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Start
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Soyang River
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Cheongpyeongsa
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Flower Garden
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Ethiopia
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Pension
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Park
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Uiamho
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Kim Yu-jeong Station
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Jade Garden
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Finish
JinboDakgalbi(Jinbo spicy stir-fried chicken) 진보닭갈비
As we had Dalgalbi, famous food in Chuncheon, with charcoal at JanghanSutbulDalgalbi, now we gotta try normal Dalgalbi on iron plate.
You don't have to go down from the Namchuncheon Station, you could just cross the pedestrian overpass and you'll get to the Dakgalbi street in 3 minutes.
Among so many Dakgalbi restaurants on Onui Dakgalbi street, we decided to try JinboDakgalbi that is famous for tasty Makguksu(buckwheat noodles).
It was past 4, late for lunch time, but there were still many customers. The employees were busy with preparing table. As usual, the price was cheaper than Sutbuldakgalbi(spicy stir-fried chicken using charcoal fire).
We ordered Dalgalbi for two and one Makguksu and were thinking if we should try Memiljeonbyeong(buckwheat pancakes) while we read the effectiveness and origin of Dakgalbi hung on the wall.
On the airconditioner, 'oh~' the famous broadcaster and producer JYP Park Jin-young must've been here.
We were wearing patrons, staring at the steel plate and waiting for Dakgalbi to be served.
The common dishes were served soon. Simply lettuce, young radish kimchi, garlics and onions were all.
Dakgalbi for 2 we ordered are spread on the big steel plate. The plate is so big that it doesn't seem sufficient for two people but it actually is.
When the chicken was half done with sauce, she put aromatic perilla leaves, stirred it more and the perilla leaves smelled so delicious. It's not ready yet but I was drooling.
After quite a long time, at least I felt it was, and it's time to give it a try. Oho~ chicken is properly soaked in sweet and spicy sauce at once, amazing.
While we were putting Dakgalbi in our mouths Makguksu was served. “What's this yellow sauce?" I was curious about this suspicious yellow sauce so I had to ask the lady.
This is THE fruit sauce tht made this restaurant the best Makguksu restaurant. She said it's made of various fruits mixed together. I tried the taste with chopsticks after a few stirs and after three trials, I could see the bottom already!!
Well, I put the leftover noodles on a piece of chicken. Ssam(various ingredients wrapped in leaves of lettuce, sesame or other greens) tastes better with more ingredients.
I don't know if the owner liked how we ate or we looked TOO MUCH LIKE tourists, we got a free Jeon(Korean traditional pancake). Yay!
We tried different combinations of vegetable Ssam, Dakgalbi, Makguksu and potato pancakes with a cup of cold sprite that goes with Dakgalbi.
We had to order Memiljeonbyeong(buckwheat pancakes) to-go and had it at home. It looked ridiculous after our journey but it tasted the same.
Memiljeonbyeong is spicy kimchi mixed with cellophane noodles wrapped inside buckwheat pancakes. It's one of the must-eat food if you go to Gangwon-do.
There are many Dakgalbi streets in Chuncheon, and looking for 'Jinbo Dakgalbi' in one of those streets named Onui Dakgalbi Street was so hard but the food did not let us down. Not to mention its spicy and sweet taste, sweet and sour Makguksu with rich fruit sauce on it and the generosity of the owner who served us with a smile on her face even in busy time, everything was perfect. I would definitely visit Jingo Dakgalbi restaurant again if I go to Chunchon next time.
Address : 627-7, Toegye-dong, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do (강원도 춘천시 퇴계동 627-7)
Telephone : 033-253-0714
Operating Hours : 09:30 ~ Next day 00:30
Jade Garden 제이드 가든
It has the scent of Gangwon-do but Chuncheon was aired on TV many times including drama because of easy access and transportation.
This time, we visited Jade Garden, a small Europe in the forest. Jade Garden is located in the exactly middle point between Gapyeong Station and Gulbongsan Station.
Even if it is just one stop in Gyeongchun Line, the distance is so far so you shouldn't even think about walking there. Instead, they provide free shuttle bus services 7 times a day making a round trip between Gulbongsan Station and Jade Garden.
Make it on time to the bus stop from Gulbongsan Station, and you'll see a shuttle bus of Jade Garden that is painted with the exactly same color as trees.
When you get on the bus and go up the road about 10 minutes, you'll see the entrance to Jade Garden made of red bricks among green trees.
European buildings under the sunlight in the green forest with ivies starting from the entrance made me feel like I'm in a different country.
There are more than 20 gardens inside Jade Garden, and the guide booklet introduces you three courses to take a look around these gardens but it is a round trip so you won't have any problem with tour.
The ticket costs 8,000 for one adult. If you book it online, you could get a 10% discount. However, you're going to book the ticket at least one day before your visit.
Under the sunlight in the hot afternoon, we passed the entrance and walked inside the garden covered with grass. It was mountainside but it was on gentle slope.
First garden we met was English Border Garden. It would've been fantastic if the white flowers bloomed on water plants on the sides but as I was walking along the white path between well-maintained trees, I thought I came here in the right time.
Near the building, the Italian Garden, which I must say is the best garden in Jade Garden, was laid out long with a small foundtain that spreads the elegant atmosphere.
I think it's probably the best place since it has everything in one place including trees, flowers, fountain marble and statue.
