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Island in the Yellow Sea, South Korea
Photo: Hairwizard91 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Ganghwa Island (강화도, 江華島 Ganghwado), previously romanized as Kanghwa Island, is a rural county (군, gun) of Incheon, South Korea. It is the fourth largest island in South Korea, with an area of 302.6km2. During the Goryeo Dynasty, it served as a temporary capital for 39 years during the Mongol Empire's invasion. The county of Ganghwa includes several other islands, most notably Seokmodo, the site of Bomunsa Temple.
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부근리 지석묘
A prehistoric burial site listed as a , the largest stone here is 2.6×7.1×5.5 meters in size and weighs somewhere between 150 and 225 tons. Hourly buses from Ganghwa-eup. There is another cluster of dolmen at Gocheon-ri (고천리).
강화석수문
The floodgates of the Joseon Dynasty in Sinmun-ri, Ganghwa-eup. It is Incheon Metropolitan City Tangible Cultural Property No. 30.
갑곶돈대
Gapgot Dondae is an important fortress where Goryeo moved its capital to Ganghwa Island from 1232 to 1270, protecting the Ganghwa Strait in the war against Mongolia,.
High up on Seokmodo Island, this temple is located in a scenic grotto with rock carvings and is famous as a place for women to pray for sons. Getting there is half the fun: take a bus from Ganghwa-eup to Oepo-ri (30 min, every 30 min), cross by ferry to Seokmodo (W2000; 10 min, every 30 min), and then take a shuttle bus (W1000) to the temple.
강화 참성단
Ganghwa Chamseongdan is an altar located at the top of Mani Mountain, Heungwang-ri, Hwado-myeon. It is known that Dangun (檀君) was built during the ancient period, and on July 11, 1964, it was designated as Korea's Historic Site No. 136.
A coffeeshop with a most peculiar slanted architecture, including some slanted elements inside. It stands close to another peculiar house: the Upside-down House, which offers overnight stays.
강화유스호스텔
Cavernous, charmless youth hostel, 10 min walk from the Oepo-ri ferry terminal.
어썸플레이스
Pension Spa & Resort of Korea.
엘리야리조트
Located in Ganghwa Island, Elijah Resort is about a 7-minute drive from Manisan Mountain. Nearby attractions include Dongmak Beach, which is about a 20-minute drive away. The resort features an infinity pool, an outdoor private BBQ area, an unattended convenience store and cafe, and a walking trail. There are a variety of room types, some with rooftop views. Costs range from \260,000 - \280,000 per adult per night.
There are frequent direct buses (W4200; 90 min) from Seoul's Sinchon Bus Terminal to the main town of Ganghwa-eup, as well as Bupyeong Station, Hapjeong Station, Songjeong Station, and Incheon Bus Terminal in Incheon.
Read in the guideThere is a tourist information located inside the bus terminal. No English is spoken but they have English-language tourist maps. There is also a tourist information center at the ferry terminal in Oepo-ri.
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Seoul · International · ICN
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