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English_“A step in Ganghwa, and a bite of eel” Healthy Tour Along Ganghwa Pyeonghwa Nurigil

  • WRITER유예은
  • DATE2016.09.22
  • COUNT1032


“A step in Ganghwa, and a bite of eel” 

Healthy Tour Along Ganghwa Pyeonghwa Nurigil

 

 

 


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The scorching heat is in full swing. Walking around in the afternoon makes us soaked with sweat. Cicadas fill the air with their song. How can we beat the sweltering heat?

 

Come to think of it, 16th of August is “Malbok”, which means the last day of hottest time of the year. The ancients ate meat or nutritious food to prevent the loss of appetite on three “Bok” days. Luckily, we are living in the 21st century with plenty of food to eat. Let’s leave for Ganghwa where fresh eels are waiting for us.

 

 


Northern fields and mountains seen dimly above the barbed-wire fences

 

You can go straight to the restaurants that sell eels, but I would recommend stimulating your appetite first by walking along the Pyeonghwa Nurigil and then filling your stomach since you’ve visited Ganghwado Island in a long time. Located in Ganghwa-gun Incheon-si, Ganghwa Pyeonghwa Nurigil is about 7.2km long road along barbed-wire fences. It will take around two hours to walk along the c, but there are some scenic rest areas that will make you stop in your tracks.

 

 

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This corner, called ‘Dolmoru’ since there are many stones (“Dol” means a stone in Korean), is the entry of Ganghwa Pyeonghwa Nurigil.

 

 

To avoid the scorching sunshine, I started my journey at Dolmoru early in the morning. People said that the fields and mountains seen over the barbed-wire fences were in North Korean territory, but I thought it was not realistic because they were so close. A northerly sea breeze sometimes blew heat waves. When sweat started to run down my face, a castle came into sight. That was the entrance of Yeonmijeong.

 

 

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Walking along the ramparts of Yeonmijeong will lead you to a lonely pavilion that welcomes visitors.

 

 

Yeonmijeong Pavilion, tangible cultural properties No.24, is one of Ten Scenic Views of Ganghwa and famous for its magnificent view. The northeastern Ganghwado, where Yeonmijeong Pavilion is, looks like the tail of swallow because the water branches off into two streams, so it was named Yeonmijeong. Two zelkova trees, hundreds of years old, on both sides of the pavilion, stretch their branches from side to side. It is a perfect place to take a brief break listening to wind noise.

 

 

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Barbed-wire fences stood continuously along the road, 300m away from Yeonmijeong Pavilion.

 

 

Barbed-wire fences surrounded most of Ganghwa Pyeonghwa Nurigil. If you turn your head to the right by the time you become bored, ears of rice that grow rapidly receiving the sunlight will come into sight.

 


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▲Let’s follow the blue pipes as milestones.

 

 

Sometimes blue cylindrical pipes which can be seen on the Nurigil make me put my head a little to one side. It was galling that the blue pipes occupied half of the narrow road, but it transpired that the blue pipes were the water ways installed by Korea Rural Community Corporation to prepare for drought. They said that the pipes would be maintained until they overcome drought so I shared the road with the pipes.

 

 

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Korean War Veterans Memorial which can be seen when I went up a hill

 

 

As I went up a hill wiping the sweat, I burst out into an exclamation since Korean War Veterans Memorial was standing on a sunny place. In addition, sculptures that embodied the fields and mountains of North Korea caught my eye. I dried the sweat off here for a moment, and left for the final destination.

 

 

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▲I found a familiar sign at the entrance of Gapgot Catholic Martyrs' Shrine.

 

 

If you see the old Ganghwa bridge, that means your journey has come to end. Gapgot Catholic Martyrs' Shrine is a place to honor the Catholics who were sacrificed by Heungseon Daewongun, the regent of Joseon during the minority of Emperor Gojong in the 1860s, and exhibits the martyries and sculptures. It is also a place where you can go to restroom which can hardly be seen on Pyeonghwa Nurigil.

 

 

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Pyeonghwa Nurigil will lead you to War Memorial of Ganghwa.

 

 

The fare for adults is only 900 Korean won to look around the War Memorial of Ganghwa and the Ganghwa Gapgot High ground. The stories about the battles that were fought around Ganghwa and the castles are unfolded in the War Memorial of Ganghwa. They are good places to visit with your children.

 

 

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▲The whole view of Ganghwa Gapgot High ground(left) and the two-storied pavilion

 

 

I rounded off the walking tour of Ganghwa Pyeonghwa Nurigil by going up to the second floor of the pavilion located in Ganghwa Gapgot High ground. The sea seen from the pavilion extended unimpededly to both North and South. If you are envious of the sea water that cross the frontier between South and North Korea, it is worthwhile to walk along the Ganghwa Pyeonghwa Nurigil.




Gangwha Mud Flat Eel beating the midsummer heat

 

 

When you go down 1km from Gapgot High ground to the south, you can find Deorimi Jangeo(Eel) Street. There are many eel restaurants surrounding the Deorimi port. You can taste plump eels at any restaurants. Also you have a chance to have a generous meal with Ganghwa specialties such as Fried eels bone, Ganghwa radish kimchi, Ganghwa ginseng, eel rice porridge, and so on.

 

 

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▲It’s not just eel, it’s real mud flat eel.

 

 

Most of Deorimi eel restaurants sell freshwater eels along with mudflat eels. You can’t miss the chance to taste mudflat eels since coming up here. Ganghwa County, as region that meets fresh water and sea water, is famously known for home of natural eel. The Ganghwa mudflat eels are raised in mudflat fish stock by eating ‘organic feed’ like shrimps, small fries and crabs instead of artificial feed. It is natural that eels, playing in mudflat and eating varieties of living things, has outstanding taste.

 

 

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▲Eating fat eels completely relieves hiker of fatigue.

 

 

As soon as I took a bite of eels broiled to a golden brown, bouncy flesh of eel was burst. Fresh itself. The taste was quite different from soft freshwater eels.

 

 

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▲Easily digested with sliced ginger and sesame leaves.

 

 

It is widely known that eel, which is believed to increase stamina, has Omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin A(Retinol). It is very helpful nutrients for blood vessel. Eels, which have lots of unsaturated fatty acid like EPA and DHA, reduce cholesterol count and prevent adult diseases.

 

 

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▲Ganghwa mudflat eels I ate up to the last morsel

 

 

Eating eels could have an immediate effect on hot weather and stamina. At the very least they are just the thing for trekker to regain his vigor. Just one bowl makes tired legs move. Carrying a bag on the shoulder, I hit the road again.

 

 

Ganghwa is called a roofless museum. It preserves not only relics from the prehistoric times but also swirl of warfare history with nothing damaged. Also it is the place that frontier districts facing with North Korea. Walking around here, I remind ‘Peace’ again and again. It must be a big dream of the present Ganghwa.

 

 

 

You can get to Gangwha Pyeonghwa Nurigil like this way!

 

▲Start : Dolmoru (12-4, Daesan-ri, Ganhwa-eup, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon-si)

 

End : Gapgot High ground (18, Haeandong-ro 1366beon-gil, Ganghwa-eup, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon)

 

▲Meal : Deorimi Jangeo(Eel) Street (Deorimi-gil, Seonwon-myeon, Gangwha-gum, Incheon)

 

⇒2 hours on foot or 30 minutes by car will do.

 

You can’t get into Gapgot High ground by car from Ganghwa Bridge. Go on a bike or walk.

 

 

유예은

2016.09.22

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