Holiday Journal

• Start
•  
• Hani Ssambob
•  
• Chungcheong Suyeong Castle
•  
• Hanwha Resort DeachunParos
•  
• Seongjusan National Recreation Forest
•  
• Boryung Coal Museum
•  
• Gaewha Art Park
•  
• country naengmyeon
•  
• Daecheon Seaside Resort
•  
• The fish market in the Port of Daecheon
•  
• Muchangpo Beach
•  
• Boryeong Mud Festival
•  
• Air Show of Black Eagles by air force
•  
• Finish

“Muchangpo Beach”, a heaven for manila clam with mystic sea route

If you drive to the south for about ten minutes along with Nampo breakwater from Deacheon seaside resort, you can find Muchangpo Beach. It is a renowned place, because the waters are divided, creating a route to an island. There are only twelve places like this in South Korea. How come Muchanpo became the most famous place, then?

Some places where sea routes open everyday(ex. Ganworam in Seosan) are common, but other places(ex. Sado of Yeosu and the sea route of chudo) where sea routes open only a few times a year are rare. But the sea route of Muchangpo open several time a month except June and July. So it is suitable for visit. Unfortunately, as I visited there in July, the sea route did not open. Schedule for sea routes is attached to the end of a script.

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:40:58 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

Even though sea route does not open, water has been receded now. Muchangpo is so close to Seoul that it takes two hours by car. It was the remote area before Seohaean expressway is developed. But now, you can visit there by train, or express bus for two hours. The water of Muchangpo Beach has been receded. Isn't it beautiful?

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:41:34 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

It is quite different from Daecheon seaside resort nearby. Many people enjoy swimming in Daecheon seaside resort, but not in Muchangpo Beach. Parasol is not being sold. I think Muchangpo Beach is better place to put up a parasol and have fun.

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:42:32 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

I visited Muchangpo Beach when Boryeong mud festival is peak. But the beach is quiet. I love this atmosphere!

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:44:49 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

Here is not a place where open a sea route. The route is open to long Seokdaedo island on the right side of the picture. A small island in front of Biche Feliz resort is uninhabited. During flood tide, this place is submerged by water. Sea is totally changed by tides.

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:44:40 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

Wow! It seems that tide gap is quite huge. I visited here during flood tide, and it was all sea. Now, here is endless mud flat. What a beautiful picture! It is so cool.

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:47:28 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

While strolling the mud flat, I can see some spots on the floor. They seem to move. What are these?

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:46:45 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 50mm

When I walk, they hide in the ground. So I seat and wait. Not recognizing me, they crawl up to the outside.

Canon EOS 550D | f/4.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:48:42 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 50mm

They are small crabs. Each of hole has one crab. I can catch them with my hands easily. They are so cute.

Canon EOS 550D | f/4.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:53:07 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 50mm

Crabs wander around the beach to find food. But when seagulls pass by, they quickly hide in the hole.

Canon EOS 550D | f/4.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:54:08 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

You can dig manila clam in Muchangpo Beach, and catch a conch and small crabs with children. No admission fee. You can dig seafood with tools like hand hoe you brought. If you want to have fun with your children, you'd better catch a conch and crabs. But if you want to eat seafood, you'd better dig manila clam.

Canon EOS 550D | f/3.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:57:55 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

Send floor here is ambiguous. It is neither sand nor mud flat. The beach close to the land is sandy beach. And the place where water has been receded is just like mud flat. So my feet sink deep in the mud. If I had worn slippers or sandals, they would have been taken off.

Canon EOS 550D | f/3.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 11:59:13 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

That is the entrance of sea route, where is connected to Seockdae island. It has been receded, but sea route is not open. It reveals the floor just about 100 meters. That is the field of manila clam and oyster! The good-hearted fishing village chief sows type of a clam every year for tourists. He said that he would not change charged event. Beautiful sea and the kindness of a fishing village chief might make Muchangpo Beach to be a hot tourist attraction with over seven million people.

Canon EOS 550D | f/3.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 12:01:07 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 19mm

Canon EOS 550D | f/3.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 12:01:19 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 46mm

Wow! This woman gathered a pile of manila clam in a big container. You can easily find not only manila clam but also sea cucumber and webfoot octopus. Wearing rubber boots, you must dig mud flat with a hand hoe. You would fill a lot of seafood in a basket within one or two hours. But you should not catch them indiscriminately. And don't forget to leave a small clam or webfoot octopus.

Canon EOS 550D | f/3.5 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 12:01:36 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 50mm

I am sorry that the sea route is not open during July. But it is exciting to dig out clams. The sea route to Seockdae island is open during the 15th and the end of every month of the lunar calendar. The length reaches 1.5 kilometers and it has elegant curve shape. The waves are hitting both side of the road, making extraordinary atmosphere. Usually the route is open during one and half an hour or two hours. I am anxious that I must arrive at the mud flat, dig out shellfish and seafood, and get out within that period.

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 12:15:54 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

What is this? I picked up a huge top shell at the seashore. Maybe it was the residence of webfoot octopus. I cleaned it well, and put it in “Boryeongggwan”, display case in house. But Seockdae is off my mind, which I can't cross over. I will visit here again in August and cross over it.

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 12:20:01 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 24mm

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 12:21:37 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 17mm

And then I take out conch gathered with my children. I can't eat them, but it is fun to catch. We catch and release them. It is something like a ceremony. Children insist they catch a lot more than others. What a cute.

Canon EOS 550D | f/9.0 | iso 100 | 2015:07:17 12:20:14 | Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode | 39mm

But we catched a crab with strange appearance. It looks like Youngduk snow crab. Does it become a snow crab when growing up? I heard that blue crab in Boryeong is so delicious. I must visit here again in spring. There were a lot of to do during a trip to Boryeong.

Many people think that Muchangpo Beach is just a place where a sea route is open. But it has a very long history. It is open in 1928, two years earlier than the opening of Daecheon seaside resort. It is written as the first beach in the west coast of South Korea. If you trip to Boryeong, you must visit Daecheon seaside resort and watch the sea route.

+Address: Yeolinbada 1 path 10, Ungchen-eup, Boryeong-si, Chungcheaongnam-do
+Contact information: 041-936-3561

※ The date and schedule for Muchangpo sea route