[Jo Yongjun's Journey Manli] Uljin Snow Crab Meat Has Increased

Uljin Hupo Port Fish Market: A Place of Life
Snow Crab Festival Held for the First Time in 3 Years from 23rd to 26th
Spring Drive Along the Coastal Road

One of the great pleasures of traveling to Uljin is the food. It is the season when the sea offers plump and fresh seafood at its best. Just being able to enjoy a table set with freshly caught seafood makes the long journey worthwhile. At this time of year, Uljin’s culinary highlights are undoubtedly snow crab and red snow crab (Hongge). After three years, the snow crab festival is also set to take place. But that’s not all. Uljin offers endless attractions including coastal drives, a lighthouse over 110 years old, the Sky Rail, nostalgic mural streets, and the lush Geumgang Pine forest for forest bathing. Let’s embark on a journey to Uljin, where both the eyes and the palate will be delighted.

At Hupo Auction Market, the merchants' hands are busy sorting the snow crabs after the auction has ended.

When it comes to snow crab, the name Yeongdeok is familiar, but the original village of snow crab is Uljin. According to records, this is the case. In the 16th-century geographical book "Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam," snow crab, recorded as "Jahae (紫蟹)," is listed as a specialty of Pyeonghae County and Uljin County. During the Joseon Dynasty, Lee Sanhae (1539?1609), who served as Chief State Councillor, was exiled here and named the area Haepo (蟹浦) because of the abundance of snow crabs.

The name "snow crab" does not come from its size. It is called snow crab because the eight leg segments extending from its body resemble dry bamboo. Uljin snow crab is not only plump and appetizing but also characterized by a soft yet chewy texture and a savory yet sweet flavor.

At this time of year, snow crabs are full of meat, savory, chewy, and delicious.

In the morning, Hupo Fish Market is bustling with activity. The snow crab auction scene is something worth seeing at least once when traveling to Uljin.

If you visit Hupo Port in Uljin, watching the snow crab auction at the fish market is one of the great pleasures. The fish market is bustling with fresh seafood. Usually, auctions at fishing ports take place at the crack of dawn, making it difficult to visit. At Hupo Port, the auction starts at 4:30 a.m., but the snow crab auction is held later at 8 a.m., and there is also a red snow crab auction at 9:30 a.m. This is a consideration for merchants who come from afar to buy crabs.

Fishing boats return to the harbor, unloading snow crabs and red snow crabs. Fishermen, armed with long boots and rubber gloves, skillfully spread the crabs on the auction floor, waiting for the bidding to begin. Hupo Port is the place to see snow crabs from the East Coast, known for their chewy and clean taste. As the largest snow crab production area in Korea, Hupo is bustling every February and March with people eager to taste snow crab. The snow crabs, which grow their meat and flavor in the harsh cold, are plump and tempt gourmets.

After the auction, Hupo Port transforms into a snow crab market. Fresh snow crabs are placed in large rubber tubs, and the vendors’ hands, grabbing the attention of passersby, exude the vitality of life. Behind the bargaining fishermen and tourists, women busy themselves repairing nets. Around this time, the nearby restaurants also become lively. Steaming snow crab steamers stimulate both the eyes and the palate.

A merchant selling red snow crabs at Hupo Fish Market

The popularity of red snow crab is no less than that of snow crab. In Uljin, red snow crab is called "Bulg-eun Daegae" (Red Snow Crab). Although red snow crab can be enjoyed year-round, it tastes better in winter. The challenge is how to choose a good one. Many people shake their heads at red snow crab because they have often been disappointed by crabs with dry meat and watery flesh. In fact, even experts find it difficult to select good red snow crabs.

From Hupo Port, follow the coastal road past Manghyangjeong to Jukbyeon Port. This is the most splendid coastal drive course in Uljin. Driving along the blue sea is a delight. Unlike the coastal roads in neighboring Samcheok or Yeongdeok, which go up and down hills, this coastal road runs right alongside the sea without any height difference between the road and the water surface. There are no tall walls or metal fences blocking the view along this road.

