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Start
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Sogongwon
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Seorak Mountain
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Sinhungsa
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Heundeulbawi
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Ulsanbawi
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Sunrise Park
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Naksansa-1
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Naksansa-2
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Naksansa-3
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Baked Fish
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Jungang Market
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Tourist Hotel
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Gaetbae(ferry) Quay
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Abai Village
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Sindasin Restaurant
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Lighthouse Observatory
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ports
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Beach
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Cheongchoho Lake
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Finish
Cheongchoho Lake (Expo Tower)
As we finished our tour at Sokcho beach and Beach Nature Museum, the afternoon already passed. So we decided to end our trip at our final destination, Cheongchoho Lake.
Sokcho-si is developed with Cheongchoho Lake in the center so anywhere you are in the city, you'll be able to see the lake. It means that everywhere you are scenery is amazing in Sokcho-si.
The view is amazing itself but for me who has been raised in inland areas, the fact that Cheongchoho Lake is stagnated seawater that is connected to the sea, not just lakeshore, as I explained earlier with Abai Village.
Although it is currently used as a resting area for migratory birds, there are fishing boats, yachts are anchored at this Cheongchoho Lake and you will easily find raw fish restaurants around the lake.
There are also Expo Cruise Ship services that have three courses, Bongpo Course(16,000 won / 1 hr and 30 mins), Jodo Course(8,000 won / 45 mins) and Naksansa Course(14,000 won / 1 hr and 10 mins) although they are not operated often. The information is available on the website (click) or via telephone(033-631-1212).
Cheongchoho Lake seems like a heaven for ships. Not only it has yachts, fishing boats and cruise ships, but there's also Viking ride in the small amusement park around the area.
But people seem to love mini bike rather than yacht or Viking ride. You could ride this bike for 20,000 won for one hour and it does not make noise because it uses electricity but there are so many of them so they distracted us from a quiet walk.
I could see a few small memorial stones around the lake. This is one for Dr. Lee Gi-seop who has been praised as Schweitzer of north of Yeongdong area because he used to visit people living in remote countryside in Yangyang for 20 years.
Even a while ago, the whole country was in an uproar over Sewol accident. There stood a statue to commemorate the memory of deceased captain Yoo Jeong-chung. This man used to drive the ship named Hana and he died in the ship alone after he rescued 21 passengers unlike the captain from Sewol accident. So this monument was established in order to cherish his sacrifice.
Including this statue, there were so many sculptures in the south of the lake. This is called Cheongchoho Green Forest.
Inside the park, there are benches for us to rest and sites to take memorable pictures. Although they are just dolls of High 1 Resort.
Now seems to be the right time to mention about the legend in Yeongrangho and Cheongchoho, two lakes in Sokcho, that we saw around Sokcho lighthouse. Long long time ago, there was a yellow dragon and a blue dragon protecting the town. The Sky was moved by their dedication and allowed them to ascend to heaven so blue dragon made it to heaven but the yellow dragon couldn't make it because it was fooled by a monster serpent and cried nights and days until those tears created a lake called Yeongrangho in the north. Meanwhile, local people asked the Sky to send back the blue dragon or a wise retainer to protect and make the peaceful village, and the Sky answered “light up the night at Cheongchoho Lake and the path to sky will open."
Since then, the citizens hoped that the path to sky opens by making a fire at Cheonghocho every January. In order to continue the tradition passed down through the legend and historical records, Sokcho Fire Festival is still held around the lake every January even now. This strange looking tower was built to celebrate the festival.
There stood a high tower made of pipes that look like pope organs in the middle of big square and there's something special on the floor of the square…
Just like Walk of Fame in Hollywood, there are handprints and signatures of famous actors and actresses. There are almost 50 of them by people you would've known by their names.
From idol groups like Four Minutes loved by young people to Insooni, Lee Mun-se and GOD, famous singers' handprints were recorded. My wife who's in the music industry put her hand on Jo Sumi's handprint. “Oh, it fits alright. Secret door's going to open now?"
Unlike what I expected, not only there was no secret doro but the door leading to Sokcho Expo Tower was also closed for repair work. 'Yeah…that's bad timing…' Repair work continues until February 16 so you'll be able to see the observatory later than that.
