After the TV miniseries Gaeul Donghwa (Autumn in My Heart) was filmed, many people come to visit this old abandoned elementary school to get a better feeling about the drama. Actually, the school is the studio of the famous potter Jeong Jae-Nam who is also the wife of the renowned novelist Kim Ha-In. If you ever visit this small school in Gangwon-do, you can experience a sophisticated cultural atmosphere filled with books and pottery in harmony with the lingering sentiment of Gaeul Donghwa (Autumn in My Heart). You can take a tour around the school or even make your own pottery.

Joryeongsan Mountain divides Mungyeong (Gyeongsangbuk-do) and Goesan (Chungcheongbuk-do), and is situated at the far end of Baekdudaegan (the mountain range connecting Baekdusan and Jirisan). The mountain is picturesque with its surroundings of dense forest, steep rocky areas, strangely shaped peaks and old trees. It has a grand scale of mountain ridge and high altitude. However, as the hiking trail starts at 529m on Ihwaryeong, it is not that tough. Nearby locations include Sinseongbong Peak and Mapaebong Peak, as well as Joryeongsan Recreational Forest.

Nadeul-gil means a leisurely outing (nadeuri) road. Comprised of 19 courses in total, the Ganghwa Nadeul-gil Trail offers a variety of historical assets and cultural sites to see. Each Nadeul-gil course connects Ganghwa Fortress outposts that are located every 1.3 km on high ground along the walking paths. The trails are on the island of Ganghwa which holds many Goryeo Dynasty remains that are important to Korean history. Fortresses that stood against Mongolian invasions are still standing and many of the Goryeo Kingdom’s palaces and royal tomb sites are also found in Ganghwa region. Exploring the major cultural heritage sites dispersed throughout the town can be just as fun as exploring Ganghwa’s natural beauty. The sunset on the Seohae (West coast), expansive open mud flats, views from Marisan and Goryeosan Mountains and the peaceful farming villages are just a handful of the sights along this walking trail. The establishment of Ganghwa Nadeul-gil’s begins with the ancient scholar Go Jae-hyeong (pen name Hwanam), who left his hometown Ganghwa on a spring day in 1906 when the peach trees were in full bloom. He walked through more than 100 villages around the whole island. Back home, he composed poems about his journey and published them under the title of “Simdo Gihaeng (Simdo Travels),” Simdo being another name for Ganghwa. During his travels, he sang songs of his home Ganghwa. Thanks to his work, people can now follow in the footsteps of Hwanam and his appreciation of the beautiful scenery and great people of Ganghwa Island.

Narodo (나로도) consists of Oe-narodo and Nae-narodo, located 25kms southeast of Goheung-eup. Oe-narodo, is a part of Dadohae National Marine Park (다도해해상국립공원). Fresh seafood at a low price is readily available at Narodo Port (Chukjeong Port) in Oe-narodo. All of Narodo is famous for its’ fishing places. Every season a variety of fish can be caught. The beaches in Narodo have a gentle decline and are skirted by a forest of evergreen trees aged hundreds of years, which offer great shade from the summer heat. Haban Village, the most remote village in Oe-narodo, is the best place for a family summer retreat since it has a small forest and a beach. It also has Korea’s first space center.  

Bigeum Valley is also known as “Mulgolan” (literally meaning inside water valley), as clean water flows abundantly in this area. The region is surrounded by the mountains of Seorisan, Chungnyeongsan, Jugeumsan, and Cheonmasan, and has several valleys. Bigeum Valley is located at the upper most region of Sudong National Tourist Park, and stretches for about 2 km. It is a popular vacation site, as thick forests provide cool shade and fresh, clean water runs through the scenic valley.

* What is rafting? Originally, rafting was a term used when riding along on a raft built with logs. However, rafting is now known as a popular water sport where a team of people on PVCs or rubber rafts use paddles to navigate themselves down adventurous ravines or fast-flowing river rapids. * Advantages of Rafting First of all, all you need is water and flowing rapids in order to safely enjoy yourself with speed and thrills. Secondly, since this is a sport where a group of people need to work together, you foster team spirit and patience. Last of all, you will need to use all of your strength to navigate through the water currents with paddles, resulting in a full-body workout body while taking in the crisp, clean air of the mountains.

Manhangjae Hill is located at the point where three areas (Gohan-eup in Jeongseon-gun, Sangdong-eup in Yeongwol-gun, and Taebaek-si) in Gangwon-do all meet. Manhangjae refers to the area where the slope of Hambaeksan Mountain (1,567m, South Korea's 6th highest mountain) rests for a while before going down towards Tabaeksan Mountain (1,172m). In Korea, this is the highest mountain path accessible to motor vehicles. When driving to Manhangjae at night, one can see stars right above one's head.

Located within Woljeongsa Temple in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, Woljeongsa Museum was founded in October 1999, and began displaying treasures and artifacts from some 60 plus temples in the southern part of Gangwon region. Currently, the museum houses Sangwonsa Temple’s Jungchanggwonseonmun (National Treasure No. 292) and Woljinseokbo (Treasure No. 745), the remains of Octagonal nine-story pagoda (National Treasure No 48), and many other treasures.