Magic Castle Protruding in Blue Sea

A lonely island floating in the sea was full of legends. No one lives on it. But all of sudden, people begin whispering and throwing rocks into the water. Whenever that happens, fishing boats flee to nearby safe places. It indicates a storm is on the way.

Back-do, or White Island is believed to protect fishermen. So, fishermen hold ritual ceremonies on the island wishing huge harvest in the sea.

I may have traveled on a boat 30 minutes toward the east from Kuhmoon-do. I noticed a group of white rocks just above the water. Quoting the word a foreigner used for describing them, it looked like a "magic castle." Amazingly, 39 rocks were protruding themselves above.

People say that mirages show up from time to time, depending on the currents and temperatures between small islands dotting on the sea. On the island, plants are hard to grow up due to the lack of topsoil. Nonetheless, grass poking out between the rocks rejuvenated the whole scenery. Seamen say that they find their way in the heavy fog, smelling the fragrance of orchid that grows on Back-do.

Currently, Back-do is off-limits. It`s because of human beings` random devastation of nature. People have leveled off the island by cutting out unique rocks and pulling out the orchids growing on the island. Recently, more and more cruise ships offer people an opportunity to look around Back-do. They start from Kuhmoon-do and sail around Back-do. Some argue that the government should allow tourists to land on the island. Now no one knows when that will happen.

To have a look at Back-do, you should go to Kuhmoon-do, which sits southwest of Yeosoo. On it, camellia flowers grows even in winter. From November to February, Kuhmoon-do gets filled with red camellia flowers. In addition, people who enjoy sea-fishing frequent the island. Nowadays, more and more people are attracted to Kuhmoon-do.

To Kukmoon-do, you have to hop on a ship at Yeosoo. Looking forward into the horizon, you will see the Hyangil Rock sitting on the middle of a cliff on the beach. Here you can enjoy one of the most beautiful sunrises, a memory you could carry for the rest of life. Sumjin River ends at Yeosoo, where it is soaked up into the sea. Recently, a cruise has begun to run on the river either from Yeosoo to Hadong, or from Yeosoo to Blue Plum Farm of Kwangyang City. On the cruise, you can appreciate the gorgeous scenery unfolding along the river and taste of the rural atmosphere. It is unforgettable to have a "sour-sweet" blue plum tea, listening to owner of the farm spinning out various stories about blue plum.

Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com