Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley
The only landlocked province in the South, Chungcheongbuk-do (충청북도) – or Chungbuk as it’s known informally – is largely mountainous and agricultural (two things that don't mix well, so you'll see all available scraps of land farmed). The province is kind of sleepy and its major cities are hardly compelling, though bibliophiles must make a pilgrimage to Cheongju, where in 1377 Buddhist monks printed the world’s oldest extant book with movable metal type.
The province’s charms are better appreciated in its smaller towns and three national parks, which are home to an assortment of intriguing and historic Buddhist sites. You can climb the azalea-covered peaks of Sobaek-san, descend into the otherworldly caverns of Gosu Donggul, or simply savour the views along the river and at nearby Chungju-ho. Then there's Guin-sa, a Buddhist temple ensconced in a steep valley, as imposing as the mountain slopes on either side of it.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Chungcheongbuk-do.
Museum
This small museum tells you everything about the Jikji, the oldest book in the world printed with movable metal type. Unfortunately the book is not here – it’s in the National Library of France. There is however a copy of the book as well as exhibits of many early Korean books, including handwritten sutras and books printed using woodblocks, with extensive information in English. You'll love the interactive set where you can see yourself being rained upon by hanja.
Buddhist Site
This temple originally dates to AD 553 and lies about 1km from the entrance to Songnisan National Park. Composed of a galaxy of halls, the temple is presided over by a glittering and resplendent 33m-high gold-plated Maitreya Buddha statue – of modern construction – and a far more interesting and unique (to Korea) five-storey wooden pagoda, the Palsangjeon, which you can enter. Other halls include the main Great Treasure Hall and myriad other side shrines, including one dedicated to a male-looking Avalokitesvara.
Buddhist Site
This stately (though largely modern) complex’s 30-odd buildings are wedged beautifully into a valley, between steep, forested slopes. Erected on a considerable incline, the temple halls are connected with elevated walkways; you may hear monks chanting as you climb towards the opulent three-storey hall (대조사전) at the top, dedicated to the temple's founder. It's worth the short hike just for the views of the temples and mountains vanishing into the horizon. The name means 'Protect Benevolence Temple'.
Fortress
This large fortress is 4km northeast of Cheongju, on the slopes of the mountain Uam-san. Originally built in the 1590s and renovated in the 18th century, it has walls up to 4m in height that stretch 4.2km around wooded hillsides, offering superb views of farms, mountains and the city. Its size makes it easy to imagine that it once housed three temples and several thousand soldiers and monks. Today, Korean families decamp to the fields outside the south gate for family picnics.
National Park
This park has easy hikes and year-round beauty amongst craggy cliffs. It's atmospheric and misty in winter and alive with cherry blossoms and azaleas in spring. The mountain's name has a mystical, Buddhist meaning: ‘Remote from the Ordinary World Mountain’. Buses leave Cheongju’s intercity bus terminal (₩8600, two hours, every 30 minutes) for the park.
Historic Site
When the area around here was flooded to create the Chungju dam and lake, a number of villages were submerged and the residents resettled. In order to preserve some of the rich heritage, 43 cultural properties, several private residences and more than a thousand artefacts were relocated here from Cheongpung, a historic port during the Joseon dynasty. You can take the ferry to Cheongpung, get off and walk up the hill to the complex, or drive here over the bridge from either Chungju or Danyang.
Shrine
This intriguing and rare five-storey wooden pavilion is painted bright gold from top to bottom and was founded by the Daesun Jillihoe new religious movement. You can find it on the north side of the main east-west road Sajik-daero, immediately south of Cheongju Stadium. Hop on bus 717, 832 or 913 from outside the intercity bus terminal to reach the pavilion and get off at the Cheongju Gymnasium (청주체육관) stop.
Pagoda
This magnificent, wooden, five-storey and highly photogenic pagoda is the only one of its kind in the country. The pagoda was first built in 553 but burned down at the end of the same century. The name (in hanja it is 捌相殿) means Hall of the Eight Phases, relating to eight stages in the life of Buddha. The entire edifice was rebuilt in the late 1960s.
Buddhist Site
This stone Buddhist temple near Mireuk-ri dates to the late Silla or early Goryeo period and contains a five-storey stone pagoda in front of a tall standing and hatted stone statue of Buddha, open to the elements as the wooden hall that housed him has long gone. A new temple stands not far away.