Coastal road connecting Hupo Port to Manghyangjeong

Deunggisan Skywalk

Passing Manghyangjeong and entering Jukbyeon, you will find the Jukbyeon Coastal Sky Rail, a representative attraction of Uljin travel. The Sky Rail is a small monorail-type vehicle that runs automatically along rails installed in the air. It operates on rails set 5 meters high on pillars along the 4.8 km coastline from Jukbyeon Lighthouse to Hujeong Beach.

Is there any other place where you can see the raging sea and rugged rocky shore so closely? The best spot to see the Sky Rail is at the set of the drama "Into the Storm," called the Fisherman’s House. Watching the Sky Rail running along the sea from here, you simply cannot resist riding it.

The fare is charged per vehicle, which seats four people, with prices varying depending on the number of passengers. For 1 or 2 passengers, the fare is 21,000 KRW per vehicle; for 3 passengers, 28,000 KRW; and for 4 passengers, 35,000 KRW.

Jukbyeon Skyrail

North of Hujeong Beach is the National Marine Science Museum, built at a cost of 104.5 billion KRW. This place combines education with play. In the exhibition hall showcasing humanity’s challenge to the unknown sea, pointing a tablet at the suspended submarine Trieste triggers augmented reality (AR) videos, offering a unique experience. There is also a three-sided video theater that vividly presents marine science videos.

The highlight of the museum is the Sea Greeting Path 393, which feels like walking on the sea, and the underwater observatory where you can see the underwater world vividly. The underwater observatory, built about 400 meters offshore, is a massive eight-story structure that allows visitors to see the sea floor at a depth of 6 meters. Although the glass windows often become cloudy despite frequent cleaning, the fish swimming in the undulating sea offer a different feeling than those seen in an aquarium.

◇Travel Notes

△Getting There=Getting to Uljin is a long journey. It usually takes more than 4 hours and 30 minutes, so it is recommended to travel leisurely. From Gangneung on the Yeongdong Expressway, you can take the Donghae Expressway and then Route 7 to reach Hupo-eup. Alternatively, from the Seoul metropolitan area, the fastest way to Hupo Port is via the Sangju-Yeongdeok Expressway. Taking the Jungang Expressway, exit at Punggi IC, then take Route 36 through Yeongju and Bonghwa to reach Uljin Seomyeon. From there, passing through Bulyoung Valley leads to Hupo Port.

Wangdolcho Square, where the Uljin Snow Crab Festival is held

△Festival=From the 23rd to the 26th of this month, the 2023 Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab Festival will be held around Wangdolcho Square in Hupo Port, Uljin. The festival, held for the first time in three years since COVID-19, is expected to showcase a bustling tourist atmosphere and various events, bringing the tourist destination back to life.

In addition, there will be various experiences such as a tourist participation playground, yacht sunrise sailing experience, walking the Deunggisang Snow Crab Trail, royal costume experience, crab marinated rice, and snow crab noodle soup from the original snow crab village. Red snow crab, another star of the festival, is also widely sold as processed products, and there are many red snow crab processing factories near Hupo Port. Free tastings of various processed products made from red snow crab will also be offered.

△Food=There are many good restaurants around Jukbyeon and Hupo Port. Wangdolhoesusan in Hupo Port, the site of the snow crab festival, is famous for snow crab and red snow crab steamed in a cauldron. The generous hospitality and honesty of the owner are the reasons travelers trust and visit this place. Other popular dishes include steamed and grilled shellfish. Mangyangjeong Hoetjip, located below Mangyangjeong, serves delicious seafood kalguksu (noodle soup), and there are several restaurants in Jukbyeon Port known for tasty gomchi-guk (fish soup).

Uljin = Written and photographed by Jo Yongjun, travel journalist

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