Rotary Club of Busan Tongbaek - About Busan

The following content list can be used to jump to the relevant sections of this page.

• Busan City

• Haeundae Beach

• Tongbaek (Dongbaek) Island

Busan City

Busan is the second largest city in South Korea located on the Southern coastline of the Korean Peninsula.  Some 4 million people live in Busan and it serves as the country's main international cargo port, as well as a passenger ferry terminal to Japan and other Korean Islands such as Cheju.  The city is famous for its seafood and beaches, as well as the Hallyosudo Waterway with its picturesque islands. The Busan fish markets have a huge selection of fresh seafood available each morning and the floodlit fishing vessels can often been seen decorating the horizon at night time.

Although primarily known as a port, the city has many steep hills which creates a very unusual mix of mountains and ocean. The area remained relatively untouched during the Korean War, but when designated as the countries temporary capital, the flood of refugees drastically re-shaped the city.

Busan's close proximity to the ocean gives it milder winters than other places in Korea, and this enables people to better enjoy the night life in more comfort. As a major port of call for international shipping, the harbour area has a thriving district that caters for the many thousands of sailors and other visitors who pass through each year.

There are many attractions in Busan. For the shopper there are numerous traditional markets. The largest traditional market is Gukje Market which is complex maze of interconnecting alleys with shops selling everything from food to industrial products. In contrast there as specialised markets such and Busanjin Market, famous as a centre for clothes and textiles.

Rising 49 meters above sea level in the middle of downtown Busan, Yongdusan ("Dragon Head Hill") forms a major landmark and provides an interlude to the concrete jungle of Korea's second largest city. Busan Tower sits on top of Yongdusan and rises some 118 meters above sea level. The observation deck at the top commands a spectacular view of Busan and the surrounding sea and on a clear day, the Japanese island of Tsushima can be seen.

Other natural attractions include Geumjeong Mountain, Geumjeong Park (with zoo and botanical gardens), Taejongdae Cliffs and many beaches including those at Gwangali, Singjeong and Haeundae. Historic attractions include Geumjeong Fortress, Beomeosa Temple, UN Memorial Cemetery and the Busan and Bokcheon Museums. Further information on these and other places of interest can be found at Busan Metropolitan City website.

Busan is full of new construction projects for residential and commercial applications. Construction of the 2nd Lotte World tower is ongoing, with completion planned for 2005. When complete this building will stand some 465m (107 stories) high. As one of three Millennium projects in Busan, development of the so called Centum City project also continues. This is scheduled for completion in 2010 and is expected to play a pivotal role in the transformation of the industrial structure of Busan economy, to one centered around the digital industry.

The location for the Centum City project was strategically placed close to large scale apartment complexes in Haeundae New Town district and close to renowned tourist attraction such as the Suyeong Bay Yacht racing facility and the Haeundae Beach resort.

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Haeundae Beach

Once known only for its hot springs, the narrow strip of sand around Haeundae has become Korea's most popular beach. At one end is the famous Dalmaji Hill area and approximately 1.5km away at the other end of the beach is Tongbaek Island. Tongbaek Island can be seen in the centre of the adjacent picture, see below also.

During the summer vacation season, especially on weekends, the area becomes a mass congregation for visitors and locals alike. Even during the colder seasons, people travel here to walk along the sea front, play in the sand and fly kites in the ocean breeze. The area boasts many luxury hotels and there is a steady stream of visitors all year round. 

The whole Haeundae area has seen tremendous development over recent years and there is a multitude of hotels and restaurants lining the beach area and with cuisine from a wide variety of countries, both East and West.

Recent improvements in the infra-structure within Busan, have made travel and commuting to and from Haeundae much more convenient. In 2002 the Busan subway extension was completed and this now provides convenient direct link between Haeundae and downtown Busan. In addition, the opening of the Gwangan Bridge in 2003, brought a marked improvement in travel to and from the area, significantly speeding up links with Gimhae International airport and providing one of the main connections to Centum City, see above.

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Tongbaek (Dongbaek) Island

The Rotary Club of Busan Tongbaek takes the last part of its name from an area at one end of Haeundae Beach called Tongbaek Island. Some of the history of Tongbaek Island is described below. It should be noted that Tongbaek and Dongbaek are one in the same, the variation arising from an ambiguity in translation of Korean in to English.

Dongbaek Island is situated at the Western end of beach and is designated Busan Metropolitan City Memorial number 46. Although originally an island, an accumulation of earth and sand carried by the Chuncheon Stream eventually formed a land bridge, making it an island in name only. Dongbaek Island is thick with camellias and pine trees and the summit contains a bronze statue in memorial of the scholar Choi Chi-won. His story is worthy of note and is included below.

According to legend, Choi Chi-won was on his way to retire from government office and passed by Dongbaek. Fascinated so much with the exquisite wonders of the Island, he created a base there and is reported to have carved his pen name 'Hae-un' on the rocks. From this the area name of 'Haeundae' originates.

Tongbaek Island is now a very popular beauty spot and the memorial hill is surrounded by a 900m pedestrian only pathway which is a common venue for strollers and joggers alike.

Profile of Choi Chi-won

Choi Chi-won was born along the banks of the Namcheon River in Gyeongju, in the first year of King Heon-an's reign (A.D. 857) during the Silla Dynasty. At the age of 12, he went to study in China and by the age of 18 had passed the state examinations and became an official of the 'Yool-Soo-Hyeon-Wee' (a Chinese government post). At the age of 25, he suppressed a rebellion aroused by a traitorous subject, Hwang-so and became widely known in the fields of Chinese literature. As a result he was granted the government post names of 'Si-ur-sa' and 'Ja-Geum-Ur-Dai.' At the age of 28, he returned to Korea and became an high ranking official of 'Si-deok'. This caused others to become jealous and he was demoted to work as a government official of 'Tae-soo' dealing with minor districts such as Taein, Sursan, and Hamyang. Although he gained the government post of 'A-Chan' by appealing to the King and showing the urgency of clean politics, he was able to do little to prevent the declining fate of his country. At the age of 40, he finally gave up his post and began to wander the country. Taking his family with him, he eventually arrived in Gaya-san. However, from then on nobody knows where he went and is said that he ventured deep in to the forest, leaving behind his 'got' (traditional Korean hat) and shoes. At the time of the Goreo Dynasty, people had great respect for him as Father of 'He-Dong-Yu-Hak' (Korean Confucianism) and the King granted him the title of 'Mun-Chang-hu,' praising his high morality and achievements of literature.

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