"Queen of Tears": Uncovering Sayuwon's Enchantments and More

Do you remember the hunting scene in the drama “Queen of Tears“? This scene became a topic of discussion due to its breathtaking and unique scenery.

Sayuwon is a garden for meditation or contemplation located in Mt. Palgongsan. It’s a unique and magnificent garden with a splendid atmosphere, as it was amazingly designed by world-renowned experts such as Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, along with architects, landscapers, and calligraphers.

Representative spaces include Soyoheon, Myeongjeong, and Pungseolgicheon, and there are various walking trails.

In the chapel created by the Portuguese architect, there are spaces for both the cross and meditation, and structures and ponds, both created by the hands of nature and humans in the old Mt. Palgongsan, all come together to evoke a mystical feeling.

Within this mystical atmosphere, the hunting scene of the drama was staged, leading to the climax of the storyline of the drama.

Perfect Place For Meditation

Queen of tears — Queen of Tears / Source: Netflix

As it is a garden for contemplation, the number of visitors is limited to 200 per day, so advance reservation is required. It is closed on Mondays and open for visitation from 9 AM to 5 PM.

As you walk along the trail, you’ll find a platform under the trees where you can meditate and rest for a while. It truly lives up to its name, Soyuwon, offering both walking and meditation! It seems to be the ultimate healing place for modern people.

Representative spaces include Soyoheon, Myeongjeong, and Pungseolgicheon, and there are various walking trails.

When visiting Sayuwon, the staff at the entrance gives a necklace with GPS functionality, a guide map, and a bottle of water. With the necklace’s GPS function, you won’t get lost while contemplating and walking slowly.

There are also packages that combine sightseeing and meals. The beautiful scenery and wonderful meals provide full satisfaction to visitors.

What Can You Enjoy Here?

Interestingly there’s a unique feature of having a shower facility in the forest. Perhaps it suggests taking a shower after sweating from hiking and then meditating?

Soyoheon, which means a house where you can freely wander around, is a simple yet excellent structure resembling a long box connected in a narrow V-shape. It’s perfect for contemplation with its simplicity and lack of decoration. It seems to encourage wandering and contemplation. Here, you can also enjoy various exhibitions and performances.

There’s also a garden of Chinese quince trees called Pungseolgicheon. In the middle of the garden, there are three ponds arranged to reflect the shadows of the trees. The name Pungseolgicheon was given to signify the resilience of the quince trees, which have endured for thousands of years, enduring wind and rain. The fruit of the quince tree symbolizes health for Koreans. Although quince tea has been famous for preventing colds since ancient times, it seems that the quince tree represents resilience differently.

Continuing along the walking path, you’ll come across a place called Gwanmaejeong. It’s a place with a roof between two pine trees where you can take a break, and there are many plum trees nearby.

Further down the path, there’s Jeonghyangdae and Myeongjeong, a space made of stone. On the way to Gagabinbin cafe from Myeongjeong, there’s a lookout called Neunghodae and Hanguddan, where you can enjoy relaxation and contemplation while overlooking Mt. Palgongsan.

Moreover, there’s a place called Naesimnakwon, which is a sacred hall called Gyeongdang designed by Alvaro Siza. Inside, there are a cross and an altar.

There’s also a pond called Odang, consisting of five ponds created using the altitude difference of the valley.

Spending a day to visit would be a very unique experience. Contemplation while gazing at Mt. Palgongsan. Will healing and enlightenment come to you? It’s a space where you never know what might happen.

Web Page for Reservation

In the vicinity of Saryu-won, there are many tourist attractions such as the Little Forest filming location, Changpyeong Jeosuji, Hanbam Stonewall Village, the Second Seokgulam, Palgongsan National Park, Palgongsan Sky Garden, and Hwasan Sanseong Sky Observatory. It’s a good idea to spend half a day touring Saryu-won and the other half exploring other places of interest.