It’s NOT Gangwon-do – although Ganghwa-do is almost as far away, it’s well worth visiting all the same. Korea’s fifth-largest island retains an old-world charm not found on the island, thanks in part to its secluded nature. Even with a full day to explore, the 302 square-kilometer island has more sights than a day’s exploring allows. You’d need at least two days to say you’ve seen the full island, including a chance to see North Korea through a telescope, some of the dolmen (prehistoric burial markers) that dot the island, the Goindol rocks / graves, and a beautiful view of the West Sea from Manisan. Don’t forget about Bomunsa – a Buddhist temple that shares the name with a temple in Seoul – which is a short ferry ride away.

Getting to Ganghwa-do isn’t too difficult – most places recommend catching a red bus from the Sinchon area. This isn’t difficult, though what’s called the Sinchon Bus Terminal is actually just a popular bus stop. You’ll need to read the Korean bus sign to see that this isn’t any ordinary bus stop – once you figure out the 3000 bus goes to the Ganghwa-do bus terminal, it’s just a matter of figuring out where you want to go after you arrive.

Within walking distance of the Ganghwa-do bus terminal is the Ganghwa-do Anglican Church (성공회 강화 성당)- a religious site for some and the start of a walking trail for others. The above sign has seen better days, but is still functional in showing walking enthusiasts the way.

This ain’t your grandmother’s church – built in 1900 and consecrated by Bishop Charles John Corfe, this is Korea’s first Catholic church. The building integrates local cultural styles with the traditions of the British, who promulgated the Catholic faith here. With the exception of the roof tiles, the original structure has been retained and held true.

The bell just inside the entrance, which was pleasantly open to the public (easy to do when the striking instrument is nowhere to be seen).

I’ve never seen anything like it before, and probably never will again – consider this one of the must-see sites if you are at all religious or spiritually minded. There are Western, Korean, Christian, Buddhist and Confucian influences all at play here – something even an agnostic like myself can appreciate.

Our next stop was a couple hundred meters of walking uphill – the Goryeo Gungji, or Goryeo palace site (고려궁지) awaits.

This palace’s history dates back to 1232 A.D., when King Gojong moved the capital of the Goryeo dynasty here from Gaegyeong (present-day Gaeseong, in North Korea). Hey, if there’s one nice thing about being the king, it’s being able to pick and choose where you call home. Two years after the palace was constructed, it became the home of the royal family, where they stayed for decades while fighting off the Mongol invasions. Although the palace supposedly stretched further than these grounds would indicate, it was destroyed as one condition of a peace treaty in 1270. After being used as a shrine to the earlier King Taejo, it was restored as a temporary palace during the 19th century, then destroyed again during the French invasion in 1866, then restored again in 1977. Further renovation in 2003 restored the Royal Library, which was originally constructed in 1782).

The Yusubu Dongheon (유수부 동헌), or the Ganghwa Governor’s Office. Hidden behind the middle set of doors is a recreation of the governor himself, along with several officers on his sides.

A look inside the recreation of the Royal Library (외규장각, oe-gyu-jang-gak). Some books, some figures, but it’s a small room. A sign outside talks about how the royal family used this library to safeguard information about its kingdoms and themselves.

This replica, installed in 1999, is modeled after the bell that would announce the opening and closing of the Ganghwa fortresses. The bell was originally created in 1711, and that original bell hung until 1999, when cracks left the bell unable to ring.

Moving on to Jeondeungsa, thanks to a long taxi ride. We arrived around the magic hour (that hour just before sunset) and found the light to quite nice.

Another first – a yun-jang-dae (윤장대) – push the heavy cylinder to ‘read’ the sutra of Buddhist wisdom – one complete round equals a full reading of the sutra.

A historic ginkgo tree – 500 years old, 20 meters tall, and 4 meters around.

While walking up the hill to the entrance, you’ll come across this tower (a dae-jo-ru, or 대조루). The sign at the top indicates the exact date of construction isn’t known, but is presumed to be from the late Goryeo dynasty.

The Jeondeungsa Dae-ung-bo-jeon – AKA Treasure #178. The building features some naked women in the corner columns (not pictured here) – a legend claims the architect designed them to warn of the unfaithfulness of women after his lover ran away while the construction took place.

That wonderful bokeh – or – a peek inside the shrine to the Medicinal Buddha. If you’re taking notes on improving your photography, the 35mm f/1.8 prime lenses makes the bokeh relatively easy to obtain. Just make sure the rest of your settings work with the wide-open aperture!

Probably not a guy you want to mess with.

The bus on the way back stopped at a red light just long enough to get the shot through the back window.

I’ll be back to Gangwon-do soon enough for some of the other destinations – for now, the only issue was getting around the island. A number of local buses seemed to criss-cross the island, although figuring out which buses went where was a challenge even with a Korean on the trip.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks): How do I rate destinations?
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Foreigner-friendly:

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Worth the visit:

Directions: Ganghwa-do is easily reached from Sinchon station (line 2, exit 1). Walk about 300 meters to a bus stop (NOT a bus terminal, as some sources state), then take red bus 3000. This bus will head all the way up, with a terminus of the Ganghwa bus terminal – exactly where you want to go. The trip from Sinchon to Ganghwa-do took us nearly two hours – grab a drink and use the bathroom before you get on

Once in Ganghwa-do, the Anglican Church and Goryeo Dynasty Palace site are a 15-20 minute walk from the bus terminal. From the bus terminal’s main entrance, turn right and follow the green-and-brown road signs to 고려궁지 (Go-ryeo-gung-ji, or the palace site). You’ll see the Anglican church along the way.

As for Jeondeungsa, this is a little more complicated. We took a taxi there, and our way back was complicated by bus numbers not matching bus signs. Your best bet would be to try a bus from the Ganghwa-do bus terminal, but a taxi takes about 20 minutes and costs about 16,000 won.

© Chris Backe – 2011
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