Gift of Nature with Baekje Culture: Embodied by Silky River

The Geum River Restoration Project is the second largest in scale among the greater one, the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project. However, it can be said that it is the mostly representative undertaking which shows the core of the project. You may find out the consequence from the Eight Views of the Geum.

The Geum River has its source in Tteunbong Spring (Jangsu-eup, Jangsu County) and is soon divided into the mainstream and the Yeoan River. The Geum River has been a lifeline of Ganggyeong Plain as a center of Baekje Culture. It used to play a role of a culture road for transmitting Baekje Culture to Ancient Japan. Along the Geum River, many ports were generated, and gazebos were placed in every spot with a scenic view.

The Geum has been called as Silky River out of its beautiful view like silky fabric. In the Buyeo, the downstream area, it gained another nickname of 'Baekma (White Horse) River'. The Geum River Basin keeps to even little trace of historic Baekje Kingdoms as well as prehistoric sites. Baekje Kingdom has been shunned from the spotlight out of the reason that it was the forgotten Kingdom of the defeated (Shilla Kingdom destroyed Baekjae in alliance with Chinese Tang Dynasty). Nevertheless, as people came to have attention the historic fact that it was Baekje which had positive influence on Ashoka Civilization of Japan and how the Baekje cultural assets were splendid out of the excavations of Royal Mausoleum of King Muyeong, Golden Incense Burner and so forth. That is, new viewpoint came to shed light on the forgotten kingdom. The Eight Views of the Geum will lead you the new discovery on the Geum River and Baekje Culture. The designation of the Eight Views has countered the coexistence of nature, especially the migrant birds, with human. The authority focused on convenient accessibility to the Geum River’s beautiful natural assets with minimizing the possible damages to riparian ecosystem.

The View 1: It is the migratory birds’ habitat in the estuary barrage of the Geum, which straddles through Gunsan City of Jeonbuk Province and Seocheon County of Chungnam Province. The Geum River’s estuary barrage is the grand scaled breakwater of 1,841 meter long built in 1990 for flood control of the Geum and water supply to neighboring farmlands. The mud flat around the estuary barrage is the ideal natural gift for migratory birds so that it invites countless flocks of airborne travelers every year. For the View 1, observatory deck is to be constructed as well as riparian inquiry road affiliated with a reed wetland and nature experience site.

The View 2: The Reed Field takes the baton as a second runner among the Eight Views. The Sinseong-ri Reed Field located in Hansan-myeon, Seocheon County, holds 198,000 m² areas with reeds grown with salty water in vast plain. People tend to be sometimes confused between flame grass and reed; actually, reed is much taller than flame grass being 2 to 4 meters tall and grows in humid circumstance like marsh. The lastly-made masterpiece while the Geum River gave birth, while it flows with embracing many tributaries, is this reed filed. The Sinseong-ri Reed Field is chosen as the most beautiful reed field with other one in Suncheon Bay (Jeonnam Province). Thanks to the good quality of reed, residents of Sinseong-ri village had made the reed brooms to sell on the folk market. This place has already been televised recently by the nationwide famous movie and drama (lit. Bounty Hunter Chasing Fled Slaves). Regional municipality plans to create esplanade forest, deck and rest place for bicycle riders.

The View 3: As the View 3, Oknyeobong Peak and Palgwaejeong Gazebo in Ganggyeong-eup, Nonsan City of Chungnam Province were selected. As to the Geum River Basin, there are many gazebos as much as in the Yeongsan River basin. That tells us the area has beautiful scenery so that scholars devoted themselves in admiration for nature with their verses and artworks. Among the many gazebos in the Geum River basin, the best one is Palgwaejeong exemplary of traditional gazebo structure. Built by Uam Song Si-yeol, famous writer of Joseon Dynasty period, with facing south direction method on the riverside hill of the Geum, it shows a typical octagonal roof on its top.

Inside the gazebo, a signboard with poem engraved is hung. And going to northern rock outside of the backyard, you can see some Chinese characters of and . Meanwhile, the Oknyeobong (literally, ok: jade, nyeo: woman, bong: peak) which is designated as the View 3 with Palgwaejeong is a comparatively low peak (187.6m). The legend says, when Oknyeo deeply devoted to her parents desperately attempted to collect bracken in snow-covered Buchun Mountain, a celestial gave her a basket of bracken. And then, Oknyeo became also a divine spirit to protect villagers. In Joseon Dynasty period, this place was utilized as a strategic point; therefore there is beacon site on top of the hill. The surrounding area of Oknyeobong and Palgwaejeong will be reborn as urban type waterfront area with a theme of old Ganggyeong Port as well as waterfront grass yard and waterfront stage for diverse events.

The View 4: Well-known relics of Baekje, Goransa Temple in Buyeo, Nakhwaam and Buso sanseong (Buso Mountain Fortress) are listed together as the View 4 of the Geum. Buso sanseong is a mountain fortress built in Sabi Baekje era, there are Sajaru, Yeongilru, Banwolru, Goransa, Nakhwaam, Gunchangji and more relics inside. Nakhwaam is a rock cliff in the west of Buso Mountain, where has kept a legend that three thousand court ladies assisting King Euija choose mass death leap from it rather than captured by enemy. Since the falling court ladies were looked like pedals of flower, the rock cliff gained the name (nak (to fall), hwa (flower), am (rock)). Earlier, novelist Chunwon Lee Gwang-su (Chunwon is his pen name) left a poem like followed.

Upon the water Sabisu flies, sunset shines bent.
Willow scatters whistling Nakhwaam is here.
Flute sound of innocent children soaring up in the sky.
The inmost heart of a gnosis wayfarer shed bitter tears.
Nakhwaam, Nakhwaam. Why you so silent without a word…

The three-line poetry is engraved upon the surface of the rock so that it reminds the tragic historical scene. Riding on a traditional lugsail boat, you can look around the Nakhwaam and Goransa Temple.

The View 5: The Buyeo Weir, one of the three weirs in the Geum, and Wangjin naru (port) are the fifth. The Buyeo Weir being constructed in Buyeo-Cheongyang is enough to be a new landmark of the Chungnam Province. Wangjin naru is an old port which has embraced the history of the Geum River, the lifeline of the province with Ganggyeong port. As a historic portal connecting Cheongyang to Buyeo and Nonsan, it will retrieve its former position through the project. Moreover, making the best use of existing natural wetland near the Buyeo Weir, new riparian area and facilities will be set for residents.

The View 6 : The Geumnam Weir and Goma naru that history of Baekje permeated are chosen as the sixth. Goma is an old form of modern Korean word gom meaning bear. It used to be another name of Gongju region. The legend tells a tale, once upon a time, near the Gomanaru a fisherman was captured by a female bear and had to tie a nuptial knot and later had two children. However, the fisherman went away home, the heart-lost bear drown to death with her children. The surrounding of the Goma naru has a vastly stretched sand beach and hundreds of pine trees. There are also Ungjinsa Temple, Gongsanseong, Gongsanseong yeonji, Royal Mausoleum of Muyeong King of Baekje Dynasty and Baekje Tumulus Site in Songsan-ri, which will be affiliated with the Geumgang Weir, embodied Phoenix the symbol of King Muyeong to be created as Baekje culture experience site.

The View 7: The seventh is Sejong City (planned to be an administrative complex) and the Geumnam Weir. The Geumnam Weir built at the portal position to the Sejong City was embodied in swallow (the symbol bird of the Yeonngi County) and the wave of the Geum. The outskirts of this planned city will have urban waterfront area. Especially Sejong City is being watched with keen attention as a first administrative complex built in eco-friendly methods. On the completion of the Sejong City, the ecological buffer zones with the Geumnam Weir as centered would function as a lung of the city.

The View 8: Hapgangjeong gazebo. It is the gazebo standing on the Hapgang-ri where the Geum River meets with the Miho cheon (Miho Stream). Literally, hapgang means confluence. Its wide open panoramic scenery is beyond description; moreover, its alluvial island holds a large scale of marsh creating a breathtaking riverside picture. The Hapgangjeong will be the best tourist attraction for its beautiful scenery. Besides the existing wetland, artificial marshes and colonies of grassland is going to make harmony with wild plants garden and esplanade forest.