[Jo Yongjun's Journey Manli] 'A Brief Pause' Now Slowly Goodbye... An Invitation to Everyday Life

Yangyang Beach Journey - Green Sea, Crashing Waves, Children's Laughter, This Is Everyday Life

It is time to break free from the suffocating daily life of COVID-19 and return to everyday living. A traveler visiting Donghae Hajodae Skywalk is resting while gazing at the endless sea and the deep sky.

The faces of children playing on Yangyang Beach are full of joy.

The pristine white unmanned lighthouse at Hajodae has recently emerged as a popular attraction.

Surfi Beach at Hajodae Beach, Yangyang, the paradise for surfers

Hajodae Dullegil

Naksansa Uisangdae

Hajodae Skywalk Observatory

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Yong-jun, Travel Specialist] The seemingly endless big battle has passed once. The gradually subsiding trend shows a stable flow. Hope is felt little by little. This is about the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The high-intensity pause has ended. Now, it has shifted to social distancing in daily life that balances quarantine, everyday life, and economic activities. Although our lives have changed a lot due to COVID-19, it is time to cautiously prepare for a return to normal life. The temptation of fresh greenery is growing stronger day by day, and people who have been suppressed are also stirring. Outdoor facilities such as recreation forests and arboretums that had been closed have also started operating. During the recent golden holiday, many people thirsty for travel visited places near their homes or as far as Jeju Island. We hope that their bodies and minds, exhausted by COVID-19, have somewhat recovered. However, the virus has not yet been eradicated. Social distancing and masks must be strictly observed even at travel destinations. Travelmanri visited places where you can momentarily escape from the suffocating COVID-19, breathe fresh air, run freely, and shout out loud. There are many sunrise spots with endless green seas, white sandy beaches, and seas dyed red by the rising sun. This is Yangyang, located along National Route 7 on the east coast of Gangwon Province, closest to the sea. It is a place full of sights and attractions such as Hajodae, Naksansa Temple, Hajodae Dullegil (coastal trail), Namae Port, the filming location of Whale Hunting, and Surfi Beach, a surfer’s paradise.

◇ Yangyang’s Top Attractions: Hajodae, the White Unmanned Lighthouse, and the Coastal Trail

The sea in Yangyang is closest to National Route 7, the symbol of the east coast. Unlike other areas where you have to head toward the coast for a long time, you can see the sea in almost every section.

Yangyang has the magnificent view of the East Sea in front and Seoraksan’s Daecheongbong Peak behind, making it famous for its outstanding scenery since ancient times. During the Joseon Dynasty under King Taejong, a Dohobu (provincial administrative office) was established here, showing its prominence.

After exiting Yangyang IC, head first to Hajodae (Scenic Site No. 68, nationally designated cultural asset). It is a sea observatory named after two Joseon founding officials, Ha Ryun and Jo Jun, who lived here in retirement. It has long been famous as a sunrise spot, mentioned and recorded by numerous poets and scholars.

The view from Hajodae Observatory is beautiful. In fact, there is no unattractive scenery along the East Coast. Pine trees growing on jagged cliffs, the blue sea and white lighthouse, gentle beaches, centuries-old pine forests, and the sunrise painting the sea red ? the more you know, the more delightful Yangyang’s sea becomes.

Opposite the observatory stands an unmanned lighthouse. Climbing the stairs between the pine trees and rocks leads you to the lighthouse that guides and lights the sea route. Recently, it has become popular as a photo spot blending with pine trees, known as a “sensory” photo point. Climbing the lighthouse stairs or taking a photo with the white lighthouse slightly hidden behind the pine trees is a must.

Descending from Hajodae leads to the vast Hajodae Beach. Below the beach’s rocky peak is a skywalk observatory shaped like a lighthouse. You can view the waves crashing in layers onto the beach and the Seorak mountain ridge.

Part of the floor is made of reinforced glass, adding thrill with every step. From the end of the observatory, the East Sea spreads out at a glance. Stretching your arms wide, you can embrace the vast blue sea.

Below the skywalk is Hajodae Dullegil, opened last spring. It is a trail that passes through bizarre rock formations created by the uplift of the east coast and pine trees that have grown for hundreds of years. The trail along the coast is not very long. The deck is less than 300 meters. Even walking slowly, a round trip takes about 20 minutes, but the feeling is long and intense. Along the way, a 200-year-old protected pine tree standing upright on the cliff catches the eye.

