Following the Traces of Jang Bogo, Who Once Ruled the Seas

Wando, made an island in name only by the opening of the Wando Bridge, is a town that still bears the traces of Jang Bogo, the Silla-era 'Sea King' who once ruled the seas. Filming locations from the drama 'Sea King Jang Bogo' remain at Cheonghae Port and Sillabang, and on Jangdo, known as the site of the Cheonghaejin relics, visitors can still see traces of the wooden palisades, wells, and fortress walls from that era.

Along the way

1. 1
   Wando Arboretum

   완도 수목원

   Wando Warm-Temperate Arboretum, established in 1991, is Korea's only warm-temperate arboretum. Spread across about 200 hectares, it is a natural forest community representing the warm-temperate zone -- just 15% of Korea's total land area -- with high-value ornamental, medicinal, and pharmaceutical evergreen broadleaf species such as camellia, Quercus acuta, Machilus thunbergii, and Dendropanax morbifera growing naturally. It is also home to 709 species of rare warm-temperate plants, including Neofinetia falcata, Calanthe sieboldii, and Cremastra appendiculata. \nMoreLess

   

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2. 2
   Sinji Myeongsasimni Beach

   신지 명사십리해수욕장

   Like the other islands of Wando, Sinjido is quiet year-round, but once summer arrives it grows crowded for a while with visitors flocking in from all over the country, drawn by Myeongsasimni Beach.\nThere are several beaches in Korea named 'Myeongsasimni,' but the name of this beach on Sinjido uses a different character for 'myeongsa' -- not 明沙 ('bright sand') but 鳴沙, meaning 'the sand that sings.' \nMoreLess

   

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3. 3

   Lunch (Cheongsil Hoetjip, Miwon Hoetjip)

   점심식사(청실횟집, 미원횟집)

   [Cheongsil Hoetjip] \nThis couple, who have run their raw fish restaurant consistently over the years, cook the food themselves and are well known for insisting on wild-caught fish for everything except flatfish and abalone, refusing to serve anything that isn't wild-caught. \n[Miwon Hoetjip] \nMiwon Hoetjip is known for wild-caught raw fish in the pristine waters of Wando, famous for Cheonghaejin. Wild-caught fish fresh from the sea has a completely different bite from farmed fish, and that is exactly why the owner insists on serving only wild-caught live fish. \nMoreLess

   

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4. 4
   Jeongdo-ri Gugyedeung Pebble Beach

   정도리 구계등 갯돌 해변

   The pebbles here have been polished smooth and worn round and even by tens of thousands of years of waves, with no rough edges left. Each time the waves roll in and recede, the pebbles rub against one another, giving off a constant rustling sound. Since only coarse pebbles settle where the waves reach, on days with rough surf the sound of the tumbling stones roars like thunder. \nMoreLess

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5. 5

   Wando Tower

   완도타워

   Built on 53,000㎡ near the summit of Dongmangsan in Wando-eup, Wando Tower, standing 76m tall within Ilchul Park -- which also features an observation tower, plaza, walking trails, and rest areas -- offers year-round views of Wando's spectacular sunrises and sunsets, as well as night views of Wando Harbor and Sinji Bridge.\nMoreLess

   

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6. 6

   Wando Cheonghaejin Historic Site

   완도 청해진유적

   The Jangdo historic site, designated National Historic Site No. 308, is located on Jangdo (also known as 'General's Island'), a round, flat island resembling an upturned abalone shell, in the sea off Jangjwa-ri to the east of the main island of Wando. The village is about 100m from Jangdo, and a wooden footbridge connecting them allows free passage back and forth. This is the historic site of Cheonghaejin, established by Jang Bogo, the famous military commander of the Unified Silla period. \nMoreLess

   

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