[Harumanbo] Ganghwa, Walking the Island within an Island, Gyodongdo

Total 16km Distance 'Ganghwa Nadeulgil Course 9'

Course 9 of Ganghwa Nadeulgil is a path where you can feel the simplicity and coziness of Gyodongdo, an island located in the northwest of Ganghwa-gun. Starting from Wolseonpo Ferry Terminal, the route covers a total distance of 16 km, passing through Gyodo Hyanggyo, Hwagesa Temple, the summit of Hwagesan Mountain, Seokcheondang, Daeryong Market, Namsanpo, Gyodong Eupseong, Dongjinpo, and returning to Wolseonpo Ferry Terminal. The estimated time required is 6 hours.

Departing from Wolseonpo and following the forest path, you will come across Gyodong Hyanggyo, Korea’s first hyanggyo and the first to enshrine a statue of Confucius. It was established in the 5th year of King Injong of Goryeo, and in the 12th year of King Chungnyeol of Goryeo, it is said that Anhyang brought back the statue of Confucius from the Yuan Dynasty and enshrined it here. The existing buildings include the educational spaces Myeongnyundang and the East and West Dormitories, as well as the ritual spaces Daeseongjeon, Dongmu and Seomu, Naesammun and Oesammun gates, and the ritual utensil storage.

Next, passing Hwagesa Temple, you will reach Hwagesanseong Fortress. Hwagesanseong served as a preemptive troop assembly point to defend against enemy invasions and is believed to have functioned as a land-based reserve position in case the enemy could not be defeated at sea. From the top of Hwagesanseong, you can see the vast fields stretching endlessly across Gyodongdo and even catch sight of Sangjusang Mountain on Seokmo Island.

Additionally, on this course, you can see a place presumed to be the exile site of King Yeonsangun. On the embankment above Gyodong Eupseong in Eumnaeri, there is a shrine called Bugeundang, where a hanging scroll painting (tanghwa) believed to depict King Yeonsangun and his wife Lady Shin is displayed. Although there are no exact records of the exile location, this site is considered the most plausible among the three proposed locations. There is also a granite monument inscribed with "Yeonsangun Jamjeoji" (Yeonsangun’s exile site). Gyodongdo was a place where several royal figures were exiled, released, or executed, including King Yeonsangun, King Gwanghaegun, Prince Anpyeong (the third son of King Sejong), Imhaegun (the first illegitimate son of King Seonjo), Prince Neungchang (brother of King Injo), Prince Sungseon (the fifth son of King Injo), Prince Ikpyeong (cousin of King Cheoljong), and Lee Jun-yong (grandson of Heungseon Daewongun).

Passing Gyodong Eupseong and a hanjeungmak (Korean steam sauna) that was used until the early 1960s, your steps will pause at the busiest market in Gyodongdo. The market is about 400 meters long, and the alleys are wide enough for two adults to walk side by side. You can see nostalgic old signboards, giving you the feeling of being on a movie set that recreates the alleys of the 1960s.