If you have heard of Damyang, maybe you first thought of the green bamboo. The reason is upright bamboo is seen everywhere in Damyang. How about recharging your batteries in your tired body? CBT recommends that you visit Damyang if you want to have a chance to refresh your exhausted body by getting out of the routine and into the green. -Ed.

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Sosoewon: where a poem meets nature
Sosoewon is one of the three representative gardens in Korea, which also include Changdeokgung and Gwanghanru. The neat and little Sosoewon is comprised of architecture of the middle Joseon era and a stream. There is a guide who explains lots of stories related to Sosoewon and the overall episodes with his witty comments.
It is good for you to appreciate the style of architecture of the Joseon era, but the central idea is to appreciate the sprit of proud loneliness that classical scholars had.
Kim Nam-sun visited here and said, “The venerable buildings harmonize with nature, so I realized that I learned how to harmonize with society. Also, Sosoewon is too beautiful to capture in a poem.”
Why don’t you recite a poem at Sosoewon where the sound of a flowing stream and bamboo waving in the wind reside?

Juknokwon (Bamboo Park): where you are one with nature
Juknokwon is one of the tourist attractions in Damyang, and many tourists frequently visit there. Juknokwon is a bamboo grove and has trails with various themes. Tourists enjoy leisurely strolling in the bamboo grove and having relaxing conversation in the pavilions. Also, there is an exhibition of ecology, so tourists can see bamboo products and dwarfed bamboo. It’s exciting for everyone to find scenes from a movie or a drama in the bamboo grove. Furthermore, you are able to overlook all of Gwanbangjelim at Juknokwon observatory.
The bamboo imbues the air with a fresh fragrance, and a breeze covers your exhausted body. If anyone breathes deeply here, a vast-flowing spirit, a feeling of being one with nature, will spread all through your body.

Gwanbangjelim and Metasequoia-lined street: where you can have a romance
As you walk across the stepping stones of the Damyang River below Juknokwon, you go forward on Gwanbangjelim. Gwanbangjelim was made in the Joseon Dynasty era to prevent floods and is composed of huge trees for 2km, whose girth is large enough that three or four adults are needed to circle a tree. Old trees radiate picturesque beauty and you feel refreshed. For these reasons, CBT proposes that you go from Gwanbangjelim to the Metasequoia-lined street on foot.
Tourists can walk to the Metasequoia-lined street safely because no cars come and go on the street. Along both sides, beautiful trees lining the street make you admire because of the gorgeous view. Standing on the street, you have an illusion that you have become the hero in a movie. You can walk on the Metasequoia lined street slowly or ride a bike after renting the bike. Metasequoia roads, where you are able to drive, are characterized by a more romantic atmosphere.