Omokdae and Imokdae Historic Sites · 오목대·이목대
Omokdae (梧木臺), one of the Omokdae and Imokdae Historic Sites, is the hill where Yi Seong-gye held a feast in 1380 on his way back from defeating Japanese pirates. It sits on a hill southeast of Gyeonggijeon Shrine, and many people climb it to see the hanok village at night.
In 1380, Yi Seong-gye, then Inspector of the Three Provinces, held a victory feast here on his way back from defeating Japanese pirates at Hwangsan. It is said that when Yi Seong-gye recited the "Song of the Great Wind" (大風歌) here, hinting at his intention to found a kingdom, Jeong Mong-ju, who saw what this meant, recited a poem of concern for Goryeo at Mangyeongdae in Namgosanseong Fortress. One theory holds that the name Omokdae comes from the many paulownia trees that grew here.
The Jeonju Yi clan is said to have lived around Imokdae until the time of Mokjo, Yi An-sa, before moving to Hamgyeong-do. This story also appears in the "Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven" (Yongbieocheonga). The Imokdae stele pavilion originally stood on high ground east of Omokdae, but it was moved to its present spot when the road was widened.
Omokdae and Imokdae have long been a place for Jeonju residents to rest. Cherry blossoms bloom in spring, and in summer the crape myrtle, named for flowering for a hundred days, blooms for a long time. Being close to the hanok village, it is a good climb for an evening stroll after dinner, and beyond the lights along the path you can see the hanok village lit up. Long ago a mountain ridge ran from Seungamsan to Omokdae, but it was cut off when the Jeolla Line railway was laid.
Tile-roofed hanok sea from above, you in colorful hanbok rental.