[One Day Walk] Seeing the Beautiful Sunset Inspires Poetry... Ganghwa Nadeulgil Course 4

Course 4 of Ganghwa Nadeulgil starts from Gareung and passes by the Jeongjedu Tomb, Hau Spring, Lee Geon-chang’s Tomb, Geonpyeong Ferry, and Cheonsangbyeong Return-to-Heaven Park, ending at Oepo Fish Market and Mangyang Fortress. As the course name "The Village Road Where the Sun Sets" suggests, it is an ordinary path that begins at Gareung and goes through forest trails, but from Geonpyeong Ferry onward, if timed right, you can enjoy the setting sun sinking in the west. Even on regular days, you can see the scenery of the harbor, the spectacle of seagulls, and the whirlpools of the tide. The total length is 11.5 km, and it takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The starting point, Gareung, is the tomb of Queen Sun-gyeong, the consort of King Wonjong, the 24th monarch of the Goryeo Dynasty. Queen Sun-gyeong was the granddaughter of Choi Woo, a powerful figure who ruled the military regime of Goryeo for the longest period during its 100 years. The Choi family strengthened their position by having Wonjong enter the palace as Crown Prince and marrying him to Crown Princess Gyeongmokhyeonbi in 1235. The following year, she gave birth to Wang Sim, who would become King Chungnyeol, the 25th monarch of Goryeo, but she passed away at the young age of 16. Although she never became queen, she was posthumously honored as Queen Jeongsun after Wonjong’s ascension, and later elevated to Queen Sun-gyeong in 1274 when Wang Sim took the throne. It is one of the few Goryeo royal tombs located in South Korea.

Walking past Gareung, you will reach the Jeongjedu Tomb. Jeongjedu is known as the founder of the Ganghwa School, having completed the imaginative system of Yangmingism in Korea for the first time. After passing the state examination, he held important positions such as Deputy Prime Minister and Royal Tutor, but, lamenting the social turmoil, he resigned from office to devote himself to academic research. Passing Hau Spring, you will find the tomb of Lee Geon-chang, a Joseon Dynasty official from the late period. When the Gabo Reform occurred in 1894, he abandoned all official posts and returned to his hometown, advocating resistance against Japanese invasion, but he passed away in 1898.

From Geonpyeong Port, the true seaside path begins. Seokmodo Island can be seen across the sea. Near Geonpyeong Port is also Cheonsangbyeong Return-to-Heaven Park. It was created to commemorate the late poet Cheon Sang-byeong, who wrote the famous poem "Return to Heaven" with the line "I shall return to the sky." Although the poet’s hometown was Masan in Gyeongnam, he longed for the sea of his hometown but could not visit due to distance and travel expenses, so he visited the nearby sea of Ganghwa Island instead. While drinking Makgeolli at Geonpyeong Ferry, Cheon composed the poem "Return to Heaven," and the poet Park Jae-sam, who was with him at the time, received this memo. However, shortly after, Cheon was caught up in the Dongbaekrim Incident, a fabricated spy case, and was institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital due to torture aftereffects. Park mistakenly believed Cheon had died and published "Return to Heaven" as his posthumous work, causing a notable incident.

Passing Oepo Fish Market and arriving at Mangyang Fortress marks the end of today’s course. A fortress (don-dae) refers to a small-scale observation and defense facility along the coast or border areas. It is one of the 48 fortresses built on Ganghwa Island by King Sukjong of Joseon in 1679. It has a square structure with a circumference of 130 meters, stone walls 3 to 3.4 meters high, and a width of 2.5 meters. At sunset, the sun setting beyond the fortress is the highlight of Ganghwa Nadeulgil Course 4.