Enjoy a Rural Experience Village and Camping at the Same Time!

Gapyeong, blessed with beautiful mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes alike, is home to arboretums, natural recreation forests, and campgrounds throughout the county. Jara Island Auto Camping Ground, along the banks of the Bukhangang River, has great charm, and with attractions like the filming set for the drama Iris and Ihwawon Garden nearby, it has won the hearts of campers everywhere. In summer, add some water play in the valley, and if you're traveling with children, including a rural experience village in your itinerary makes for an even more enjoyable camping trip.

Along the way

1. 1

   Village of Flowing Grape Aroma

   포도향이 흐르는 마을

   Located in Yulgil 1-ri, Sang-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, the name Yulgil-ri comes from a phonetic shift — from 'bangil-i' to 'bamgil-i' to 'baenggil-i' — with 'baeng' later written using the character for chestnut (栗, yul) and 'gil-i' using the character for good fortune (吉, gil); so the name Yulgil-ri can be read as meaning a place that goes out to greet people warmly. Yulgil-ri has been designated a Green Rural Experience Village, where visitors can fully soak up the countryside scenery along with a variety of hands-on activities. MoreLess

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2. 2

   Lunch (Yetgol, Ppurigga)

   점심식사(옛골, 뿌리가)

   [Yetgol] The cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) here is made with homemade meju (fermented soybean blocks) from soybeans bought in Sunchang, Jeollabuk-do, mixed with a rich seasoning of finely chopped green peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash grown in the restaurant's own garden, and is served with rice cooked from Hanseokbong rice grown in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do — bringing the comforting warmth of home and a mother's loving touch, along with neat, flavorful side dishes such as potato pancakes, wrap greens, jangtteok (soybean-paste pancake), acorn jelly, and squash noodles. [Ppurigga] Located near the Garden of Morning Calm, Ppurigga operates both a pension and a restaurant. It uses only domestic chicken, pork, rice, and napa cabbage kimchi, and its signature dish, a countryside table d'hôte featuring homemade doenjang (soybean paste) of outstanding flavor, is even more delicious paired with Gangwon-do-style chonggak kimchi (whole radish kimchi).MoreLess

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3. 3

   Gapyeong Hyanggyo

   가평향교

   Gapyeong Hyanggyo is a Confucian school with a long history, built in the 7th year of King Taejo of Joseon (1398). At the time, it included the Daeseongjeon shrine hall, east and west annex halls, a Myeongnyundang lecture hall, an outer gate, and a ritual preparation room, and enshrined the memorial tablets of Confucius and four other sages at its center. A hyanggyo consists of two parts: a school where Confucian students gathered to study, and a shrine where rites were performed to honor the sages. The current buildings were all newly rebuilt in 1980 and 1985. MoreLess

   

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4. 4

   Jaraseom Auto Camping Ground

   자라섬오토캠핑장

   Located along the beautiful banks of the Bukhangang River in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Jaraseom Camping Ground, host site of the 2008 Gapyeong World Camping & Caravanning Rally, is an eco-friendly leisure facility boasting some of the largest and best facilities in the greater Seoul metropolitan area. Jaraseom is an island formed in 1943 when Cheongpyeong Dam, Korea's first dam built solely for power generation, was completed; it consists of three main islands — Jungdo, Seodo, and Namdo — plus two smaller islets. After Korea's liberation, it was known as 'China Island' because Chinese farmers reportedly cultivated the land there, but in 1986 the Gapyeong-gun place-name committee adopted a proposal to call it 'Jaraseom,' since it is watched over by a marsh-covered hill shaped like a turtle's neck (jaramok). Facilities at Jaraseom Camping Ground include mobile homes, caravans, caravan sites, and auto camping sites, along with shared facilities such as a cooking area, restrooms, showers, and a laundry room for visitors' convenience. All facilities operate on a reservation basis and can be booked in advance through the website.MoreLess

   

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5. 5

   Nature and Stars Observatory

   자연과별천문대

   Nature and Stars Observatory is located in an ideal spot for stargazing, where visitors can observe the shining stars, constellations, and countless celestial bodies of the night sky. Its equipment includes a 16-inch Maksutov optical telescope, along with a Maksutov-Cassegrain, a Maksutov-Newtonian, a Schmidt-Cassegrain, a refracting telescope, binoculars, a solar filter for observing solar prominences, and eyepieces, among a wide range of observation gear. MoreLess

   

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6. 6
   Jaraseom Island

   자라섬

   Jaraseom is an island located around 1-1 Daljeon-ri, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. Formed in the Bukhangang River in 1943 with the construction of Cheongpyeong Dam, Jaraseom lies about 800m in a straight line from Nami Island. It got its name, 'Jaraseom' (Turtle Island), because it is watched over by a hill shaped like a turtle. Made up of four islands — Dongdo, Seodo, Jungdo, and Namdo — Jaraseom also has leisure and ecological park facilities. On Seodo, where the auto camping ground is located, is the filming set for the drama Iris; on Jungdo is an ecological culture park with a lawn plaza over 100m in diameter; and at the western end of Jaraseom Camping Ground is the nature-themed ecology park 'Ihwawon.' Jaraseom is famous not only for camping but also as the venue for the Jarasum International Jazz Festival, held every year since 2004. MoreLess

   

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7. 7

   Lunch (Incheonjip, Hyangdani)

   점심식사(인천집, 향단이)

   [Incheonjip] Located in Daegok-ri, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, Incheonjip opened in 2002 and has a comfortable, simple interior with 14 floor-seating tables. [Hyangdani] Hyangdani opened in 2009 and has a neat, clean interior with 8 floor-seating tables and 4 standard tables; it uses only domestic rice, napa cabbage kimchi, and pork. MoreLess

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8. 8

   Sanjang Tourist Site

   산장관광지

   Gapyeong Sanjang National Tourist Site was developed along the banks of the Jojongcheon Stream, which flows between Mt. Cheongwoosan (619m) and Mt. Gitdaebong (623m). The dense forest surrounding the area, together with the clear water of the Jojongcheon — a tributary of the Bukhangang River — combine to create scenery of exceptional beauty. The site includes a campground, along with an outdoor concert hall shaped like a pheasant (the symbol bird of Gapyeong-gun), walking paths, a pavilion, a children's playground, and a multipurpose sports field, and other amenities for family vacationers. The Jojongcheon Stream in front has also been dammed to create a natural pool. MoreLess

   

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