in the purest form of love that exists - this rarely happens to me. I visited this location several times and I wish to visit a thousand more!
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