Diving Right Into the Nature of Chungnam

Chungnam is an excellent travel destination spanning both coast and inland. Enjoy the sea at Samgilpo Harbor, then take in the vast, beautiful scenery stretching from Seosan's Buseoksa Temple and the migratory bird sanctuary of Birdland to Ganwolam Hermitage, famous for its beautiful sunsets. As this course covers a fair distance, spending a night at Anmyeondo Recreational Forest will give you a more relaxed pace. Source: Chungcheong, More Charming the Longer You Stay

Along the way

1. 1

   Samgilpo Harbor

   삼길포항

   Belonging to Hwagok-ri, Daesan-eup, Chungcheongnam-do, Samgilpo Harbor is located at the end of the Daeho Tidal Embankment, which links Gyoro-ri, Seokmun-myeon, Dangjin, with Samgilpo in Hwagok-ri, Daesan-eup, and is where the sluice gate of Lake Daeho is found. Completed on November 16, 1984, the Daeho Tidal Embankment is 7.8km long, makes for a great coastal drive, offers beautiful views of large and small islands floating on the sea, and is a popular sea-fishing spot. Dobi, located at the center of the embankment, has been developed into a rural and fishing resort with a farm produce market, lodging, and sports and leisure facilities, and has drawn attention as a tourist attraction. MoreLess

   

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2. 2
   Buseoksa Temple (Seosan)

   부석사(서산)

   Situated at the foot of Mt. Dobisan, Buseoksa Temple is a Provincial Cultural Property No. 195, founded by Great Master Uisang in the 17th year of King Munmu of Silla (677) and later rebuilt by Great Master Muhak. The temple includes Geungnakjeon Hall, monks' quarters, Singeomdang Hall, and Anyangnu Pavilion, and enshrines eight statues of Buddha, centered on Amitabha, along with Avalokitesvara, Mahasthamaprapta, and Ksitigarbha bodhisattvas. The temple's surrounding scenery is especially beautiful, drawing many visitors. MoreLess

   

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3. 3

   Lunch (Subok Sikdang)

   점심식사(수복식당)

   The broth, made with a special secret recipe, has an exceptional flavor -- reportedly made using ginger. The tradition has been passed down for three generations. To compare with similar naengmyeon (cold noodle) restaurants in the area, check whether the menu has the phrase "manheoyu." Manheoyu means the restaurant only does two things. MoreLess

   

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4. 4

   Cheonsuman Bay (Migratory Bird Sanctuary)

   천수만(철새도래지)

   About an hour and a half's drive from Seoul along the West Coast Expressway lies a world-class migratory bird sanctuary where you can observe beautiful flocks of birds. Cheonsuman is an artificial freshwater lake between Seosan and Taean-gun (toward Anmyeondo), and its creation turned what was once tidal flats into a large-scale farmland area (6,400ha). Because Cheonsuman lies along the coast, a major migration route for birds, and because its maritime climate keeps monthly average temperatures from October to March about 1.2 degrees C higher than inland areas, and because the large rice paddies nearby leave grain behind after the harvest as a major food source for winter migratory birds, the area came to have all the right conditions for a bird habitat, and it rose to become a world-renowned migratory bird sanctuary. MoreLess

   

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5. 5
   Ganwolam Hermitage

   간월암

   Ganwolam is a small hermitage located in Ganwoldo-ri, Buseok-myeon, said to have been founded by Great Master Muhak in the early Joseon period and later rebuilt by Great Master Song Man-gong. Unlike other hermitages, it is a mysterious place that connects to the mainland at low tide and becomes an island at high tide, feeling like a hermitage floating on water when the tide is in. The surrounding natural scenery, combined with an ancient temple where you can feel the breath of past ancestors, draws a steady stream of visitors. MoreLess

   

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6. 6

   Anmyeondo Recreational Forest

   안면도자연휴양림

   Anmyeondo Recreational Forest is Korea's only pure pine forest, where a natural stand of Anmyeon pine trees roughly 100 years old grows densely across 430ha. The pines were used mainly for palace timber and shipbuilding since the Goryeo dynasty, and as overlogging worsened, the royal court placed the forest under special management from the Goryeo period onward; it has been managed by Chungcheongnam-do Province since 1965. Today, Anmyeondo Recreational Forest sits on a pine-covered hillock that appears after passing through the center of Anmyeon-eup and the wide fields of Bangpo Village. MoreLess

   

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