Where the Golden Corvinas Used to Dance

The golden corvinas used to dance in the front sea of Mountain Seven in Younggwang, Joella Province. The sea was given such a name from its geographical characteristic of facing seven mountains from Mountain One to Mountain Seven. People were busy fishing for yellow corvinas in April in the mid 1970s. The fish swam across the ocean to its shores.

The most crucial factor that affects the fish inhabiting a specific sea is the temperature of the seawater. The fish are sensitive to minute changes in the temperature below zero. The temperature has risen because of global warming effects, and the corvinas have avoided the front sea of Mountain Seven which they usually swam by for spawning because of the risen temperature. In addition, technologies have advanced enough to allow fishermen access all the way to the South China Sea, southeast of Jeju Island, for fishing, thus causing the decrease in the fish catch in the Mt. Seven Sea.

Beopsongpo, the home of dried yellow corvina, is still famous for Yeonggwang Dried Corvina. No one knows for sure where the fish come from, but it is for sure that they are not from the Mt. Seven Sea. However, there is no such idea that corvinas are planted, so the only solace is that they will be “natural.”

Beopsongpo (Dharma Nature Bay). The name is not something typical. Temple Bulgap, an ancient temple from Backje Period, is located nearby. Sotaesan Park Joong-bin, founder of Won Buddhism, was born in the nearby area. All these facts are not separated from the region’s characteristics.

Indian Monk Marananta first arrived here in Beopsongpo in 384 to Backje from China. Why did he step on the part of the land for the first time among all the others ports in the west coast? There is no specific answer, so I make some presumptions of my own. The right place to get in the proper mood is Palgak Pavilion at the back of the mountain which looks down on the bay.

The bay looked down upon from the pavilion looks like another Hahoi village near the sea. The water flowing down from the valley runs around the beach and continues to flow into the sea. This is a village where the water circles.

The reason why an inlet could develop away from the sea is because of the deeply dug gorge around the beach. The gorge contains water even during an ebb tide and lets boats come into the port even during an ebb tide.

That is why Monk Marananta could arrive safely on the land. The port naturally developed because fishing boats have frequented the sea to fish.

There are arrays of dried corvina vendors and restaurants on the big streets near the bay. The street is named Corvina Street. I had a meal of dried corvina which cost me 20 dollars. I went on a trip in search of new charms of Yeonggwang. The Baeksu Seaside Road now conveniently connects the Mt. Seven Sea, where one used to hear corvina cries. People can ride in their cars to enjoy the seaside view passing by.

The road leading to the Seaside road from Beopsongpo is quiet along the gorge of the beach. By the time one can catch a glance of the sea, the view reveals an open-wide view of the bay, and slime along the beach. The scenery where slime situates in the gorge is seen nowhere else but here on the west coast. On the way, there is a Buddhist Museum under construction.

Driving up and around a small hill, one finds the sea. The seaside road stretches 10 kilometers south from here. To the right of a running car is the sea, to the left is the mountain, and all the way down by the road is a cliff. Seeing a car turning at the corner, it looks as if the car is soaring up from the sea to the sky. The sight is similar to the road in Whistler, Canada leading to Whistler Blackcomb ski resort that winds around a lake that resembles a sea. The 101 highway is also another seaside road, leading from Monterey Bay, California to South Los Angeles.

The sun setting is another attraction to be watched during the drive. The blazing sun softly lands between the seven mountains forming seven islets. The corvinas have left, but the drive in which one can enjoy the spectacular view by the Mt. Seven Sea where the corvinas used to swim across is new to us. So there still is a reason to visit Beopseongpo, Younggwang.

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