To think about it, people visit here to see Expo Tower than the view from the observatory. It's at 73.4m high location that could occupy 100 people where you can see east sea, Ulsanbawi and Daecheong Peak on Seorak Mountain.
Thanks to spectacular linear structure of Expo Tower like it's made of coins, it shows different shapes depending to the angle of reflection of the sun. Expo Tower in Sokcho that looks different every hour represents Cheongchoho and Sokcho.
Behind Expo Tower, there's a long building that looks like a warship. It's Expo building used as Gangwondo International Tour Info Center.
It has three buildings but I guess it's not so popular among tourists who visited here. Every building was dark with doors locked.
Anyways, before I came here, I was unfamiliar with the name 'Expo Memorial Hall'. Was Expo held in Sokcho ever? Well, assuming from the number written on the building, it must've been tour expo held 15 years ago. I can't believe nobody told me about this…and how could they close the door when I finally came to see it…
I felt bad that I couldn't get inside Expo Exhibition and observatory but when I saw the beautiful sunset over Cheongchoho Lake, I could forget it. Yellow sunlight was reflected on the water of lake and the ridge of Seorak Mountain spreading behind the high Expo Tower looked so high and long.
Although we only visited south area of Cheongchoho Lake, there is habitat for migratory birds and art museum to the west and north, and I have to tell you this glow of the setting sun is best in Sokcho, even more beautiful than you see it from Mt. Seorak. So if you're close to the lake, I think you definitely come and sit down on the wooden bench around the lake and enjoy the sunset.
Address : 75, Expo-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Telephone : 033-637-4504
Admission Fee : Free
Website : click
Café Nine
After a long walk to Mt. Seorak, Naksansa, a few beaches and lighthouses for 2 days with a bag on my back, and now that it's almost over, my legs are starting to shake a little bit.
Even if we didn't have a break, there are still many places to visit in Sokcho including drama filming site and Yeongrangho Lake.
However, it's already evening on the second day. The sun was already hiding behind the ridge of Mt. Seorak and what scares me most is that it's Monday the next day. Ah~Monday blues~!!
It's time to go back home now. We took a bus at Cheongchoho and got to the Intercity Bus Terminal where our trip began.
Before we got on the bus, we decided to warm our bodies with a cup of coffee at a small coffee shop. Thankfully, we found a small coffee shop called 「café nine」 around the terminal parking lot.
It seemed newly-built. We went into the end, sat on a comfortable chair and ordered one hot latte and one Americano.
Most of drinks cost less than 5,000 won so it's not so cheap for a coffee shop in a small city but the employees were kindly welcoming us and brought coffee to our table.
Plus the walnut colored wooden walls under warm yellow lights made us comfortable and relaxed even for a while.
Strangely, the back door of this coffee shop is connected to Gimbap restaurant. Aha~So you can have a meal there and come here directly. Wow~
After a hot cup of coffee, we gained strength a bit. Probably because of our passion, we left comfortable chairs and headed to the parasol outside. Then we looked back our trip for the last two days in Sokcho while we looked through tour info pamphlets. Our trip to Sokcho where we got a strange feeling from Mt. Seorak compared to other mountains and dark blue ocean under the mountain.
Now that I think about it, coming to see east sea every winter has become our annual routine since a few years back. Although I came here a bit early this year in November, winter ocean is strangely attractive that it's cold and rough yet quiet and calm unlike hot water in summer. Plus, Sokcho is like a great travel destination as it has other places to visit in Gangwon-do including Mt. Seorak. However, even if Sokcho's food is VERY famous, we haven't tried than we wanted to this time…Instead, thanks to the sceneries as I mentioned earlier, my eyes and mind were so happy and I could make so many beautiful memories, so I say it's more pleasant trip.
If I had more time, I would've dropped by a historical city in Gangwon-do, Gangreung, or Unification Observatory in Goseong which is 30-40 minutes away, but our next destination is waiting for us so…I feel that travel makes us enjoy exotic and strange sceneries, creates new memories, fattens us with delicious foods, and influences on us in a good way. Why don't you take a trip this weekend with your family or someone you love? It doesn't have to be Sokcho in Gangwon-do, just go out and have fun.
Address : 261-98, Dongmyeong-dong, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Price Info : Americano 3,000 won / Lettes 4,000 won / Ades 4,500 won / Fruit juices 5,500
