Viewing the last sunset of 2009, first sunrise of 2010 in Jeollanam-do.

A little late posting this, but for the sake of anyone interested here are a few places in and around Jeollanam-do to take in the last sunrise of 2009 and the first sunrise of 2010. I'll preface the list by saying that it was damn cold last year in Busan and it'll be damn cold this year wherever you decide to go.

This year the Korea Herald profiled some spots throughout the country and mentioned Namyeol Beach (남열해수욕장) in Goheung county.

Namyeol beach in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, offers a breathtaking view of the archipelago of the southern sea. The beach is covered in smooth white sand that provides the ultimate romantic spot to watch the sunrise.

After watching the sunrise, a visit to Mount Palyeong, and the thousand-year-old temple of Neunggasa is recommended. The town is also home to Naro Space Center, where Korea's first satellite was launched.

Goheung's official page has information about the festivities, which are expected to draw 5,000 people the morning of the 1st.



Last year, on December 12th, the Joongang Ilbo looked at three spots down south: Namhae's Boriam, Suncheon's Songgwangsa, and Yeosu's Hyangiram.

Last year I supplemented that article with a few more spots, including Suncheon's Hwapo (화포). It's across Suncheon Bay from . . . Suncheon Bay, and is considered the best spot in the city to see sunrises throughout the year. Here are some pictures collected via a Naver search. City buses 81 and 82 go to Hwapo.

Looks like there will also be a festival in Wando---they built a 76-meter-high tower there in 2008 for the purpose of watching sunrises and sunsets---but they've already had a drawing to see who's been awarded a spot.

In Yeongam county there's a festival (2010년영암호해맞이축제) to watch the sunrise over Yeongam Lake (영암호), and to wish for good luck ahead the "Korean Grand Prix" F1 race in October. The sun rise is expected at 7:42.

In Haenam, at Ddangkkeut (땅끝, or "Land's End"), the southernmost point on the Korean peninsula, there are festivities to mark the last sunset of 2009 and the first sunrise of 2010. There's a program online, but I'll cut to the chase and let you know the b-boys will be performing from 20:00 to 22:00 on the 31st.

There will be festivities marking the sunset and sunrise in several places in Jindo county.

Yeonggwang county faces west, so there's no sunrise festival, but there will be festivities for the final sunset of 2009, along the 백수해안도로. The Dong-a Ilbo contrasts this spot with the noisier festival sites in the province:

조용하게 해를 보내고 맞이하는 장소도 많다. 영광군 백수해안에서 목포까지의 드라이브코스는 서해안 일몰 감상의 최적지로 꼽힌다. 백수해안도로 동백마을에서 칠산 앞바다로 지는 해를 볼 수 있고 함평 돌머리에서는 해제반도로 지는 해넘이를, 무안 도리포에서는 일출과 일몰을 한자리에서 볼 수 있다. 신안군 지도와 증도 방축리 해안에서 서해로 지는 해는 국내에서 가장 장엄한 해넘이로 꼽힌다. 목포에서는 유달산 일등바위에 올라 고하도와 외달도 사이 바다를 황금빛으로 물들이는 일몰을 감상할 수 있다.

It also mentions Mokpo's Yudalsan and Muan's Dori-po as places to watch the sun doing what it does, and puts Shinan county's Ji-do and Jeung-do islands as among the best for watching it set into the Yellow Sea.

Perhaps the most notable spot in the county to see sunrises is the Hyangiram Sunrise Festival (향일암일출제) at Yeosu's Hyangiram hermitage, set on Geumosan, 291 steps above Impo Village, but it burned down in an untimely fire on the 20th. The sunrise festival is to go on as planned, though.