Gangwon-do(Sokcho-si)

You can see Sokcho Beach (450m long, 45-80m wide, average depth 1m) after about a 500m walk from Sokcho Express Bus Terminal. The view of its clear water, white sand and the pine forest is beautiful, and the nearby bus terminal makes transportation very convenient. It is also close to Seorak Mountain, and many hikers come by here as they go through Daecheongbong to Seorak-dong from the inner Seorak area. The white sand beach is 2km long, extending through Cheongho-dong, Joyang-dong, and Daepo-dong. The area open to the public is 0.45 km long and 75m wide, making it about 9,000 pyeong. More and more visitors are flocking to the area because of the superb quality of the sand.Sokcho beach plays an important role in displaying Sokcho-si as a great tourist area along with Seorak Mountain, Cheoksan Hot Springs, Cheongchoho, and Yeongrangho etc. On the bulwark, to the left of the beach, there are many places where you can enjoy hwaleo hoe (fresh sashimi). You can also enjoy sea fishing by taking a boat to Jo Island in the open-sea area by the beach.


Gangwon-do(Hongcheon-gun)

Ocean World is located in Vivaldi Park resort on the slopes of Mt Palbongsan in the Hongcheon region of Gangwon-do province. Vivaldi Park resort is internationally renowned for its ski facilities, but they are not the only attraction in the resort, Ocean World Water Park is also very popular. The park covers 120,982,200 sq ft, which is 14 times bigger than a soccer field, and it can accommodate up to 18,000 people at the same time. It is designed to look like an oasis in the middle of the Egyptian desert, in order to give visitors the experience of a cool, refreshing swim under the bright sun. Ocean World even features a large Sphinx and pyramid, giving visitors a sense of Egypt’s mysterious past. Ocean World has many thrilling and exciting attractions. These include the 300 meter-long Extreme River, which has fast-flowing currents, Surfing Mount, where waves reach up to 2.4-meters, Family Raft Slide, Spa Village, and Angel’s pool. Ocean World is divided into various zones: Indoor Zone, Extreme Zone, and Dynamic Zone, which opened in May 2009. The new zone features the very popular Monster Blaster, Super Boomerango, and Giant Waterplex water slides. In addition to the water rides, there is a Jjimjilbang (a Korean-style sauna), a shopping mall, and restaurants.    


Gangwon-do(Wonju-si)

Located in strikingly beautiful surroundings, the 1.4million square meters Oak Valley Snow Park contains two beginner, five intermediate, and two advanced level courses. Each course presents a different theme, and the slopes have varying inclines. Oak Valley is a first-class resort complex providing condo facilities, a golf course, and various other subsidiary facilities. Oak Valley also offers special children’s facilities making it the perfect ski resort for all the family. It is also the nearest resort complex to Seoul. During the winter season, Oak Valley operates shuttle buses to the resort. Please refer to the homepage for the shuttle bus schedule and more detailed information on the resort.  


Gangwon-do(Chuncheon-si)

The Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort, with its multitude of ski slopes, is a great destination for skiers of all abilities. The resort is located within a beautiful valley, and skiers can enjoy a panoramic view of the natural scenery while gliding down the slopes. Whether you choose to go down the beginner, intermediate, or advanced slopes, everyone can enjoy a 1 km-long run. Intermediate and beginner skiers can reach the mountain peak rest area on the B lift. A separate beginner’s slope is also available to be used as a practice slope.


Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

Yongpyong Resort, located on the ridge of Mt.Balwangsan, is the first domestic ski resort opening in 1975. With average 250cm of snow each year you can enjoy skiing from November until April of the following year. Compared to other ski resorts, ski season is considerably longer. It is 215km from Seoul, and with the construction of a 4-lane highway, the travel time has been shortened to 2 hours. When ski season finishes, you can enjoy golf from April to November as well.This is where the 1998 World Cup Ski Competition and the 1999 Gangwon Winter Asian Games were held. The Rainbow Red*Silver*Gold slopes have been authorized by the International Ski Federation (ISF). Also there are slopes for beginners such as the Yellow Run and the Pink Run, and the new Red Run and Green Run for intermediates. There are 18 slopes and 15 lifts in total, with a 3.7km long gondola which can accommodate 8 people at once. There are other convenient indoor facilities such as the swimming pool and sauna, and within the complex there is a sledding hill, indoor golf course with a capacity of 6 holes, survival game park and the indoor mountain bike path. There are also the forest bath walk, archery, crocket, tennis courts and the campsites.For accommodation there are hotels, condos, youth hostels which add up to 1,087 rooms available in total. There are many tourist sites such as the Mt.Odaesan National Park and the Daegwangryeong Ranch. During ski season, shuttle buses and the direct buses operate from metropolitan areas around Korea. 


Gangwon-do(Sokcho-si)

Seorak Waterpia is one of Korea's largest theme parks offering a wide variety of outdoor leisure activities and hot spring facilities. Nestled in Seorak Hanwha Resort at Mt. Seoraksan, Seorak Waterpia uses only pure mineral waters from Choeksan. The water comes from the layer formed during the Mesozoic Era, and the water volume used per day is about 3,000 tons. With their abundance of cations (sodium, calcium, and magnesium) and anions (chlorine, carbonic acid, and sulphuric acid), the hot springs are good for stress, neuralgia, arthritis, and geriatric diseases. Various facilities at Seorak Waterpia include a hot springs resort that opened in July 1997, an artificial wave zone at the Wave Pool, and the Stream Pool. At the theme zone, the Rafting Zone and Body Slider will provide you with endless fun and thrills. In addition, there are outdoor leisure spa facilities such as Lovers Bath, Rock Bath, Cave Bath, and sauna facilities such as Prickle Bath, Wood Bath, Outdoor Bath, and more. The 18-hole golf course and many attractions of Seorak Plaza Land make it ideal for families to relax and enjoy.


