The village of Cheongho-dong is now the hometown to many people of North Korean ancestry and is commonly referred to as ‘Abai village.’ The word ‘Abai’ comes from the Hamgyeong-do Province dialect meaning ‘an aged person.’ Many elderly people fled to Cheongho-dong from North Korea during the Korean War; the large number of older residents resulted in the town’s current nickname.The streets of Cheongho-dong are lined with small Korean houses reminding many of Seoul in the 1970s. The simple nature of the town and quietness of the sea make for a unique atmosphere in Cheongho-dong. This area became extremely popular after the Korean drama ‘Gaeul Donghwa’ (Autumn in My Heart) was filmed here. In the drama, the lead actress’s mother had a supermarket in Cheongho-dong. Nearby the supermarket the lead actress often took a boat, which has now become a popular attraction for tourists. Holding up to 35 people, this ‘Gaetbae’ boat operates on manpower (people pulling on ropes moving the boat across a waterway) and can be taken from downtown Sokcho to Cheongho-dong. When looking for a bite to eat, Abai sundae and hamheung naengmyeon are two of the most popular dishes.

Asia's largest green pasture on a plateau. This ancient and vast meadow is where milking cows feed. The view from the plateau is remarkable as well. If you go up to Daegwallyeong Observatory early in the morning, you can witness the spectacular sunrise from the East Sea beyond the peaks of Odaesan Mountain. The lake where cows drink water is called Samjeongho Lake. In order to get around this grand ranch, you should take a car or bicycle. By car, it will take about 2 hours while bicycles will take about 5~6 hours. It would be too much to try to walk the entire ranch.

The Cheoksan Spa region’s hot springs water features a slightly blue radiance.The Cheoksan hot springs water is known to be beneficial for people with skin diseases, eye diseases, gastroenteric disorders, and neuralgia. Not only are the waters soft and great for your skin, but drinking the water is said to beautify the skin and improve blood circulation.The Cheoksan hot springs region is located a mere 10 minutes away from one of Korea’s most beautiful mountain ranges, the Seoraksan Mountains, and so the resort is the perfect place to relax and relieve your fatigue after an invigorating hike.

The Iron Triangle Battlefield is the area that connects Gimhwa, Pyeonggang and Cheorwon. This area had the highest number of casualties during the Korean War with the Baekmagoji Battle and Oseongsan Battle. The Iron Triangle Battlefield was prohibited to the public after 1953 when the war ended in a ceasefire. Yet the reality of the war only began surfacing from November 1989.The Iron Triangle Battlefield was the headquarters and frontline of the North Korean Army. This area had the unique natural advantage of being a difficult target for Allied forces to attack, but remained an easy area for North Koreans to defend. At the old battlefields are the labor headquarters, the 2nd tunnel and the remains of a train with a sign that reads 'The iron horse wants to run'. The Labor Headquarters, a Russian-style 3-story building, was built by compulsory fund raising and labor mobilization. Many people who were here during the anticommunist movement were later tortured and killed. Behind the building remains of people, bullets and iron chains can still be found even to this day.This is also the area where the 2nd tunnel, 108km north from Seoul, was made by North Koreans who were planning to invade South Korea. It is also known as the gathering area of seasonal birds and is a popular bird-watching spot. 

The Ojukheon House (오죽헌) gets its name from the many black bamboo trees that surround it. It was here where Sinsaimdang (1504~1551) lived and where his son Yulgok (scholar and politician of the Joseon Period) was born. It was built during the time of the 11th King of Joseon, King Jungjong (1506~1544), and remains one of the oldest wooden residential buildings in Korea. It was designated as Treasure No. 165 in 1963 and has been maintained by the descendants throughout the generations.Inside Ojukheon there's the Yulgok Memorial Hall, Mongryongsil, where Yulgok was born, the household shrine called Munseongsa, and the entrances called Jagyeongmun, Sajumun etc. There is also Eojaegak, which was built to preserve the inkstone and Gyeokmongyogyeol (a book written by Lee-Lee in 1577 for those beginning their studies), mementos of Lee-Lee.Beside Ojukheon, there is the Gangneung Municipal Museum where you can see relics from the prehistoric age and other various historical materials from different time periods.

Located on the southern most point of Sokcho are the many raw fish restaurants and dried fish shops of Daepohang Port. This bustling port has become one of the most popular tourist spots for those in search of the freshest raw fish restaurants.At Daepohang Port it is said that the Seorak Mountains and the East Sea are gifts from nature. The port is filled with raw fish restaurants and a live fish market containing eel, flatfish, flounder, yellowtail, and plethora of other high-end seafood. Furthermore, the abundance of local dishes that can be found lining the streets includes ojingeo sundae and Gamja Songpyeon. For raw fish lovers that are in the Sokcho area, Daepohang Port is the place to be.Nearby tourist attractions include Seorak Sunrise Park and Tourism Submarine. These are all great places to stop by while visiting the Seoraksan Mountains.

