Cheolwon is located in the northern part of South Korea, in Gangwondo. One part of the region belongs to the Republic of Korea and the other exists in the territory of North Korea ever since the division of the Korean peninsula. The southern region usually consists of mountains and most of the other regions are wide plains. The Chung-ang Herald visited Dongsong-eup in Jangheung-ri which is in the middle western region of Cheolwon. This region has many cultural assets as shown in the pictures. The 8 must-see places in Cheolwon are Goseok jeong, Sambuyeon Falls, Sundam Valley, The 2nd Underground Tunnel, Jiktang Falls, Togyo Reservoir, and Maewoldae Falls.
*How to get to Cheolwon
There are many places to stay in Cheolwon, but we stayed at a pension called ‘jajeongeo tan pung-gyeong’ (the scenery seen while riding a bicycle). The rooms were very clean, and if you go in a large group, the barbeque is cooked for you by the owners of the pension.
1. Go to the Central City bus terminal (Express Bus Terminal Line 7) and ride the bus going to Shin Cheolwon terminal
2. Walk about 100m from the Shin Cheolwon terminal to the Ji-Pori bus stop.
3. Ride the Dongsong/Ji-Pori bus (downtown direction), go 10 stops and get off at the Jang-Heung 4 Ri stop
4. Walk about 700m until you reach the pension
Goseok jung
This is a specific pavilion, but people have now come to call the overall region surrounding the pavilion Goseok jeong. The pavilion was built during the Silla Dynasty by King Jinpyeong. On the stone walls, there are still traces of his poetry, in which he praises the magnificent scenery. This is also a place where during the Goryeo Dynasty, King Chungsuk came often. In King Myung-jong’s time during the Joseon Dynasty, Im Keokjeong is said to have built a stone wall across from Goseok jeong, and hide there while aiding the poor. ( Im Keokjeong was a man who lamented over the reality that people from the low class were socially blocked from leading a successful life. He gathered people to form a righteous outlaw group and stole tributes, giving them out to the common people. He is called the Robin Hood of Korea.) Of course, the current Goseok jeong was reconstructed in 1971 due to the damage from the Korean War.
*How to get there (from the pension mentioned before)
1. Walk about 700m to the Jang-Heung 4 Ri bus stop
2. Ride the bus going towards Ji-Pori, and get off after 1 station at the Goseok jung stop
3. Walk about 250m until you reach Goseok jung
Hantan River
This river starts at Pyeong-gang in Gangwondo, passes through Cheolwon and flows into the Imjin River. The whole length of the river is 110 km, and has an average width of 60 m. Some tourists go to the Taebong bridge for bungee jumping, but we chose rafting. After a simple orientation process, 8~10 people ride one raft, wearing a life jacket and helmet. We lifted the raft into the river, learned how to use our oars and started rowing immediately. The course can change according to the weather, but we went towards the Sundam Valley and were able to get a quick glimpse of Goseok jeong. There were 2~3 strong currents, and we were able to see the grand cliffs surrounding us when the water was calm. Rafters also get a chance to stop for a while and dive off a huge rock.
*How to get there
There are many leisure facilities near the Hantan River, but the closest rafting facility near the pension mentioned before is Han Leisure. After having a look at Goseok jung you only have to walk about 70m from the Goseok jung bus stop to get to this rafting facility.
Han Yeo-ul Road
Running from the Seung-il Bridge to the Jiktang Falls, the total length of this road is 4.88 km, and was selected by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a ‘Heritage Ecology Trail’. It is a very flat and smooth trail where you can view the nice scenery while riding your bicycle.
*How to get there
This road was right in front of the pension that we stayed at, and we could enjoy this road by riding the bicycles provided by the pension.
Jiktang Falls
This is the only place in Korea where a whole river forms into a waterfall, and is called the ‘Niagara of Korea’. It may look too small to be called a waterfall, but it is the widest in Korea, with a width of 80m.
*How to get there (from the pension mentioned before)
1. Walk about 1km towards the Sangsa-ri bus stop (17 min.)
2. Ride the bus going towards Sangsa-ri (downtown direction) and get off after 1 station at the Wi Sangsa-ri (upper Sangsa-ri) stop
3. Walk about 900m until Jiktang Falls
-Tourist Attractions in Other Parts of Cheolwon
Seung-Ri Observatory – This observatory is right in the middle of the 155 mile Military Demarcation Line, and is a great place to observe North Korea. You can view the movements of the North Korean Army, the Mt. Geumgang Railroad as well as some close villages, and really feel the separation between South and North Korea. There is also a display of North Korea’s liquor, food and clothing inside the observatory.
The 2nd Underground Tunnel – A South Korean soldier heard a boom in the ground while on duty, and this lead to a very long and persistent search using all sorts of the latest equipments at the time. The tunnel, found in 1975 was used by North Korea to invade South Korea, and is the second one of its kind that we have discovered.
Labor Party Building – After Korea’s liberation, North Korea built this building in order to reinforce political power, and control the people. It was used as a party headquarters by the Labor Party of North Korea up until the Korean War. During the 5 years of Communist rule, North Korea used this building for arresting and torturing of many patriots. It is said that once people went into this building, they could only come out as a corpse. This building is registered as the 22nd Modern Cultural Asset. (Source : The Cheolwon Tourism Homepage)
*There is no public transportation that goes from the pension to each of these places, but you can make use of the ‘Security Tour Course’ hosted by Cheolwon. Group touring by shuttle bus is only allowed on weekends, so tourists without their own cars should gather at Goseok jung on Saturday or Sunday. Tours are run 4 times a day each starting at 9:30, 10:30, 13:00, 14:30. Tourists should sign up for the tour at least 10 minutes before departure, and foreigners are required to have their passports with them.
+ Cheolwon is also famous for its Makguksu, which includes buckwheat noodles, Kimchi, cucumber, dongchimi (water-based radish Kimchi) and sesame seeds. Koreans enjoy this food especially during the summer or winter.