Gangwon-do(Gangneung-si)

Located 1 km away from Gyeongpodae, Gyeongpo Beach is a sand bank formed between Gyeongpo Lake and the ocean. This beautiful beach extends to a length of 6 km and is covered with fine sand. It is a very well-known tourist attraction within Korea: a flawless combination of nature and cultural relics.Gyeongpo Beach is famous for its picturesque sunrise and tranquil moonrise. There are other nearby attractions in the area, like the pine forest (4 km) and wild roses, which grow in various areas around the beach. Those who enjoy ocean fishing can take a boat to the mall rocks just off the beach. There is an endless line of tourists, who come to visit the ancient buildings with their incredible scenery, like Gyeongpodae and Ojukheon.In the spring, the Festival of Cherry Blossoms is held at the entrance to Gyeongpo Beach and in the summer, the Beach Festival and other various cultural events are held. (Traditional Literary Event, Beach Dance Festival, etc.)


Gangwon-do(Samcheok-si)

Haesindang Park is home to the the nation’s largest aquarium museum, which exhibits folk materials that shows the lifestyle of fishermen of the East Sea, an arboretum and a park that displays some sexual art sculptures. In addition, there is an interesting bronze statue that tells about a legend of a nearby village.* Legend of Aebawi and HaesindangThere once lived a young maid who was engaged. One day, the maid took her husband’s boat out to sea to harvest seaweed. Her husband dropped her off at a site that was at a distance from the beach. After promising to pick her up later, he returned to the beach to do his work. However, the weather turned bad as strong winds and pummeing waves begun. The husband failed to rescue his wife on time and she ultimately drowned. Since then, the villagers were unable to catch any fishes and some claimed that it wasbecause of the dead maid. To soothe the spirit of the dead maid, the villagers made several wooden carvings and held religious ceremonies. Later, fishes were gradually seen appearing and the villagers were able to fish and live comfortably again. Therefore, the place where the maid died was named Aebawi Rock and the building where the religious ceremony is held twice a year was named Haesindang. The ceremony is still honored today as a traditional folk event.


Gangwon-do(Sokcho-si)

Sinheungsa (신흥사) is a short 10min walk away from the entrance to Sogongwon. In fact, many visit because of its close proximity to Sogongwon. Sinheungsa is a temple which used to be called Hyangseongsa, built by Jajangyulsa (590~658), who traveled to famous mountains all over the nation, in Queen Jindeok’s (?~654) 6th year of reign. It was destroyed and rebuilt many times since.On the path to Sinheungsa, there is a great bronze statue called Bronze Jwabul Statue, which is well over 10 meters high. Just beyond the statue, which is on a granite terrace, there is a bridge to the right called Hyeonsugyo, which was newly built for crossing the ravine. Past the bridge there is a long stone wall with a Cheongwang door, and you can enter the temple. At the entrance there are four Cheonwang (king) statues (Jiguk Cheonwang with a sword, Damun Cheonwang with a lute, Gwangmok Cheonwang with a tower, and Jeungjang Cheonwang with a dragon), placed on either side. The Buddhist statues at Sinheungsa were placed here during the founding days of Seongjeongsa, and include the statues Mireukbosal, Gwaneumbosal and Seji which were sculpted by Uisang Daesa. The buildings which were built during that time are still standing, like the sanctuary, main temple, Myeongbujeon, Bojaeru, and Chilseonggak, etc. There is also an important cultural property, Treasure No. 443, called Hyangseongsaji, a three-story stone tower.You can reach the Ulsan boulder by following the wall outside Sinheungsa. Sinheungsa is an ancient temple with deep historical significance, and many tourists come because of its beautiful scenery.


Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

Interesting Facts about the Sheep Farm: Established in 1988, the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm raises sheep on an area of 195 k㎡, and is privately owned. There are many small to large animal farms in Pyeongchang, but the Sheep Farm is the only farm that raises sheep.The farm features more than 200 sheep. The first thing that comes into view as you approach the farm are the herds of white sheep roaming on the green plains. The sheep grazing season varies depending on the weather, but it usually begins in early May and lasts until the end of October. During this season the sheep are allowed to graze 24 hours. In April, before the grazing season begins, the sheep are all shaved. However, it’s difficult to touch the sheep, because they are instinctively afraid of people and avoid close contact. If you want to get closer to the sheep, go on the ‘Sheep Hay Feeding Tour’ for 3,500 won if you are an adult and 3,000 won if you are a student.The walkway of 1.2m surrounds the sheep’s grazing field, so visitors can view the sheep at all times during their visit. It takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour to walk along this path. You may also wish to drive, however walking is recommended. At the entrance of the walkway stands a wooden shack for the backdrop of the movie ‘The Man from Mars.’ The shack served as a backdrop along with a white snowy field where the two main characters finally fell in love in the movie. The wooden shack fits perfectly with the sheep farm, so it was kept after the filming of the movie. Past the shack uphill is the 950m peak of the sheep farm. The cool breeze, the wide green hill, and the blue sky with the roaming sheep offer the most peaceful experience. The path down from the hill is lined with oak trees and 30 types of wild flowers. This area is also famous for its groundsels, a type of wild vegetable. If you want to enjoy the sheep farm in a more romantic way, walk along the path during sunset. The blazing red skies and cool sea breeze will give the most natural romantic setting.The Sheep Farm is open all year round, and the most ideal time to visit is between June and August during the grazing season. You can see the sheep herds and various wild plants during this time. The Sheep Farm offers accommodations, toilets, and benches. If you decide to stay a night, you can try the outdoor lamb chops, or the sagolgomtang.