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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
Dongmyeong Port – Yeonggeumjeong
Dongmyeong Port is located at the protruding part of eastern end of Sokcho downtown. It's very close to Sokcho Port.
While Sokcho Port is famous for sailfin sandfish and lance-fish, Dongmyeong Port is well known for red crabs and snow crabs. That's why there are so many restaurants at the port.
It's known that red snow crabs get bigger when the weather gets colder. So the crabs caught from November to March are the best. The crabs tangling with each other in the aquarium looked so fresh.
Other than restaurants selling snow crabs, there are street peddings selling various seafoods one the road.
On the street peddings, they sold sea squirt and turban shells as well as big mussels that look so much different from the ones in Jjambbong. By the way, the strange thing was that they didn't smell of fishy at all probably because it's too cold.
This is a port where the people sell and buy seafood directly like in a market so there's even 'Conscious Scale' that you can weigh the seafoods you bought in one corner of the parking lot.
Oh? Diving activities are available here?? This is where you can do scuba diving for 2 hours for 100,000 won. My gosh, if I had known it earlier I would've tried it…
Thankfully, we still have a place to go, Yeonggeumjeong. This is a pavilion built at the end of the Gureumdari(cloud bridge) on the rock looking at the ocean at the end of Dongmyeong Port. However, I was told that Yeonggeumjeong that is known to be one of best sceneries in Sokcho is not this pavilion.
The enormous rock mountain facing the sea was named Yeonggeumjeong because it looks like a pavilion but it was exploded in order to collect aggregates required to build Sokcho Port breakwaters under Japanese colonial era.
The original Yeonggeumjeong rock mountain was named after the sound of mysterious Geomungo(Korean musical instrument with six strings) whenever the surf beat upon the sharp rocks. And it's assumed that this one was a big stone mountain like Ulsanbawi on Mt. Seorak a long long time ago.
Along with Yeonggeumjeong on the rock, there's another Yeonggeumjeong, a newly-built pavilion on the cliff at the back of the rock. It has fewer visitors than Haesangjeongja(Pavilion) but the view here is as good as that one, I say.
You see Sokcho lighthouse from Yeonggeumjeong. When I was looking at this from the lighthouse, it looked like I was looking way down but from here it looks as if it's at almost same height.
Yeonggeumjeong shows off amazing views just as it was called Biseondae from a long time ago which refers to the place where the fairies come down to have a bath and reciting mysterious melodies.
Although the sound of natural Geomungo like Taoist hermit with miraculous powers calling fairies has disappeared, the beauty of sea in Sokcho has remained with the waves. You could enjoy this view not so far from downtown so if you're planning to travel Sokcho, I say you should definitely drop by this place.
Address : 1-148, Dongmyeong-dong, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Telephone : 033-639-2365Admission Fee : Free
Sokcho Passenger Terminal – Yangmiri Dorumuk(Lance-fish and Sailfin Sandfish) Festival
Our legs hurt a little after climbing Mt. Seorak and visit to Naksansa but we still decided to continue walking a bit from Yeonggeumjeong. We were wondering what that big ship is for anyway.
We walked toward the downtown a bit and bumped into 「Sokcho Port International Passenger Terminal」. I have to say I was disappointed?? It looked so much better from afar since it has nothing around it, just empty and bleak. We got there anyway so we decided to walk a little longer.
We got Intercity Bus Terminal before we noticed it and saw a monument. On the top of the tower, there was a mother-son statue, a mother carrying a pack and her son holding her hand, both sorrowfully look at their hometown pointing to the north. And this was built to celebrate restoration of Sokcho after the Korean War that represents hopes, wishes and sorrows of displaced people who cannot go back to their land anymore.
Next to the tower, flapping flags were….huh? This is a land but somehow flags of fish boats were flapping in the wind here indicating the boats are full.
Then I realized it was during the 7th Sokcho Yangmiri Dorumuk Festival. Sadly it was the last day. But we were quite lucky that we didn't miss it out and walking there.
This festival was aired on TV every winter. I remember how many times I had to drool while I was watching TV of charcoal-broiled sand eels and sailfin sandfishes…
Most of the visitors to the festival were the elderly women and men. Inside the festival hall, I heard that the loud singing contest was held.
Visitors got excited and danced on the stage. Muhahaha~ I guess they had some drinks with sailfin sandfishes and got excited.
So we watched them a little and went inside the alley where there are a series of booths standing in line. The alley was full of the smell and smoke from broiling sand eels and sailfin sandfishes.
These are the main themes of this festival, sand eels and sailfin sandfishes. Charcoal-broiled sand eels and sailfin sandfish are one of the best must-eat food in winter.
My gosh….In one corner, they were broiling fish that made me WOW. With that briquette fire, you won't need anything else but a handful of salt. This photo makes you hungry enough doesn't it?
This Yangmiri Dorumuk Festival held in Sokcho every November offers you a market that you can buy and sell food directly, cooking contest, food testing event and other activities like tying sand eels together. Although we dropped by accidently and we couldn't stay longer, this might be the best tourist attraction if you enjoy broiled fish and different activities here with your friends. Sokcho in November. I proudly say this is a very attractive city. Come to Sokcho and have a taste of broiled fish that you can't find anywhere else~!!
Address : 383-1, Dongmyeong-dong, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Telephone : 033-639-2735 (Sokcho City Hall, Department of Maritime Affairs Fisheries)
