Gapyeong

Early to mid-October.

Located in Goseong-ri, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, The Peace Institute is a three-story building by the Namhan river. It was designed and built as an education and training institute, a facility with accommodation and cooking facility, and was completed in 2014. The Peace Institute was designed to host guests for peace activities. It has served as a place of harmony for peace leaders. HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light, Chairman Man Hee Lee) is an NGO with special consultative status at the UN ECOSOC and registered as a UN DGC-associated NGO (formerly DPI). During and after the HWPL World Peace Summit, an annual peace conference the NGO has hosted since 2014, the Peace Institute has become a home for peace advocates and displays a gallery of peace work that has taken place across 100 countries since 2014. The building is inspirational and looks like a palace or a manor, and has a beautiful surrounding background due to its lakeside setting, matching its theme of peace, harmony, and love.

heongpyeong Lake was created with the construction of the Cheongpyeong Dam in 1944 and at its peak the lake stretches across 19 million m². On both sides of the lake, Homyeonsan (Mt.) rises high to complete a beautiful view. People seek Cheonpyeong Lake for vacations in the summer and it is frequented by tourists all year round. It is a popular water-ski resort and every year, young fish are released for visitors to fish.

People started visiting Jarasum Island after the International Jazz Festival in 2004. The feast of jazz harmonized with the sounds of nature brought people to Jarasum Island. People who walked along the waterfront trails, walked wild flowers, sports facilities, and recreational forests gradually began to recognize the beauty of Jarasum Island.

During winter, the waterfall of the valley freezes over, creating a mesmerizing scenery. January-February is when most travelers arrive. There is a wooden bridge that you can take photos, and if you want to simply rest and enjoy the scenery, there is a traditional Korean pavilion beside it. Walking from the carpark to the waterfall takes about 10 minutes on an easy path. There is a shop at the entrance where you can buy hot snacks such as fish cakes. The restaurants around Eobi Valley are famous for dak-bokkeum-tang (닭볶음탕) which is braised spicy chicken served with soup. You can book tours online if you feel that coming here via public transport is a hassle.