Natural beauty and winter fun beckon visitors: Preparing for influx of visitors, Gangwon opens new attractions

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Published: 13 Jan. 2017, 19:31

Natural beauty and winter fun beckon visitors: Preparing for influx of visitors, Gangwon opens new attractions

Buchaegil, a new hiking trail that connects Simgok Harbor to Jeongdongjin in Gangwon, has been one of the most sought-after spots to get a glimpse of green alongside the blue water. The trail has a man-made deck so that it is more convenient for visitors of all ages to walk along. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon - Hilly Gangwon in eastern Korea is known for cold temperatures, but it seems to be getting hotter by day. Before the start of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, which is now only about a year away, the government and many other organizations are busy showcasing what Gangwon offers to both local and international visitors. From a new walking trail called Buchaegil that recently opened in Gangneung, to the futuristic ice arena at Gangneung Olympic Park that emerges after a windy drive along a road lined with vegetables hung out to dry, Gangwon is doing its best to show that there is much more to do than just cold weather activities.

A walk in the fir tree forest in front of Woljeong Temple in Pyeongchang, Gangwon is popular among visitors as the spot was featured in the ongoing Korean drama “Goblin” on cable channel tvN. Aspiring figure skaters practice at the Gangneung Ice Arena at Gangneung Olympic Park prior to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics set to start next year. [LEE SUN-MIN]

Walking along the coastline

After many years, the trend of going on a walking tour has continued to hold strong. For those looking for a morning walking session during their travels outside of the city, a new walking trail called Buchaegil that stretches from Simgok Harbor to Jeongdongjin, is a popular spot to catch the sunrise.

The name Buchaegil was created as the trail along the coast looks like an open buchae, or Korean fan, when seen from above. The area was previously a military zone and remained inaccessible until the trail was opened in October. It is about 2.86 kilometers long and takes about one hours to walk in its entirety. For those who may have difficulties climbing up stairs, it is better to start from Jeongdongjin, as you can simply walk down the steps along the walkway.

As the trail is along the coastline, it sometimes gets closed due to weather conditions - during inclement weather, high waves can crash onto the walking deck. Even if there is light rainfall, hikers should be cautious, as the man-made walking deck can be slippery. The walk isn’t as demanding as hiking in the mountains, but it is strongly recommended that visitors wear sneakers or hiking shoes instead of heels.

Along the walk, hikers can see many interestingly-shaped rocks that are close to the paved walking deck. The rocks are excellent displays of how layers of different soil are put together to form rocks, so some experts and students come here to study topography.

For those who wish to only walk the trail in one direction, there is a bus that runs between the two ends.

The trail is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until March, and then will remain open until 5:30 p.m. from April to September. It is currently free to enter, but there will be a fee to walk the trail around May to better manage the facility. For more information, call (033) 660-2018.

The famous breakwater, left, featured in cable TV drama “Goblin” has been attracting Korean drama fans hoping to reenact the romantic scene where the two main characters meet for the first time. In the drama, the male character appears with an umbrella and many also bring their own, above, to recreate the moment. [LEE SUN-MIN]

Korean drama fever

For some, what guides their travel decisions are scenes from their favorite Korean dramas, while others go for scenic drives recommended by friends or popular restaurants reviewed by bloggers.

The hottest TV show of the season is the drama “Goblin” on cable channel tvN featuring actor Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun. Many of the show’s iconic scenes were filmed in Gangwon, and those spots have quickly become hot places to visit.

In the show, the two main characters meet for the first time on the breakwater in Jumunjin, Gangneung. This is where Gong covers Kim with his umbrella and gives her buckwheat flowers, which are abundant in the area. As this scene has become one of the most romantic scenes in the show, many fans have come to visit the spot and even reenact the iconic scene.

Some come prepared with an umbrella and red scarf (worn by Kim’s character in the show) and for those who forget, merchants lend the props to use for a quick photo.

There are lines of people waiting their turn for alone time at the end of the breakwater, and film crews have even come to shoot commercials.

Another spot where Kim and Gong walked as they lamented the struggles of their relationship is also gaining attention.

A forest filled with fir trees in front of Woljeong Temple in Pyeongchang was already known among travellers for its picturesque view, but it has become even more popular with young fans of the show looking to visit the spot where the heartbroken couple took a stroll.

An exciting way to fish

The Pyeongchang Trout Festival, one of the most popular winter festivals in Korea, is finally ready to invite visitors to go ice fishing. The festival partially opened on Dec. 31, but did not allow visitors to fish on the ice due to the unexpectedly warm weather which kept the water from freezing.

However, thanks to the recent drop in temperature, organizers have announced that the ice will be thicker than 20 centimeters (7.9 inches), which is the minimum thickness required for safety reasons. Visitors can bring their own fishing equipment and bait or rent it there, and put in a line into pre-made holes drilled into the thick ice. Captured trout can be eaten at the festival either raw or cooked. Starting this year, organizers have set up a fishing zone for children. Here at the children’s zone, young fishermen can see the trout swimming and try to capture them.

The 10th edition of the festival in Pyeongchang County offers a variety of winter activities besides ice fishing, including sledding and ice skating. The festival runs until Jan. 30. For more information, visit www.festival700.or.kr or call (033)336-4000.

Watch the post-Yuna kids

Since the construction of the Gangneung Ice Arena, where the figure skating competition will be held during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics has been completed, there are many young aspiring figure skaters on the ice practicing their skills. The doors are open for now, so visitors can sneak into the arena and watch the athletes practice.

Considering the area may soon get busy with athletes and visitors from all over the world, it will be fun for local visitors to catch a glimpse now and imagine what it will become like once the stadium is filled to capacity next year.

There are other stadiums for speed skating and ice hockey in the Gangneung Olympic Park, but they are not yet completed. A speed skating competition hosted by the International Skating Union will be held on Feb. 9.

Countdown to the Olympics

To entice visitors to come to the mountainous region of eastern Korea, Gangwon Province has decided to declare this and next year “The Year to Visit Gangwon.” To attract up to five million foreign visitors to the area, the province has also come up with a new slogan “It’s You, Pyeongchang.”

In preparations for the upcoming winter Olympics, the province decided to hold the “G-1 Festival” starting Feb. 9 this year, as one year later will be the official opening day of the long awaited sporting event.

To show off the range of cultural activities found in the province, the festival will include an art event called Pyeongchang Biennale and K-Drama in Pyeongchang, alongside some sporting events at the Olympic Park in Gangneung. The Korea National Opera and Korea National Ballet will also come to perform and make the festival more musical. The performances will show visiting sports fans that there are many more things to see and do in Korea other than winter sports. There will also be a firework festival on Feb. 11 at Gyeongpodae Beach in Gangneung to make the night skyline more colorful. K-Drama in Pyeongchang will work with the Korea Tourism Organization and others to bring in Korean drama fans out to many of the popular filming spot for their own photo-taking sessions. The G-1 Festival will wrap up Feb. 19, but the Pyeongchang Biennale will continue until Feb. 26.