Jinan is a highland county in Jeollabuk-do, sitting higher than most of the surrounding province, which gives it cooler summers and a landscape dominated by the twin peaks of Maisan.
History
Jinan became part of Jeollabuk-do's administrative map in 1896, and in 1914 the neighboring county of Yongdam was merged into it, giving Jinan roughly its current shape. Its high elevation — the Jinan highlands are among the only terrain in South Korea above 400m in a broad plateau — has long shaped what the area could grow and how people here made a living, favoring hardy highland crops over rice-paddy farming.
Highlights
- Maisan (Horse Ears Mountain), twin rock peaks — Ammaibong (female peak) and Sutmaibong (male peak) — each roughly 680m, formed as sedimentary rock and named for their resemblance to a horse's ears.
- Tapsa Temple, tucked at the base of Maisan, famous for around 80 surviving stone pagodas said to have been stacked by a single hermit, Yi Gap-ryong, over decades starting in the 1880s.
- Maisan Provincial Park's cherry blossom road, a roughly 1.9km path to Tapsa that draws crowds in spring.
- Yongdamho Lake, a large reservoir created by the Yongdam Dam, popular for its shoreline drives and views.
- Unjangsan and Gubongsan, two of the county's other named peaks, offering hiking away from the more crowded Maisan trails.
Food
Jinan's highland climate and elevation make it one of Korea's noted red ginseng (hongsam) producing regions — grown, steamed, and dried locally into a range of ginseng products. The same terrain supports deodeok root, shiitake mushrooms, black pork, and mountain-grown hot peppers, all sold as local specialties.
Annual events
- Jinan Red Ginseng Festival — a local festival celebrating the county's signature red ginseng crop.
Getting there
There's no direct express bus from Seoul; the practical route is a train or bus to Jeonju (roughly 2.5–3 hours from Seoul), then a local or intercity bus on to Jinan.
How long
A day trip is enough to see Maisan and Tapsa, but an overnight gives time to also visit Yongdamho Lake or a ginseng spa without rushing back for a late bus.
More: Jinan tourism guide.