Doha Elbariki, a Student Council Member, shares her experience from the latest Fall 2024 student excursion to Buyeo 

South Korea is a wonderful country where every sight is worth a visit, and with the SolBridge Student Council, our goal is to discover them all! Whether it's for our international students seeking new adventures or locals reconnecting with their culture, we make sure everyone has a great time.

This time, our excursion took us to Buyeo, specifically the Baekje Cultural Land—the largest history-themed park in Korea—where the essence of tradition shines bright. Wondering what it’s like? Picture this: you’re a fierce student in the Baekje era, working hard to earn the favor of royal scholars in a beautiful hanok. Your fiery determination might set the wooden roof ablaze, so you step outside to breathe in the fresh air and marvel at the vibrant corridors, lush gardens, and serene ponds. Thankfully, you don’t need a time machine to experience this—everything here is so well-preserved, it feels like stepping into history!

Let’s dive into our trip! After just an hour's ride from Daejeon, the sun welcomed us for a perfect day. As soon as we arrived, we took a group picture, and I screamed (as always, by the way), "1, 2, 3, SOLBRIDGE!" After snapping some memorable shots, I felt thirsty but didn’t even have time to grab water before being distracted by something… a kite! I picked it up, tried to make it fly, and failed. Running here and there, I almost ended up flying myself instead of the kite, but eventually, I got it soaring. Watching it glide high in the sky, reflecting the sunshine amid the falling leaves, was such a joy.

After all that running, I joined my friends to try other traditional Korean games like 투호 (Tuho), 제기차기 (Jegichagi), and the ever-famous 딱지치기 (Dakjichigi).

We then wandered around the park, exploring, snapping photos, feeding koi fish and catfish, and even cuddling some adorable cats. Every corner of the park was picturesque. The atmosphere? Peaceful and calming—so much so that I ended up taking a nap on the warm floor of a hanok. That was until my stomach started growling!

“Time to eat!” said one of my friends, and off we went to the Buyeo Lotte Outlet. The outlet itself was hanok-themed, a perfect blend of tradition and modernity. Did you ever see a Lego shop in a hanok? Because I did! We enjoyed a delicious Korean-style shabu-shabu (a hot pot where you cook beef and vegetables at your table), browsed the shops, and relaxed in a cozy café. What I loved most was chatting about everything and nothing with friends from all over the world—Korean, Burmese, Mongolian, Moroccan, Bulgarian, Finnish… and the list goes on!

I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunity to enjoy these excursions, thanks to my role in the Student Council. It’s a privilege to make such moments happen for the SolBridge community, and I cherish every second of it.