Where is the first place you would want to visit? Why where they bury the dead, of course!

It seems that no matter where I travel in the world, I am fascinated with the burial of remains. Obviously, the world is fascinated with cemetaries. One of the greatest wonders of the world...the pyamids of Egypt is the benchmark for how the wealthy are buried. They are one of the societies that wanted to take it all with them, after all, when they came back from the dead, they could very well be poor.

So, in Daegu, South Korea...I had to go to Bullo-dong Tomb Park. The name alone fascinated me. A tomb park? Not a cemetary, but a park with ancient tombs.

A brief history about Bullo-dong Tomb Park...the cemetary was constructed in about the 5th or 6th century. The status of the person buried in these parks are determined by the size of the mounds. The bigger the mound, the higher the status of the deceased. The Tomb park contains 211 tombs and is carefully maintained to preserve the original shape and ancient appearance.

Preserving the memory of the deceased is intensely celebrated here in South Korea. 10 days are set aside throughout the year to pay respect for their ancestors. It has been stated that a deceased family member's spirit is said to stay with the family for four generations.

I have to admit, there was a part of me that wanted a pile of snow...a pair of skis...and I imagined myself having a little fun. Then again, I might just do that...a nice thought anyway.

Mount Palgongsan Area...a good place to start

The Mount Palgongsan area was really a great place to start my explorations in Daegu. This area is the most sacred part of Daegu, situated in the Northeastern part of the city. The Buddist culture is treasured and memorialized in this region, and though they have 6 schedules stops on this trek:

Bullo-dong Tomb Park, Bangija Yugi Museum, Donghwasa Temple, The Historic site of General Sin Gun-gyeom, and the Bongmu Leports Park...I recommend you select two areas that you really want to experience and not just pass through as a tourist.

I was rather pleased how easy it was to make a reservation, as you can tell by the sparse population on the tour bus, my friends and I were able to enjoy ourselves. It isn't the height of the tourist season...no crowds to contend with, and with the scheduled start and stops, you are very free to explore the different areas with as much detail as you would like.

For those that want a guided tour...you have to be in a group of ten or more, but then you are within the confines of the group schedule. I have to admit, I did love the freedom of going through at my own leisure.