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Places & Activities

Gangwon-do

Located in the mid-eastern part of the Korean peninsula and flanked by the sea and the mountains, Gangwon-do is full of natural attractions. Visitors can enjoy a fantastic view of Mt. Seoraksan and Mt. Chiaksan as the scenery alters by season. On the east coast are other tourist attractions such as fine beaches and clean coastlines. There are countless ski resorts in the province due to the heavy snowfall in the winter on the mountains.

Popular Cities

Chuncheon is a lakeside city, renown in beauty for its surrounding mountains and lakes. Chuncheon boasts of manmade dams such as the Chuncheon Dam in Bukhangang River. Chuncheon unites lakes, mountains and culture. It is also the location for annual events such as the Puppet Festival and the International Theater Festival.

Recommended Destinations

Cheongpyeong Temple: became more widely known with the opening of Soyang Waterway. It is a thirty-minute walk from the port. The temple stands on the southern ridge of Mt. Bongsan. It was first built in 973, during the reign of King Gwang-Jong (949~975) of the Goryeo Dynasty by Monk Seung Hyeon. It had been opened and closed from time to time, but still remains today.

Namiseom Islet: Namiseom Island is 63 km away from Seoul in the direction of Chuncheon, and is famous for its beautiful tree lined roads. The island is 30 minutes away from Chuncheon and an hour away from suburbs of Seoul. Since it is not far from Seoul, many couples and families come to visit. A special feature of Namiseom Island is that there are no telephone poles. This is because all electric wires were built underground to keep the natural feeling of the landscape. The complex is 553,560 square yards with chestnut trees and poplar trees around the isle.

Soyangho Lake: has the largest fishing farm, and is called the fresh-water fish museum because more than 50 kinds of fresh-water fish such as cyprinus carpio nudu, trout, carp, eel, and smelt live here. The valleys around the lake is especially famous for smelt fishing in the winter, and nearby are Cheongpyeongsa Temple built in the Goryeo Dynasty and Mt. Obongsan.

Gangwon-do, Located in the mid-eastern part of the Korean peninsula and flanked by the sea and the mountains, Gangwon-do is full of natural attractions. Visitors can enjoy a fantastic view of Mt. Seoraksan and Mt. Chiaksan as the scenery alters by season. On the east coast are other tourist attractions such as fine beaches and clean coastlines. There are countless ski resorts in the province due to the heavy snowfall in the winter on the mountains.

Recommended Destinations

Naksansa Temple: is located 4 km north of Naksan Beach, and has a history of 1,300 years. It is a temple built by Ui-Sang, the ambassador of the 30th King of Silla Period (57 BC~AD 935), and inside there is the Seven Floor Stone Tower, Dongjong, Hongyaemun, and other cultural assets. It was named Naksansa Temple by Ui-Sang, at the spot where he learned the prayer "Gwansae-eumbosal" from Bosal, after he returned from studying abroad in the Chinese Dang Kingdom. It was rebuilt several times afterwards, and the current building was raised in 1953.

Phoenix Park: Phoenix Park is a vacation resort, located within nature and 700m above sea level.  Situated no more than two hours away from Seoul, it is a perfect mountain area resort, containing everything from hotels, condomiums, ski resorts, and golf course. Phoenix Park, which was designated as an official Tourist Site in 1999, is open all year round, but it is especially crowded in winter during the ski season.

Sokcho is a coastal city located in the northeastern part of Gangwon-do. Its major industries are aquatic products and tourism. Flanked by the East Sea and Mt. Seoraksan, Sokcho is an extremely popular tourist destination. Autumnal tinted leaves blanketing Mt. Seoraksan in fall attracts a myriad of visitors in the fall and the beaches along the East Sea are popular in the summer.

Recommended Destinations

Biryong Falls: the falling water of the loud and magnificent Biryong Fall looks very much like dragons flying up towards the sky, which is why it was named Biryong (flying dragon) Fall.
There is a relatively wide path leading to Biryong Waterfall, through a bamboo forest, making it a very nice place to hike.

Seoraksan National Park: also called as Seolsan and Seolbongsan, the mountain was named Seorak because the snow would not melt for a long time and its rocks stay white like snow. In November 1965, the Seorak Mountain district was designated as a Natural Monument preservation area. Afterwards in December 1973, it was designated as a park preservation area, and in August 1982, as a Biosphere Preservation District by UNESCO. The park is spread about in 4 cities and counties, in Sokcho, Inje, Goseong and Yangyang.

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