Next to the Kitchen Garden, which is also called vegetable garden, the greenhouse shows up. The first thing that came to my mind was that 'my gosh… it must be so hot in there'.
However, this Alpine Garden is a little cooler than outside. I could see water drops on the dense spider web.
The flowers, which I don't know name of and you could normally find in alpine area, were blooming around the greenhouse of the garden.
In front of the greenhouse, there was a cool water fountain that is known to answer prayers, and a few couples were throwing coins in it. I was told that the collected coins are contributed to the Korea National Red Cross.
We arrived at the wooden play house located a little bit higher after we passed the ginkgo maze paths with few leaves but we couldn't feel the mountain breeze yet probably because the valley was blocking it.
So we decided to spend some time on a swing in the wooden play house where we could look down the valley far away rather than the surrounding gardens under you.
Ah…I didn't see the signboard until after I finished playing on the swing. Even this swing we just took a rest must've been on the drama as well.
A short swing bridge connected with a net behind the swing. I don't like this movable bridge but it was low so I gave it a try. Well…as I expected, she started to swing it so hard as soon as I got on the bridge.
After the Flower Wave Garden of no particular characteristic, I couldn't notice the differences and hard to remember even if there were so I gave up.
There are a few paths here so you could jump across over the cool valley water like a stepping-stone or choose other ways.
We accidentally bumped into this warning sign about snakes. It says they tried not to damage the natural environment as much as possible that there might be snakes. I wanted to see one though because we were on the mountain after all but we couldn't.
We climbed halfway up and the Aquatic Botanical Garden with a fountain and Waterful Garden made us feel refreshing with the great views.
Waterful Garden inside had a small fall as well but the water flow was not strong due to drought which is sad.
However, this has one of the best views in Jade Garden and the falls were on a drama as well.
This is the middle point of Jade Garden that a small convenient store is built like a house in a forest in a fairy tale where you could buy cold drinks and hot dogs.
Thankfully there was a toilet that we could clean up the sweat. From the end of Cottage Garden, which has topiaries that look like animals, the path was slightly uphill.
Now there are big trees and shades under them with cool mountain breezes so it was much cooler than the garden down the mountain.
You have to bend your waist forward a little bit along the small valley with stones and dust in this Moss Garden and the rocks fully covered with downy hair like moss would make you feel that you're in the middle of the mountain.
Moss Garden was filled with plants including ivies that climb up the trees, a little damp and narrow so if you take a stroller, you're going to find another path.
As we passed by almost purple blueberry farms and uphill road, we finally got to the mountainside.
This mountainside is the inner side of Jade Garden called Wedding Garden. The mountains far away and sky made a beautiful view.
Even on the mountaintop, there's a cafe and toilet for tourists. Plus the land was a wide flatland with dozens of benches and parasols.
We found a bench under the shade of a tree so we threw our bags and laid there looking down to the valley we had just climbed.
We could see a piece of Hwaak Mountain(1,468m), 12th highest in South Korea and the highest mountain in Gyeonggi-do, far away.
Just in time, four helicopters that look like flies on the sky disturbed our break and flew across the mountains making noise for a while.
We watched mysterious flowers decorating Sky Garden, the highest garden, and it was time to go down.
A frog sitting in between dense grass. This place is high moor where you could meet various amphibians including Korean salamander.
While we were digging up bushes, we could see different types of frogs including normal one and brown frogs we usually see.
We couldn't see Korean salamander, probably we didn't have luck but it's rarely seen anyway.
Instead, we started to walk down the street to the entrance to Jade Garden is located while we appreciated the flowers bloomed along the road with no name and magnolia.
We started to recognize different and glamorous flowers that we missed on our way up. But we couldn't catch the names.
Passing by the Rhododendron Garden with Korean azalea that bloomed in the deepest place in the garden, we came down and got to the halfway with gentle slope.
If you walk this road, it's time to say good bye to fresh air in Jade Garden. We sat on the bench next to the statue to capture the moment again, this time deeply.
We felt the peaceful atmosphere in nature that we could even notice the stamen of trees dropped on the floor after completing its job, and we had to leave.
On the way back, the road was downhill so we could arrive faster than we went up. As we got to English style Border Garden we saw in the beginning, we could see the European style entrance again.
Although we didn't stop by, there were souvenir stores selling various herbs at the entrance and restaurants of salads and bibimbap.
My visit to Jade Garden would be my last destination of Chuncheon trip. As I explained earlier, Gangwon-do sounds so far city from Seoul but it is close enough for even one-day trip…and vigorous city that young people have parties, Mime Festival and Doggaebi Jangnan(goblin prank), around May.
Although we had to skip Nami Island and Gangchon, two most popular and loved places by tourists, due to tight schedule, I must say we had a quite experience at river and on mountain and even diverse activities. Chuncheon of Gangwon-do is the place you could enjoy flowers in garden in spring, Soyang River of Soyanggang Cheonyeo(Soyanggang lady) in summer, red leaves and yellow forests in fall, and the flower of leports, skiing, in winter.
I could feel that it is the best natural and cultural tourist attraction with a lot of nicknames including the 'Good City to Live' again. Why don't you visit Chuncheon when you feel like it?
Address : 111, San, Seocheon-ri, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do (강원도 춘천시 남산면 서천리 산 111번지)
Telephone : 033-260-8300
Operating Hours : 09:00 - 17:00
Website : www.jadegarden.kr
