From Jocheon-eup to Hallim-eup — Now Let's Meet a Master Craftsman's Dolhareubang

A while back, GYULI told you the origin story of how dolhareubang got their name, and not long ago I also introduced Dolhareubang Museum in Jocheon-eup. Today I'd like to bring you a place with a slightly different flavor — Geumneung Stone Park, located in Hallim-eup, Jeju City. While the museum in Jocheon-eup gathered dolhareubang that had once been scattered around, recreating them true to their original form, Geumneung Stone Park is said to be a place where you can meet works directly crafted by hand by one master over a lifetime of skill, which gives it a somewhat different charm.

A Space Born From the Hands of Master Craftsman Jang Gong-ik, Who Spent Over 40 Years With Dolhareubang

Geumneung Stone Park is said to have been built by master craftsman Jang Gong-ik, who has devoted more than 40 years to making dolhareubang. It's no small thing for one person to dedicate that much time to a single craft, and since this place is said to carry the touch of all those long years, GYULI imagines that the care poured into each individual stone must be something special.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI

Within Geumneung Stone Park, alongside dolhareubang, you're said to find haenyeo (female diver) statues, child statues, and statues of mothers carrying mulheobeok water jars while tending to a child — works that render legends passed down across Jeju in stone, scattered throughout the grounds. Sculptures symbolizing Jeju's daily life, folk customs, and culture are said to be on display together, so as you walk through, it's said you can feel as though you're reading the story of how Jeju's people once lived, one stone at a time.

You Can Also Meet Dolhareubang Models Once Gifted to World Leaders

Geumneung Stone Park is also said to hold one special exhibit — dolhareubang models that were once given as gifts to presidents, prime ministers, and leaders from various countries around the world during their visits to Jeju. I'd rather not pin down exactly which leader received which model and when, since that's said to vary case by case, but being able to see, all in one place, the traces of Jeju's representative symbol having traveled to countries around the world feels like a charm unique to this spot.

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Buddhist-Flavored Stone Statues, and a Shrine Tucked Inside a Cave

The overall atmosphere of Geumneung Stone Park is said to be led by stone statues carrying a Buddhist flavor. A quiet, religious mood is said to drift among the various sculptures, and in particular, two caves called Jeongnyeogul and Jorongul are said to sit within the park, with a small shrine inside where you can offer prayers said to be set up within the caves. I thought this was just an outdoor sculpture park, but finding caves and a shrine tucked inside too — walking through, it seems like the kind of place where you keep running into unexpected spaces.

A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Visit

Geumneung Stone Park is located at 176 Hallim-ro, Hallim-eup, Jeju City, and is said to be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., year-round without closing days. That said, this kind of information can change depending on circumstances, so it's worth double-checking the latest details before your visit.

If the dolhareubang origin story GYULI shared before was about the meaning behind their name and appearance, and Dolhareubang Museum in Jocheon-eup was a place that gathered scattered dolhareubang true to their original form, then today's introduction to Geumneung Stone Park in Hallim-eup carries a different charm of its own — one master's more than 40 years of craftsmanship, Jeju's story traveling to countries around the world, and even an unexpected shrine tucked inside a cave.

🍊 More Photos, via GYULI