Baekyaki Oreum: A Legend of a Hundred Herbs, and a View That's No Joke Despite the Gentle Slope
oreum layered as far as the eye can see
Jeju is full of oreum where a single name carries layers of stories. Baekyaki Oreum, located at San 1, Seongeup-ri, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo, is often mentioned as one of them. Read literally, the name means 'a hundred medicinal herbs,' and it's said the name comes from a legend that all kinds of medicinal herbs once grew on this oreum's slopes long ago. Every oreum tends to have its own distinguishing feature, and Baekyaki Oreum is said to have several layered on top of each other — not just its legendary name, but also the view from its summit and a gentle slope that's said to be manageable even for first-time oreum climbers. Today let's slowly unpack the stories this oreum carries.
A Legend of a Hundred Medicinal Herbs
Hearing the name Baekyaki Oreum for the first time naturally makes you wonder what story lies behind the phrase 'a hundred herbs.' According to the story that's been passed down, all kinds of medicinal herbs reportedly grew across this oreum since long ago. People are said to have gradually started calling it 'the oreum where a hundred herbs grow,' and that phrase is said to have stuck and become today's name. Exactly which herbs grew here, how many kinds there were, or how effective they actually were are all things that are difficult to confirm today, so I can only share this carefully. That said, there's also a view that the number 'a hundred' may have been less a literal count and more a way of saying 'a great many.' Either way, just knowing that an entire herbal legend is woven into a single oreum changes how you approach it a little.
An oreum carrying a herbal legend feels like it might hold an air that's a bit out of the ordinary. Many oreum across Jeju are said to carry their own legends or origin stories, but it's said to be rare for one to have that story woven so directly into its very name, the way Baekyaki Oreum does. Just from the name alone, you can guess this oreum has long been regarded as something special among local people. Seongeup-ri itself is a place name that carries traces of an old Jeju village, so making your way to Baekyaki Oreum reportedly feels a bit like stepping into one of Jeju's older stories.
A View of Layered Oreum From the Summit
One reason Baekyaki Oreum is often named a favorite among oreum enthusiasts is the view from its summit. The Pyoseon-myeon area is known for having an especially dense cluster of oreum, large and small, and standing at Baekyaki Oreum's summit is said to reveal the surrounding oreum layered like waves, one behind another. Many visitors say there's a certain fun in trying to pick out and count each individual oreum, and on clear days, the view is said to open up wide enough that oreum ridgelines stretch on for a long way. Every time I hear stories like this, I find it remarkable that climbing just one oreum can let you take in the whole of Jeju's midland at a glance.
This view is also said to change its expression quite a bit depending on the time of day. Around sunrise or sunset, a reddish glow is said to spread across the oreum ridgelines, creating an entirely different mood, and on windy days, the wide grass fields spreading out below are said to ripple like waves — another sight worth seeing. There's no elaborately built observation deck here, and yet the natural scenery the oreum creates on its own is enough to hold your attention — that might be exactly the strength Baekyaki Oreum has.
Standing at the summit and watching the oreum layer over one another, you really feel just how many oreum this island holds.
— 🍊 GYULI
Why It's Recommended Even for Oreum Beginners
Anyone who's visited Jeju a few times knows that the difficulty of climbing varies quite a bit from oreum to oreum. Baekyaki Oreum is said to fall on the gentler end of that spectrum. Rather than steep stairs or sharp climbs, a relatively gradual path is said to lead all the way to the summit, which is why it's often mentioned as a place first-time climbers can take on without much intimidation. Many say it's worth attempting even if you don't usually hike or trek, or if your travel itinerary involves moving with kids or older family members.
That doesn't mean you should treat it too lightly just because the slope is gentle, though. Most oreum are said to be grassland terrain without many large trees to provide shade, so even though the walking itself is easy, you'll reportedly be exposed to direct sun for a fairly long stretch. Some visitors say they underestimated the climb because of the gentle slope and ended up tired from the heat, so it's worth packing a few essentials. I'll go into more detail on that in the tip below.
The colors the oreum shows off are also said to shift a bit with the seasons. In spring and early summer, light green grass is said to wrap the whole oreum in a soft glow, while by autumn, silver grass mixed with dried stalks gives it a calmer, more muted tone. It's hard to say which season looks best, but the fact that this oreum wears a different face each season is something that comes up again and again in different accounts. If you're touring several oreum around Pyoseon-myeon, it's worth slipping Baekyaki Oreum into that route as one more stop.
GYULI's Tip · Baekyaki Oreum is said to be gentle enough to recommend even for beginners, but as grassland terrain without much shade, you may end up walking under direct sun in summer. Bring a hat, water, and sunscreen, and consider climbing in the early morning or late afternoon rather than midday, when the sun has eased off a little.