Mungyeong Saejae

Its name is usually explained as "the pass even birds find hard to cross". Mungyeong Saejae was the fastest route between the southeastern Yeongnam region and the Joseon capital, Hanyang (Seoul). With three gates, the sites of old inns and roadside steles still in place, its earthen path lets you walk an old Joseon road much as it was.

History: the scholars' road to the exams

The road over the pass opened in 1414, under King Taejong. It crossed Joryeongsan on the Baekdudaegan mountain range between Gyeongsang and Chungcheong provinces, forming the key section of the Great Yeongnam Road and the shortest route from Dongnae (Busan) to Hanyang. Scholars from Gyeongsang heading to the state exams are said to have avoided the Chupungnyeong pass, whose name evokes leaves falling in the autumn wind, and the Jungnyeong pass, where they might "slip like bamboo", and crossed here instead.

During the Japanese invasion of 1592, General Sin Rip chose not to defend the pass and was heavily defeated at Tangeumdae near Chungju. Regretting this, the court built the second gate in 1594, and all three gates were completed in 1708 under King Sukjong. The gates became a Historic Site in 1966 and the old road a national Scenic Site in 2007.

What to see

• First gate, Juheulgwan: the first gate you reach from the Mungyeong side, built in 1708. The plaque above reads "First Gate of Yeongnam".
• Second gate, Jogokgwan: built after the Imjin War, when Sin Chung-won fortified the pass in 1594.
• Third gate, Joryeonggwan: the last gate, at the top of the pass; beyond it lies Goesan in Chungcheong. Water on one side flows to the Nakdong River, on the other to the Han.
• Joryeongwon site and Gyogwijeong: Joryeongwon was a state inn giving food and lodging to officials on duty. At the Gyogwijeong pavilion, outgoing governors of Gyeongsang handed over their office to their successors.
• The "Beware of Fire" stele: a late Joseon stone warning against forest fires, written only in old Hangeul. Of the four surviving steles in archaic Hangeul, it is the only one without Chinese characters.
• The drama set: near the first gate is an open-air KBS set for historical dramas, with replica palaces and villages.

The name and lie of the pass

Saejae crosses between the main peak of Joryeongsan (1,017 m) and Sinseonbong (967 m); the top of the pass is about 642 m above sea level (some sources say 650 m). Its name has several explanations. A 15th-century geography records it as Chojeom, "the pass overgrown with silver grass", while a later gazetteer writes Joryeong, "the pass where even birds rest before crossing". Others read it as "the pass in between" two older passes, Haneuljae and Iurijae, or simply "the new pass".

Stories cling to the road, such as Madangbawi, a rock where bandits are said to have lain in wait for travellers. Walking events and re-enactments of the scholars' journey to the exams are held every year.

Tripto tips

• Walking: the path from the first to the third gate is about 6.5 km (some sources say about 7 km), mostly a gentle earthen track. The round trip takes 4–5 hours; if you are short of time, turn back at the second gate.
• Best time: summer, when the valley and forest stay cool, and autumn, when the leaves turn.
• Getting there: take the Mungyeong Saejae exit of the Jungbu Inland Expressway, or the Jungbu Inland Line train to Mungyeong Station and then a bus or taxi.
• Note: Mungyeong Saejae is not a national park but a provincial park, designated in 1981. Check fees for the drama set on Mungyeong City's official pages.