Jinnamgyoban Area
The Jinnamgyoban Area (진남교반; map) is a horseshoe bend in the Yeong River (영강; map). Around this U-shaped section of water hangs a group of man-made and natural sights along the Saejae Bike Path in Mungyeong City (문경시; map).
Gomo Mountain Fortress
The Kingdom of Silla (신라; 57 BCE ~ 935 CE) built Gomo Mountain Fortress (고모산성; map) in the 5th century. It stands in the mountains northwest of Jinnamgyoban Area.
The fortress comprises 1.3-kilometer long, 10 to 20-meter tall stone walls on top of Gomo Mountain. Silla leaders created it to defend its southeast Yeongnam Region from invaders traveling through the perilous Sobaek Mountain Range during the Three Kingdoms period.
Today, climb to the top of Gomo Mountain Fortress’s weathered southern wall. Catch a panoramic view of the Jinnamgyoban Area, with Mungyeong Road (문경대로; map) shooting over the horseshoe river bend and through a rocky cliff-face.
Tokkibiri Cliffside Road
Tokkibiri Cliffside Road (문경토끼비리; map; a.k.a. “Rabbit Road”) travels for 2 kilometers along perilous cliffs above the Yeong River. It leads to Gomo Mountain Fortress.
During the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE ~ 668 CE), the mighty Kingdom Goguryeo marched armies southward to conquer the Kingdom of Silla. After crossing the tall Sobaek Mountains, they stumbled upon a perilous cliff-side path above the Jinnamgyoban Area.
Thinking they reached a dead-end, a Gogoreyeo General spotted a rabbit hopping along the mountainside rocks. The army followed the rabbit to safety. Thus the trail became “Rabbit Road.”
Later, the cliff-side road was a part of the ancient Great Yeongnam Road that linked Seoul to Busan during the Joseon Dynasty (1392~1897; 대조선국).
Mungyeong Omija Theme Tunnel
Mungyeong Omija Theme Tunnel (문경오미자테마터널; map) burrows through the mountains north of the Jinnamgyoban Area. Once named Seokhyeon Tunnel, it was a part of the Mungyeong Rail Line that transported coal between Mungyeong Town and the Jeomchon area (점촌; map).
Mungyeong City transformed this disused bit of infrastructure into a tourist trap. Inside the tunnel, find a shop and cellar for omija wine (오미자). The red berry that resembles a grape produces five distinct flavors, tasting sweet, bitter, sour, spicy, and salty.
Mungyeong City, which produces 40% of Korea’s omija supply, also installed cartoon murals and colored lights inside the tunnel to attract tourists not interested in omija wine.
Mungyeong Railbike
Train tracks once belonging to the retired Mungyeong Line (문경선) run along the bottom of the Jinnamgyoban Area’s horseshoe bend.
In the recent past, the Mungyeong Railbike (문경철로자전거; map) sent pedal-powered train cars through Jinnamgyoban Area to Buljeong Station. However, after a few years of low visitor turnout, operators shuttered this section of the Mungyeong Railbike.
Mungyeong Railbike still operates, however. It travels 3.6 kilometers between Gurangri Station (구랑리역; map) and Jinnam Station (진남역; map), which lies on the northwest tip of the Jinnamgyoban Area.
