Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

The first Pyeongchang Biennale in Gangwon-do is being held in the hopes of pulling off a successful run of the 23rd Olympic Winter Games in 2018 and to put a more cultural touch to the big event. Under the theme of “Earth Harmony”, the biennale will take place in Pyeongchang Alpensia Resort and Donghae Mangsang Angva Expo Hall. Around 120 art pieces from home and abroad, largely consisting of installation projects, sculptures and media works, will be on exhibit. Other programs include a sculpture symposium, special guest artists exhibitions, a media art display, a nationwide students art contest and a media workshop. What’s also on the agenda is the Art Bank Project which intends to nurture new talents and rookie artists. This project is expected to fill Alpensia Resort and downtown Hoenggye with a more artistic vibe. The Pyeongchang Biennale, with the theme "Earth Harmony - Human, Peace and Environment", is a consideration toward a life in harmony and finding a balance between humans and Mother Nature while positioning itself as a starting point of greater harmony and unity.


Gangwon-do(Samcheok-si)

The Maengbang Flower Festival is one of the landmark spring celebrations in Korea and is held every April near Samcheok-si City in Ganwon-do Province. The festival boasts a breathtaking view of canola flowers, cherry blossoms and the blue sea of the East Coast. The festival also offers a diverse set of events and programs including a local produce market, fresh strawberry picking, and exhibition on canola flowers and bees. The Samcheok Tourist Center will also be at the festival to help any tourists to the area visit the variety of tourist attractions nearby such as Haesindang Park, New Millennium Ocean Road, Wife of King Suro Park, and the filming place for “One Fine Spring Day.”


Gangwon-do(Yeongwol-gun)

Be, Bridge is a pension-type accommodation with individual pools attached to each of the units. Located in Gimsatgat-myeon, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do, it is nestled comfortably in the nature of Taebaeksan and Sobaeksan National Parks and Okdongcheon Stream. There are 7 Grand Pool Villa units, all 2-story buildings with 2-person occupancy capable of accommodating up to 4-10 guests, depending on their sizes. Units 1, 2, 4, 5 have indoor pools that can be turned into outdoor pools by opening the door, while unit 7 has an indoor pool. The terrace pool in unit 3 and 6 are closed during the winter period. Each unit comes with grilling facilities and a garden, while units 2 to 7 have spa facilities. Full Moon Stay is a couples-only room located in Welcome Plaza (reception) building. The 1st floor has three two-story rooms with spa facilities, while the 2nd floor has terrace rooms with a river view. Facilities include the rooftop swimming pool, which also offers warm water services, a children’s playground, natural sledding area, walking paths, and valley.


Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

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.


Gangwon-do(Yanggu-gun)

The entire town of Haean-myeon is contained in Haean Basin. Also known as Punch Bowl, Haean Basin is surrounded by high peaks and one of these peaks is Gachilbong. The nature of the terrain in the Gachilbong area made it difficult to conduct military operations during the Korean War. The North Korean military utilized these natural features to build a solid defense position and launch counterattacks, while the South Korean soldiers in the lowland were in a disadvantageous position. South Korean soldiers were under the command of 5th Division Commander Brigadier General Min Gi-sik and 24th Regiment Commander Colonel Yu Ui-jun. On the North Korean side, the 7th, 14th, and 32nd Regiments of the 27th Division and the 23rd Regiment of the 12th Division under the 2nd Corps fought back. By sending a military deployment and conducting search operations, the South Korean military completed a reconnaissance of the area on August 30 and advanced to counterattack. On August 31, after defending their position for two days, the South Korean soldiers were able to break the North Korean resistance. Each unit secured a strongly fortified position to draw the North Korean soldiers out. Thereafter, South Korea launched an all-out attack and captured Hill 1241. However, North Korea attacked again and South Korea retreated. After several attacks and counterattacks, South Korea was able to take back Gachilbong and the surrounding areas. Although it resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, this battle ultimately gave South Korea possession of Haean Basin.