The trail ends at a military resort and the beach. Locals hope the coastal path will extend about 3 km past the military base to the Hajodae pavilion. Unfortunately, on the day of the visit, the trail was temporarily closed for maintenance, so the visit had to be cut short.

Heading to Hajodae Beach, the white sandy beach stretches about 4 km backed by dense pine forests. On one side is Surfi Beach, Korea’s only surfing-only beach. It is a space dedicated to surfers. Surfi Beach has a wide beach about 1 km long and is a complex cultural space where you can enjoy various performances, festivals, and drinks after surfing.

During COVID-19, the beach was empty except for surfers, but during the golden holiday, family travelers visited, and the beach was lively and vibrant. Children were deeply engaged in sand play, and parents watching them enjoyed a cup of tea leisurely. Couples walking on the beach smiled brightly, enjoying a sweet outing after a long time. It seemed to wash away the fatigue of body and mind caused by COVID-19.

◇ Yangyang’s Representative Attractions: Naksansa Temple and Namae Port, the Filming Location of Whale Hunting

Climb up to Naksansa Temple under the blue sky. Naksansa is said to have been founded by the monk Uisang, who met Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Every traveler visiting Yangyang has visited at least once, and even multiple visits never bore them. Naksansa has suffered many hardships and has been destroyed more than once.

During the Japanese invasions of Korea (Imjin War) and the Manchu invasions (Byeongjahoran), it was repeatedly destroyed and restored. In 2005, a wildfire burned down several buildings including Wontongbojeon Hall. Even the national treasure bronze bell melted. Excavations and restorations were carried out twice, restoring the temple to its late 18th-century appearance as painted by Kim Hong-do during King Jeongjo’s reign in the Joseon Dynasty.

Uisangdae Pavilion, built in 1925 on a seaside cliff to honor Monk Uisang, and the pine trees curled around it are charming. The pavilion’s interior view is excellent, and the pavilion itself becomes a scenic background when viewed from outside.

Hongryeonam Hermitage, where Uisang prayed chasing a bluebird on a rock in front of a stone cave and met Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, survived despite the adjacent temple building burning down in 2005. The small courtyard in front of Hongryeonam is a famous sunrise spot. From here, you can see the cliff where Uisangdae stands in the foreground and the sun rising beyond the horizon. The strong sea wind makes the sound of the scenery loud.

Next to Naksansa is Mulchi Beach, where the parking lot meets the sea, making it the closest beach in terms of accessibility. The red lighthouse shaped like a pine mushroom and the white lighthouse blend with the horizon. Any photo taken here looks beautiful.

Also visit Namae Port at the southernmost tip of Yangyang. The fishing boats returning from early morning fishing reflect peacefully on the mirror-like water surface. Although it is the largest port in Yangyang, there is no sign of bustle anywhere. The small hill at the entrance of the breakwater leading to the lighthouse is the filming location of the movie "Whale Hunting," starring Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Mi-sook, and Kim Soo-chul.

On the small hill is the Namae Observatory with a transparent glass floor. Though small, the sea view spreading forward and sideways is wide and refreshing.

Yangyang = Text and photos by Cho Yong-jun, Travel Specialist jun21@asiae.co.kr

◇ Travel Notes

△ Getting There = Using the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway, you can reach the East Sea in about 3 hours. After exiting Yangyang IC, both Hajodae and Naksansa are about 10 minutes away. If traveling along National Route 7, start at Mulchi Port and finish at Namae Port. Nearby is Gangneung Jumunjin Port, which you can visit before returning home via the Donghae Expressway and the Gangneung-Seoul Expressway.

△ Food = You cannot miss Beombu Makguksu under Hangyeryeong. It is a rough noodle dish with buckwheat husks tightly covering the noodles. It is rustic but makes you nod in approval after eating. Osan Raw Fish Restaurant at Dongho Beach is famous for its soup made with surf clams. Minari (water parsley), chives, and onions are mixed with flour, coated, and boiled in broth to make a thick soup. There are many raw fish restaurants gathered at Mulchi Port, Hajodae, Susan Port, Gisamun Port, and Namae Port, with similar menus.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.