Jeju Horse Park

The wide grasslands of Gasi-ri, in the uplands of eastern Jeju, were once home to Gapmajang, the Joseon-era ranch where the state raised only its very best horses. Jeju Horse Park was created by the village itself on this old ranch land. Built around the village-run Jeju Horse Museum, it also has a riding ground, a café, a guesthouse and a campsite. Beyond seeing and riding horses, it is a place to learn how Jeju people have lived alongside them for centuries.

Gasi-ri, the village of the finest horses

Gapma means the strongest, fastest horses in a herd. The Joseon court kept such horses apart, and their ranch covered the area of today's Gasi-ri in Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo. Gapmajang appears to have been set up under King Jeongjo and is said to have covered some 900 hectares centred on the Noksan ranch. Gasi-ri lies in Jeju's mid-mountain belt, between the high slopes of Hallasan and the coast, where good grass and open land made it ideal for horses. The park describes the village's herding culture as nearly 600 years old.

What to do

• Jeju Horse Museum: built with the participation of local residents, it covers the history of Gasi-ri and its horse culture. As a museum founded by a village, it has been held up as a new model for community-run business.
• Ttarabi riding ground: a riding area set against open grassland. Even if you do not ride, you can watch horses grazing close by beyond the fences.
• Haenggimeoche: a large rock pile near the entrance. Meoche is the local word for a mound of lava rocks, and trees now grow on top of it. It takes its name from a brass bowl (haenggi) of water said to have been placed on it.
• Café and lodgings: the Maeum Café, a guesthouse in Mongolian-style yurts, a campsite and an art shop mean you can easily stay longer than a day.

Walking the old ranch

The park is the hub of the Gapmajang Trail, which links the oreum (volcanic cones) and ranch tracks around Gasi-ri. The full trail runs about 20 km from the village and takes around seven hours. For visitors short of time there is the Jjolbeun Gapmajang Trail, about 10 km and four to five hours, which starts at the park and loops around Ttarabi Oreum and Keunsasumi Oreum. Jjolbeun means "short" in the Jeju dialect. Herds of roe deer are a common sight on the grassland sections.

Noksan-ro in spring

Noksan-ro, the road past the park, is famous for its roughly 10 km of canola flowers in spring, and Gasi-ri has held its canola flower festival around the park. Yellow fields with oreum ridges and wind turbines behind them make a view typical of Jeju's eastern uplands.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: about 1 hour for the museum and riding ground, 2–3 hours if you add a ride and the café. Allow half a day for the Jjolbeun Gapmajang Trail.
• Prices and hours: riding courses and opening hours vary with the season. Check the latest information on the park's official social media, linked from jejuhorsepark.co.kr. Riding may be suspended in rain or strong wind.
• Getting there: the address is 381-15 Noksan-ro, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo. Public transport to this part of the uplands is slow, so a rental car is the easy option. Seongeup Folk Village, about 6 km to the east, and Sangumburi Crater to the north-west combine well with a visit.
• Best time: come from late March into April, when the canola is in bloom along Noksan-ro; in autumn the silver grass on Ttarabi Oreum is worth the climb.
• Watch out for: do not reach out to or feed the horses without permission, and never walk behind them. There is little shade on the grassland paths, so bring a hat and water in summer.