Jinhae – The city that symbolizes spring in Korea
The road that runs through Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone, from Noksan in Busan, through Yongwon and all the way to Jinhae, is just a coastal route like any other. Somehow, though, you can feel instinctively when you reach Jinhae. The road is lined with an unending procession of cherry trees – just following them leads you to all the city's major intersections.
Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, which brings some 200,000 tourists for a short time each year to this neat city of 1.5 million people, is unquestionably the event that gives Jinhae its reputation as Korea's most beautiful city. The word gunhangje, meaning “naval port festival,” seems at first unfitting for a celebration of cherry blossom, until we remember that Jinhae is home to Korea Naval Academy, and that the festival also commemorates Admiral Yi Sun Shin, Korea's greatest naval hero. The festival's origins can be traced back to 1952, when Korea's first bronze statue of Admiral Yi was erected at Bugwon Rotary in Jinhae and a memorial service held. In 1963, the first Gunhangje Festival was held; it has continued to this day.
Let's take a closer look at the history behind the festival for a moment... The place names here bring me back to my schooldays spent memorizing the contents of history textbooks: “Hakpo,” “Ungpo,” “Angolpo,” all names inextricably associated with sea battles. Perhaps the Gunhangje Festival is a manifestation of the gratitude on the part of today's Koreans for the peace bequeathed by their ancestors: the admiral, a legend in naval circles worldwide for his invincibility; the sailors who fought alongside him in battle; and the beautiful cherry blossoms we can now enjoy every spring thanks to them.
If I were to sum up Jinhae with a single expression, it would have to be “a beautiful city.” It is, in two words, truly beautiful.
In which case, there's no way it should be overlooked as a film location. Allow me a brief diversion, now, to quote from the guide book on Jinhae as featured in the world of film.
“Jinhae – you might think it's too small to have anything worth seeing, but it is in fact its modest size that gives the city its charm and warmth. Though Jinhae is overlooked by many, several parts of it have been totally reborn using the right camera angles. [...] Places such as Inmin Road, Romance Bridge over Yeojwacheon Stream and Parkland provided the settings for the first date of Gwon-u and Chae-won, the stars of TV drama <Romance>. Jinhae Post Office is the post office from which Son Ye-jin, star of the film <The Classic>, sends a telegram to Jo Seung-u (in the film, it is made out to be Suwon Post Office). It also serves as the auditorium in which Ye-jin learns folk dancing. Meanwhile, the single-episode TV drama <First Love>, in which Gwon Min-jung and Son Hyeon-ju act so passionately, was filmed entirely in and around Nambu Inland Water Research Center.”
As a film commission employee whose job it is to introduce film locations, let me put this another way...
Yeojwacheon Stream, where romance blossomed between Kim Ha-neul and Kim Jae-won, is a place so dazzlingly beautiful that you'll never just pass it by. This is the kind of cherry blossom that that sent the eponymous heroine of Anne of Green Gables wild; the sort that swirls in the wind in flurries like an Arctic snowstorm. The place is stupefying, as if the whole world has been covered in cherry blossom – it's almost exuberant enough to drive you crazy. If you haven't experienced the kind of excitement that sends your heart into a flutter recently, I recommend that you hurry to Yeojwacheon before the cherry blossom is over.
The neighborhoods leading from Yeojwacheon through Bugwon and Jungwon Rotary and to Namwon Rotary contain a mixture of Japanese style, 1960s style and contemporary buildings. Among these, I highly recommend Jinhae Post Office, located at Jungwon Rotary. Completed in 1912, it is said to have been a single-story wooden structure but does not appear to be made of wood at all. It was used as a post office until 2000 and is now a designated cultural heritage property. Its charming entrance is so attractive that no film crew will want to leave it behind, even after filming is finished – a notion proved by the fact that it was used to portray a fictional Suwon location in the film <The Classic>.
Following the coastal road from the post office leads to Jinhae Marine Park. Located on the island of Eumji-do, the park contains attractions including a “Naval Battle Experience Hall.” I highly recommend its Warship Museum as a location.
This warship, which was reborn as an exhibition venue in 2005, was used by the US Navy during the Korean War before being finally retired from service in December 2000. Its well-preserved interior allows visitors a glimpse into the round-the-clock life of sailors on a warship. Just don't be surprised by the mannequins standing around in the galley and the medicine room!
Perhaps because of the abundant gifts bestowed upon them by their natural environment, the people you see in Jinhae have mellow expressions on their faces. It's enough to make you feel just a little envious. It seems a shame to have to wrap up my introduction to such a beautiful city here, after running out of page space, so let me finish by sharing with you a driving course recommendation I was given by the city's culture and tourism department, offering the chance to enjoy some of the highlights of the area.
