Holiday Journal

• Start
•  
• Gyodongeupseong Fortress
•  
• Gyodong Hyanggyo
•  
• Gyodongdo alley-1
•  
• Gyodongdo alley-2
•  
• Grilled shrimp
•  
• Janghwa-ri Sunset
•  
• Finish

Korea has many national holidays, but Hangul proclamation day is the best among them. The sky is blue and it is not too cold or hot. You can spend a leisurely autumn day under clean blue sky.

I headed to Ganghwado in the early morning. As Hangul proclamation day is Friday, expressways to the east and the south were being congested. I departed around 8'o clock, so there was not much traffic on the way. I felt that I dived into the sea of autumn.

I have visited Ganghwado for several times, but never been to Gyodong. So I made it as the first destination. It is 100 kilometers to Gaepo-dong. It took about two hours after crossing the bridge traversing the island of the northern part of Ganghwado.

You should search Gyodong elementary school on the Internet to visit. (Daeryong An-gil 29, Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon) There is a guard post to the way to Gyodong road, so you must receive the pass after showing your itinerary to soldiers. I could find the reason after coming back to home. North Korea is located next above Gyodong elementary school.

I went further after passing Gyodong elementary school. I arrived at the dock of Namsanpo port, and watched the sea. There were some stores producing and selling salted shrimp from side to side to the way to the beach. People were not selling the food since they didn't have frequent contacts with tourists. They just packed salted shrimp.

It was a little after 10'o clock. I could see Seongmodo Island to the southern part of the seashore. I thought selling salted shrimp is one of the big industries of this region. Autumn sunshine glittered on the sea. One middle aged couple fished at the dock. I asked that what they are fishing. They said they don't know exactly. Haha.

One person was fishing something with long fishing rod on the opposite side.

It was written on the signboard, “Yukjeot(salt-pickled shrimps caught in June)is on sale.” But it was the season for Chujeot(tiny shrimps salted in autumn). Haha.

I could see many fishermen on the native rock that looked like breakwater. The sea was not clean, but mixed with yellow soil. I thought that is the reason why the sea is called “the yellow sea”.

I could listen the talking of middle-aged couple who went on a visit. Maybe they talked about their child or their friend's child.

Gyodongeupseong

Fortress:

It was built in 1629 and has three castle gates on north, south and east. Each gate has their own gate pavilion, Tongsamnu in east gate, Yuryangnu in south gate and Gongbungnu in north gate. The castle was restored in 1753, and castle gate was newly established in 1884. East gate and north gate were newly erected in 1890. East gate and north gated do not exist now. Yuryangnu, the south gate, was destroyed in 1921 due to the rainstorm. Only arch remains intact. (quoted from Doosan Encyclopedia)

Gyodongeupseong

fortress is so shabby that you may lose sight of it. Most part of it

have been destroyed, and it only has vague traces. I was a little bit

disappointed since I expected huge building like Namdaemun. But the

old building keeps the broken shape by rainstorm.

Gangwhanadeulgil 9 course is located next to Gyodongeupseong fortress.

누나를 닮은 나팔꽃이 엄청나게 피어 있군요. 약간 페허 같은 느낌의 오래된 읍성에 환하게 피어있는 나팔꽃이 참 아름답습니다.

Dongjinpo Port: You can see Dongjinpo port after heading to the sea from Gyodongeupseong fortress. Ambassadors to China stayed here, and crossed into China on sunny day. So there were some accommodations here. As you can see the map, this region is the closest to Shantung in China.

Gangwhanadeulgil 9 course, which starts from Gyodongeupseong fortress, passes here and continues to the trail of the seashore. Like Bongnaesan Dulle-gil Trail of Jeju, Gangwhanadeulgil is the best place to look around beautiful landscape.

A

lot of fishing lovers visited here that day.

As it is close to North Korea, preventative signboard of unconfirmed explosive has been set. You must not open PMD series mines with wooden box shape.

Address : Eumnae-ri 577, Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun