Jinhae Station was completed on November 11, 1926, as a stop on the light rail train connecting Samnangjin and Masan. The initial purpose of building Jinhae Station was to transport military supplies. However, it has now changed character to become more of a tourist-friendly attraction, renowned for being one of the best spots to view the blooming of spring flowers.
Every year in April and May, crowds gather near the station to enjoy Jinhae Gunhangje Festival and showers of beautiful flower petals. Besides being a popular place for sightseeing, the station is also dubbed as a transportation hub strong on industrial, maritime, and port activities.
The Hwasun Dolmen Site is located near the waterfalls of the mountain pass linking Dogok-myeon of Hyosan-ri and Chunnyang-myeon of Daesin-ri. According to experts, 135 of the 980 stones in Dogok-myeon Hyosan-ri are dolmen. There are also about 100 damaged stone tables that still maintain their original form.
What makes the Hwasun dolmens special is that in such a small district there are as many as 596 dolmen, including Korea’s biggest stone table. Acknowledging the importance of the cultural assets, the Hwasun Dolmen Site was registered as World Heritage No. 997 in year 2000 along with Gochang and Ganghwa Dolmens.
Located in the eco-village of Husan-ri (in Damyang, Jeollanam-do Province), Myeongokheonrimwon Garden was the garden of Oh Hui-do (1583~1623) of the Joseon Dynasty and served as a simple, countryside sanctuary where the scholar read and wrote many books. Main features of the garden are the Myeongokheon pavilion, where the scholar held lectures, and the square-shaped pond in front of the pavilion that is surrounded with graceful flowering trees.‘Myeongokhen’ (the name of the pavilion) is the word for the sound jade beads make when they softly clink together; it describes the sound of the water lapping gently along the banks of the pond. The flowering trees around the pond include red pines and crape myrtles and beside the creek is a large rock engraved with ‘鳴玉軒癸丑,’ Chinese characters meaning ‘Myeongokheongyechuk.’On the right side of Myeongokheonrim Garden you’ll see a 300 year-old ginkgo tree, which is where King Injo (1623~1649) of the Joseon Dynasty tied his horse when he went to visit Oh Hui-do. Myeongokheonrim Garden is as beautiful as Soswaewon Garden and in 2009 was designated as Scenic Beauty No.58.
The graveyard of Sinjangjeolgong (Sinjangjeolgong myoyeok) is the site of General Jangjeolgong Sin Sung-gyeom's tomb. Sin Sung-gyeom (Jangjeolgong is the posthumous name) is regarded as the founder of the Pyeongsan Sin clan. Together with Hong Yu, Bae Hyeon-gyeong and Bok Ji-gyeom, they dethroned Gung Ye and helped Wang Geon, the founder and first king of the Goryeo Dynasty, in claiming the throne.
In 927, as Wang Geon was on the verge of death in this battle as his troops were closely besieged by the enemy, General Sin wore the king's armor and kept fighting for his country with until he died. The enemy thought he was the king so they beheaded him. Hence, Wang Geon was able to escape safely from the battle. The king grieved over the death of General Sin and used a head made of gold for the funeral. To mislead grave robbers, three graves were built even though there is only one dead body.
Chosen as one of top four favorable sites for a grave in Korea, the graveyard is located inside of a dense pine grove. Also at the site are the Yeongjeonggak, Sindobigak, a memorial hall, and a house bulit for a memorial service.
With excellent views of the unfolding blue ocean, Oceano Tourism Complex offers visitors a great relaxing opportunity by way of their varied facilities such as golf links zone, auto camping site zone, cultural arts zone, and marine world zone that are planned to be established. Particularly, Pine Beach Golf Site located inside the tourism complex is surrounded by the ocean, and is perfect for playing a round of golf toward the endless ocean. The course is regarded as Asia’s Pebble Beach which is a small coastal resort destination and home to famous golf courses in California.
Recently, the government announced its plan to designate part of Guleopdo Island as a natural monument. This island, located to the southwest of Deokjeokdo Island in Incheon, is indeed a beautiful island, boasting unique coastal landscape formed by strong tides, waves, and wind. Though there are numerous islands near Deokjeokdo, Guleopdo Island boasts such splendid beauty that it is said to be unmatched by any of the other islands in the West Sea. The island has been the dream of resort developers for years.
The north beach of Guleopdo, Seondanyeo (near Baekado) and Jaraseom boast oddly-formed rocks and an exquisite coastal landscape. It’s a prime spot for fishing enthusiasts and is known for its abundance of flatfish, rock trout, and soft clams.
Just fifteen minutes to the west of the dock facility in Guleopdo is Mokgimi Beach (a costal sand dune) that has a unique elephant-shape because of the rocks that were carried there by strong waves. Other rocks have fallen down from the nearby cliffs. Along the coast, there is also a beautiful white sandy beach that stretches over 600m. Not well-known to tourists as of yet, this beach is a great spot to enjoy calm, relaxed summer vacations.
Baegunsan Recreational Forest (백운산자연휴양림) has Baegunsan Mountain that rises 1,218ms high above the sea level as the highest peak in the forest. Its artificial and natural forests of large pine trees offer a great view as the trees stand in harmony. Visitors are awed to see the beautiful valleys in the forests of Japanese cedars and Japanese cypresses. In early spring (February – March) about 7,000 camellia flowers are in full blossom.
Baegunsan Mountain (백운산) is the treasure house of Korea’s eco system. Plenty of rare plants and animals are growing there and the sap of gorosoe trees, which is believed to be good for health, is available in the spring. The Baegunsan Natural Recreation Forest is a truly blessed forest.
The origin of Biamsa Temple is unknown, but the temple's architectural features suggest that it was built during the mid Goryeo Dynasty period (918-1392). The Geungnakbojeon Hall and the three-storied pagoda inside the temple have been designated as Cultural Properties of Chungcheongnam-do Province. The flamboyang and delicately crafted datjip (canopy) inside the Geungnakbojeon Hall was restored in 1657 during the 8th year of King Hyojong's reign.
In the yard in front of the Geungnakbojeon Hall stands the three meter-high Samcheungseoktap (three-storied stone pagoda). With the discovery of Samyeongunsang stone statues near the top of the pagoda, Biamsa Temple became more widely known to the public. Among the stone statues, Gyeyumyeongjeonssi-amitabul-samjonseoksang (three Buddha statues) has been named as National Treasure No. 106, and Gichukmyeong-amitayeorae-jebulbosalseoksang (statue of Amitabha bodhisattva) and Mireukbosal-bangaseoksang (statue of Maitreya bodhisattva) have been designated as National Treasures No. 367 and No. 368, respectively. The stone statues are preserved in National Museum of Korea. Meanwhile, the three-storied stone pagoda was designated as Tangible Cultural Property No. 119 of Chungcheongnam-do Province on July 19, 1985.