Travel to Daebudo in Ansan: Take the Waterway Instead of the Congested Roads

Ansan City Launches "Ansanho" Ferry Service on August 18
Round-trip Service from Bandalseom Pier Begins
Lee Mingeun: "Aiming to Establish a New Symbol of Marine Culture"

The 12.6-kilometer Sihwa Lake Embankment, which connects Oido in Siheung City, Gyeonggi Province to Daebudo in Ansan City, turns into a massive parking lot on weekends. It is common for it to take one to two hours to cross the embankment, as vehicles of visitors traveling to and from Daebudo become entangled in heavy traffic. Some people try to avoid the congestion by taking a detour via the Tando Embankment on the southern side of the island, but the situation is not much different there.

The "Ansanho" operates back and forth between Ansan Bandalseom Pier and Daebudo starting from the 18th. Provided by Ansan City

However, starting from August 18, there will be a way to avoid this traffic nightmare: by ferry. This is an unconventional solution that utilizes a waterway to reduce the inconvenience of traveling to and from an island connected to the mainland.

On August 13, Ansan City announced at the Ansan Daebu Marine Headquarters that it had held the "Daebudo Waterway Inauguration Ceremony with Citizens" and that the "Ansanho" ferry, connecting Ansan Bandalseom and Daebudo, will officially begin operations on August 18.

This operation is part of a project by the city to modernize the historical Daebudo waterway. The initiative aims to create new tourism demand connecting the urban area and Daebudo, and to establish new cultural spaces utilizing the waterfront. Starting with the basic and detailed plans in 2018, the city completed the expansion of infrastructure such as convenience facilities, parking lots, restrooms, and pier mooring facilities by the first half of this year, leading to the inaugural operation.

With the launch of the "Ansanho," the city plans to gradually expand new waterway operations in stages. In the first phase, a 32-passenger ferry will be deployed, and a new ferry is scheduled to be introduced in the first half of next year. Notably, in the third phase, the city plans to operate cruise ships for tourism, sightseeing, and leisure purposes on Sihwa Lake.

The reason Ansan City is deploying a small vessel for the first phase is due to the unique characteristics of Sihwa Lake, which is surrounded by the Sihwa Embankment and houses tidal power generation facilities. The city explained, "Given the characteristics of Sihwa Lake, the size of the vessels is restricted, so we decided to begin operations with small, safe vessels capable of passing through the sluice gates."

To ensure the safety of the route, the city conducted preliminary surveys of Sihwa Lake’s water depth and currents, and secured three safe navigation routes based on this data. The ferry will operate on safe routes that take into account the power generation and drainage schedules of the Sihwa Tidal Power Plant. To prevent accidents, all essential safety equipment, such as life jackets, will be provided, and a close cooperation system will be maintained with the Pyeongtaek Coast Guard.

Lee Mingeun, mayor of Ansan, is giving a greeting at the "Ansan Daebudo Waterway Inauguration Ceremony" held on the 13th. Courtesy of Ansan City

Lee Mingeun, mayor of Ansan, stated, "By gathering citizen feedback and expanding operations in stages, we will create new tourism demand and revitalize the Bandalseom and Sihwa Lake areas." He added, "We will strive to establish a unique cultural space in Ansan, providing special enjoyment and memories for visitors to Daebudo, and making it a new symbol of marine culture."

Meanwhile, the Ansanho operates a 13-kilometer round trip between Bandalseom Pier, located at 847-2 Seonggok-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan City, and the old Bangameori Pier on Daebudo. The travel time is approximately 45 minutes. The ferry runs twice on weekdays and three times on weekends and public holidays. However, there are no operations on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Passengers must complete ticketing at least 20 minutes before departure. The round-trip fare is 20,000 won, and 10,000 won for children under eight. Ansan residents receive a 50% discount.

Online reservations are available only until the day before boarding, and passengers must bring identification when boarding. If tickets are reserved online, discounts can be received at the pier ticket office.