Gangwon-do(Gangneung-si)

 Daegullyeong Village is a tourist complex located in Gangwondo Gangneung-si, and provides visitors with a host of various traditional experiences, sporting events, and lodging accommodations. The village of 'Daegullyeong' got its name from the series of 832m ‘Daegwallyeong’ ridges that stretch along the bordering regions of Gangneung and Pyeongchang. Although the mountain ridges present rigorous passages with 99 turns, the area is popular as it boasts magnificent scenery.  Daegullyeong Village boasts the beautiful Daegwallyeong ridges and clear waters of the valleys in the mountain villages where tourists can take in the spectacular views of Bogwang 1(il)-ri, Bogwang 2(yi)-ri, and Eoheul-ri. The local specialties include the traditional doenjang (soybean paste), various soy and bean pastes, corn, traditional fermented soybeans, potatoes, and vegetables. Visitors can stay at any number of pensions in the area, then take a tour around a traditional soy and bean paste factory and participate in various experience programs such as soy and bean paste making, straw arts and crafts, folk games, and traditional performances.


Gangwon-do(Hongcheon-gun)

(Korea Quality Premier Class) Located at the foot of Jongjasan Mountain in Hongcheon County, Healience Seonmaeul offers a healing program run by experts in a serene natural environment without mobile phones or television. The name ‘Healience’ is a compound word combining ‘healing’ and ‘science’. The two accommodation buildings with two stories each – Garden Building and Forest Building - were also built with the concept of harmony with nature. The garden building was designed by world-class Korean architect Seung Hyo-Sang, under the theme of “aesthetics of the poor”, which implies an environmentally friendly concept. The first floor of the garden building features courtyards which allow for a sufficient amount of light, and a walk up to the second floor reveals a skylight with a view of the stars at night, allowing the guests to fall asleep in nature. Then, at the end of 2016, the forest building was designed by Korean architect Kim Joon-seong with the concept of “construction of correspond” (two or more objects correspond to each other), thus Healience Seonmaeul consists of a total of 88 guestrooms. The subtle lighting and simple furniture were decorated for the interior of the accommodations so that guests can take a good rest without any distraction and attend a healing program. Its most popular programs are yoga and meditation in a grove of pine nut trees.


Gangwon-do(Yanggu-gun)

Soyangho Lake (소양호) is a man-made lake that was created when Soyang Dam, the biggest rock-filled dam in Asia, was built in 1973. The lake is a hotspot for marine tourism and the lakeside road is an important route that connects Chuncheon and Yanggu. You can travel overland for an hour to get to the dam or take the Kwaeryongho Boat (쾌룡호), a hovercraft that operates regularly on Soyang Lake, and get there in 30 minutes. The hovercraft travels by ejecting air against the surface below, sending up a spray of water on either side of the boat to the delight of passengers. Once you are in the valley, you can see fish farms floating among the islets. When the water level is high, you can travel on the lake all the way to Inje and Sinnam enjoying the beautiful scenery of Naeseorak. Both tourists and locals regularly make use of the ferry service.


Gangwon-do(Goseong-gun)

Stay Gajin is a pension located on Gajinhaebyeon-gil in Goseong-gun, Gangwon-do, facing the East Sea. Nestled between Gajin Port and Gonghyeonjin 2(i)-ri Beach, all of the nine guest rooms at Stay Gajin are ocean view rooms. A noticeable feature that captures the attention as soon as one walks into the guest room is the full wall window that reveals an open view of the East Sea. Since there are no entertainment facilities or other accommodation facilities around Stay Gajin, you can fall asleep peacefully while listening to the soothing sound of waves. In the morning, you can enjoy the luxury of waking up to the glorious sunrise in the East Sea. There is one guest room on the first floor, and it can accommodate up to four guests. On the second floor, there are four guest rooms, all of which are for two guests only. The fours guest rooms on the third floor which are the most popular guest rooms in Stay Gajin, are two-story rooms. The kitchen and living room are on the first floor, and the second floor is decorated as the bedroom area. The room is basically for two people, but it is big enough for up to four guests. Every guest room has its own kitchen where guests can cook, and a bathtub where they can enjoy lower-body bathing with a view of the sea. There is also a rooftop area reserved for guests and a cafe on the premises for food and beverages. Guests have great access to the nearby beach across the street from Stay Gajin. It is not a popular beach, so it does not attract many visitors; guests can enjoy a quiet outing like a private beach.


Gangwon-do(Samcheok-si)

Samcheok Culture & Art Center is a cultural complex located in Seongnam-dong, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do Province. The center opened its doors to the public on June 4th, 1994 with such facilities in place as grand/small theaters, outdoor performance stages and exhibition chambers.