Eat Well and Rest Well:
The Secret to a Healing Life at Sunchang Shilland

Koreans often describe themselves as “running on rice”. They say they need to eat a substantial meal to work hard and study effectively. But times have changed. It is no longer just about eating enough; it’s about eating well and properly. Sunchang’s Shilland is a healing space that promotes healthy eating habits, helping people lead sustainable and healthy lives.

The name SHILLand stands for “Sustainable Health In Life,” and its pronunciation in Korean sounds similar to the word for “rest”. At Shilland, the focus is on helping visitors lead healthy lives through rest, and a key component of this is healthy eating. Shilland offers opportunities to prepare and taste dishes that they have developed, such as red chili paste pork belly and tteokbokki, which have been praised by both domestic and international visitors.

Healing Time with Yakseon (Medicinal Herb) Cuisine

The signature wellness program at Shilland is the “Wellness Health and Healing Table” program. Visitors can prepare and taste dishes using traditional fermented sauces, Sunchang’s most famous specialty. The most popular dish in the program is the red chili paste pork belly, which showcases the heat and flavor of Sunchang. The red chili paste (gochujang) used in this dish is made from scratch by Shilland and includes thistle concentrate, which is used in Korean traditional medicine to treat blood stasis and promote liver health.

Grilled until golden, the red chili paste pork belly at Shilland is enjoyed with yakseon (medicinal herb cuisine) side dishes such as pickled radish slices with black raspberry, honey and apple juice sauce, cabbage kimchi, braised dried anchovy with apple and nuts, and pickled laver. The rice is steamed with gardenia water, giving it a gentle flavor and appetizing golden color. All side dishes at Shilland do not use artificial flavors. After a satisfying meal, enjoy a cup of coffee and a break. Coffee drip bag-making programs using Sunchang’s fermented coffee are quite popular. On the second floor of the Shil Studio, where the coffee drip bag-making program is held, you can find a charming automated café.

Rest, Pause, Empty, and Rejuvenate

Shilland’s wellness experience facilities include aromatherapy foot baths and sauna programs. Dipping your feet into the aromatic foot bath is a great way to relieve the fatigue that accumulates in city life. After the foot bath, head to the warm Red Clay Room and relax. Don’t forget the boiled eggs and sweet rice punch (sikhye), essential parts of any Korean sauna experience.

For those enjoy walking, the trails leading into the cypress forest are not to be missed. The trail is built with immaculate and flat wooden decks, making it very accessible. The Children’s Adventure playground at the entrance to the trail adds to its charm. For serious walkers, the Ssaribong Peak Trail, which takes about 2 hours round-trip, offers a good challenge. Another interesting sight is the Sunchang Experience Science Museum of Health and Longevity, which explores the mysteries of human life and longevity.

Bungalows are accommodations prepared for visitors who do not wish to take part in programs. There are fifteen detached buildings in total: 11 A-type (30㎡) buildings and 4 B-type (38㎡) buildings. They are all furnished with amenities such as cooking facilities, a washing machine, and a TV. Note, however, that outdoor charcoal grilling is prohibited. Wellness program participants are provided with accommodations in the accommodations complex.

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[Recommended Tourist Sites]

Sunchang Gangcheon Healing Spa

Gangcheon Healing Spa is the hottest new addition to Sunchang’s wellness tourism scene. The first floor of Gangcheon Healing Spa has a spa facility, while the second floor features a thermotherapy room, a foot bath café with detoxing foot bath facilities, a children’s playroom, and cypress sleeping rooms. The thermotherapy room, in particular, is popular among visitors of all ages and genders because it allows you to enjoy thermotherapy while lying down comfortably. With temperatures ranging between 60-70℃, it helps to relax muscles, facilitate fatigue recovery, and promote deep sleep.

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Gangcheonsan County Park

Gangcheonsan County Park is the first county-level park in Korea, encompassing Gangcheonsan Mountain (583.7m above sea level), Sanseongsan Mountain (603m above sea level), and Gwangdeoksan Mountain (578m above sea level). Another name for the area, Yongcheonsan Mountain, comes from the ridge connecting the Gangcheonsan, Sanseongsan, and Gwangdeoksan Mountains, said to resemble a dragon ascending to the heavens. The park itself offers a variety of walking trails, from the barefoot walking trail that connects Byeongpungpokpo Falls and Gujanggunpokpo Falls to the decked roads that wind around the midpoint of the mountain and the trail that connects the three mountains, starting from Gangcheonsan Mountain and passing Sanseongsan Mountain on the way to Gwangdeoksan Mountain.

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