Inmin Road (cherry blossom) > observatory (see the whole of the city covered in blossom) > Jangboksan Park (cherry blossom forest) > Parkland (amusement park) > Nambu Inland Water Research Center (tranquil lakeside area) > Yeojwacheon (stunning cherry blossom, Romance Bridge) > bronze station of Admiral Yi Sun Shin (the original model for all statues of the admiral in Korea) > Jinhae Post Office (elegant early-modern building) > Korea Naval Academy (only open during the Gunhangje Festival) > Suchwi (for natural sashimi and sea views) > Jinhae Marine Park (Warship Museum)
Jinhae is home to an infinite number of other tourist attractions, but I will end here in order to avoid launching into a never-ending story. Just remember that the highlight of the town really is its annual spring blossom...
Jinhae – a city made for shooting films set 100 years ago
Gunhangje Festival features fanfares of cherry blossom and a naval base
Jinhae... the city where swirling clouds of white cherry blossom float on the breeze as if lamenting the fact that the annual Gunhangje Festival lasts for only one week. Like an April Queen, the city is full of beauty, life and bright smiles – the charm is captivating, the atmosphere that of another country, far away. If you're part of a film production team, Jinhae is nothing but good news.
Interview – Jeong Cheol-yeong, head of Jinhae's culture and tourism department
Jinhae looks beautiful when covered in cherry blossom like this. Please give us a brief introduction to it.
Jinhae became Korea's first international city 602 years ago (the first of three ports to be opened during the reign of King Sejong (r. 1418–1450) of the Joseon Dynasty). Today, it is home to 350,000 cherry trees and a variety of naval facilities. Jinhae boasts Asia's biggest new port and lies at the center of Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone. Its 1.7 million people are united with mayor Lee Jae-bok in the quest to make into one of the world's leading cities.
This year's Gunhangje Festival is taking place on a larger scale than that of previous years. What kind of events are taking place?
Now in its 47th year, the Gunhangje is one of Korea's leading festivals, heralding the arrival of spring to some 2.5 million Koreans and foreigners. It is full of spectacular events, including a memorial rite for Admiral Yi Sun Shin, the hero who successfully defended Korea against Japanese invasions; a victory procession; a reenactment of a Joseon naval cannon firing; and Jinhae Military Band and Honor Guard Festival, participated in by 13 teams from seven countries.
You can see in several places that Jinhae is working to become a city of seaside leisure and tourism. I've heard the city has a good relationship with the naval base, one of its symbols.
As an international naval port, Jinhae is home to a variety of naval facilities, including Jehwangsan Park, Korea Naval Academy and a naval command headquarters. We have signed an MOU with the navy in order to give Jehwangsan Park back to the people of Jinhae, while tourist sites located on naval property, such as former president Syngman Rhee's vacation home, can now be visited as part of a unique cultural tour that has been available since August 2008.
Does that mean we can hope for permission to film on military land, which is normally off-limits?
The Korean Navy is working and offering cooperation in order to become closer to the country's civilians. I think filming in the naval base would be possible after the navy has examined the content of the production and the necessary deliberations have taken place.
I've heard some of the buildings in the naval base have quite an exotic atmosphere – which are they?
Jinhae's naval command headquarters are home to several Western-style red brick buildings built in the early 20th century during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), including former president Syngman Rhee's vacation home and the hexagonal pavilion in which Rhee held a summit with Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek. In this respect, the base is a treasure trove of cultural heritage, preserved in its original form. Other buildings including Former Jinhae Naval Port Command, Former Jinhae Guard Forces Headquarters, Annex to the Former Jinhae Guard Forces Headquarters and Hospital of the Former Jinhae Naval Port Command, all officially registered cultural heritage properties.
Is it possible to film the inside or outside of the warship in the Marine Park?
The Marine Park, which was created by developing Eumji-do Island in its entirety into a tourist site, offers a variety of opportunities for visitors to become familiar with marine culture, including the Naval Battle Experience Hall, a marine ecological park, a warship and a minesweeper. On July 9, 2001, the navy donated the 12,493-tonne warship Gangwon, which functions not only as a place to learn about life in the navy and a place to rest, but also as a source of publicity for the navy. Anyone can film there at any time.
The cooperative relationship between Jinhae city authorities and the navy is good news for film crews. Please tell us about any other filming locations or tourist attractions you'd like to recommend.
Jinhae is full of excellent filming locations. I recommend thickly forested Inmin Road, with 7km of cherry and cypress trees dating from the 1960s and 70s; Jangboksan Sculpture Park; Jinhae Inland Water Environmental Eco-park, which was designated as a walking course for the 2008 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; the warm-temperate ecological forest, rest area and wood culture experience center at Jinhae Dream Park; the Mountain Path Culture Theme Route; Jepo, the country's first open port, opened in the seventh year of the reign of King Taejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1407); Ungcheon-eup Fortress; Ungcheon Waeseong; Ungcheon Angol Waeseong; Ungcheon Ceramic Kiln Site; and many old Japanese-style buildings such as the commemorative culture center and birthplace of poet Kim Dal-jin.
Finally, could I ask you for your comments on the development of the film industry?
It's no exaggeration to described Jinhae as a city created 100 years ago for the benefit of the film industry. It's ideal for films with exotic or modern themes, as well as those about the late 15th-century Japanese invasions or on naval themes. We'll do all we can to offer co-operation when it comes to anything to do with the film and video industries.
Busan Film Commission. BFC REPORT