This morning we left Haeundae Beach for the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (해동 용궁사). It is the only temple along the beautiful shore, since most Korean temples are located in the mountains. This temple is one of the three sacred places related to the Goddess of Buddha of South Korea. Its motto is ‘at least one of your wishes will be answered here through sincere prayers’. We lit candles to have wishes fulfilled as well as tossing coins in the Lucky Coin Devination.
After visiting the temple we met Jinhyang’s family for a lunch of duck bulgogi, a first for me! We also had somaek (beer and soju). It was all very delicious! I learned that the wild sesame leaf is the most popular lettuce here for bulgogi, and it was my favorite!
Busan Gwangandaegyo Bridge (부산 광안대교) is beautifully lit at night. We stood on the beach to watch the lights. It is the longest bi-level bridge over the ocean in Korea. Next we went to a Norebang, which is a room for karaoke. It’s very popular in Korea. From there (5th floor) we could sing and watch the bridge lights!
On the way back to the hotel we stopped for street food. We ate 호떡 (hotteok – Korean sweet pancakes). Hotteok is filled with a sweet syrup made from cinnamon, brown sugar, and peanuts. We drank sikhye (rice drink) which is sweet and refreshing. A perfect ending to an awesome day!