Hollowed into the rocks of Mt Seoraksan, about 600 meters above sea level, you will find Geumganggul Cave. This 23 square meters cave was once used as a place of worship, and contains a stone sitting Buddha and some earthenware. The route up the cave is quite steep, and visitors must walk across a few bridges and up concrete stairways. However, you will be rewarded with a captivating view of Cheonbuldong Valley.The hiking trail from Seorakdong to Geumganggul Cave, which also passes by Biseondae, is 3.6 kilometers long and takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Cheongpyeong Temple became more widely known with the opening of Soyang Dam and Waterway in 1973. A thirty-minutes walk from the dock, the temple stands on the southern ridge of Obongsan Mountain. It was first built in 973, during the reign of King Gwangjong (949-975) of the Goryeo Dynasty. It had been closed and opened from time to time, but still remains open today.During the Korean War, Gugwangjeon and Saseongjeon of the temple were damaged, but the Cheongpyeongsa Revolving Door (Treasure No.164), which symbolizes the transmigration of Souls, and Geukrakbojeon remains today. Near Cheongpyeongsa Temple is Cheongpyeongsa Valley, which is known for its clean water and Guseong Waterfall, known to make nine different sounds.Guseong Waterfall stands right next to the path and the water falls from the upright stone. Beyond the waterfall is an artificial pond 'Yeongji'. In the pond there are three big stones, and between those stones reeds were planted to reflect the pasture of Obongsan Mountain. Walk further down Yeongji pond and Cheongpyeongsa Temple can be seen. The path to Cheongpyongsa Temple is a pretty walkway surrounded by the woods and a clean valley.The three story stone pagoda of Cheongpyeongsa Temple has a myth attached to it. Once a young man who loved a princess was killed. He was born again as a snake and he stuck to the princess and would not get off her. The princess went to seek help at various famous temples to pray for the snake to leave her. One day she came to Cheongpyeongsa Temple and after the going through the Buddhist ceremony, the snake left her. In gratification, the princess built the 3-story pagoda above Guseong Waterfall and went back to her kingdom. The pagoda still remains today and is called Gongju Pagoda tower, 'gongju' meaning princess in Korean. In Cheongpyeong Temple, there is a garden that is the oldest garden of the Goryeo Dynasty made by Lee Ja-Hyeon. This garden has stones piled up into a trapezoidal shape, and a stream flows between the stone isles.

Taebaeksan Mountain (태백산) encompasses several peaks such as Yeongbong Peak, where in the past, people would conduct rites to venerate Heaven at Cheonjedan, Janggunbong Peak (1,567m) and Munsubong Peak (1,517m). The mountain is rather high but easy to hike since it is relatively smooth and has few cliffs. The higher plains are covered with alpine vegetation. The mountain becomes hot pink with mountain rhododendron and azalea in the spring; green with thick forest and pristine waters in the summer; rainbow colored with changing leaves in the fall; and white with snow in the winter.Taebaeksan Mountain is one of the three sacred mountains of Korea and the sunrise observed at Cheonjedan is simply breathtaking. There is a ritual site for Dangun in Danggol Valley, where people celebrate Gaecheonjeol (개천절) each year; and there are a number of Buddhist temples such as Manggyeong, Baekdan, Yuil and Cheongwon. Right below the mountaintop lies Yongjeong, the well that is said to boast the very best-quality water among the 100 good water sources in Korea. Near the park are located Geomryongso, the origin of the Han River, and Hwangji Pond, source of the Nakdonggang River. The Taebaek Coal Museum and Gumunso Natural Experience Field provide visitors with information on fossils, geology and the development of the coal industry.* Sunrise at Mt. TaebaeksanWeather permitting, you can watch the sun rising out of the East Sea from the top of Mt. Taebaeksan (Cheonjedan). It usually first appears breaking through the clouds or peeking between the mountaintops. In order to watch the first sunrise of the year at the top of Mt. Taebaeksan, you need to equip yourself with a wintertime hiking outfit and tools such as crampons and a headlamp. Since Mt. Taebaeksan is not far from downtown Taebaek, it is convenient for hikers to spend the night Taebaek and get to the mountain by land transportation.

Cheonbuldong Valley is the main Valley of Seorak Mountain and is also called Seorak Valley. It was named Cheonbuldong because the many peaks on either side look like a lineup of a thousand Buddhist statues. It is also called Cheonbuldong because the peaks also look like Buddhist saints offering food sacrifices to Buddha. If you follow the waterway of Waseondae for about 300m, you’ll arrive at Biseondae. Travel 12 km further from here and you will arrive at Daecheongbong. There’s also Biseondae Munjudam, Ihodam, and the steep Guimyeonam. On the opposite side, an hour’s walk past Chilseongbong, attached to Hwachaebong, is Chilseonggol’s forked road from which you can reach Oryeon Falls, Yangpok, Cheondang Falls and other valleys with exceptionally beautiful sceneries. The path used to be rough and difficult, but because of new facilities and a mountain villa, you can more easily climb and see the scenery of Cheonbuldong. Many people who go hiking at Seorak Mountain seek this place out because of the convenient transportation provided by Seorak-dong’s Sogongwon, which becomes the starting point for many mountain climbers, and there is an endless line of hikers and tourists who come to visit during mid October when the autumnal leaves start turning color.