Ganghwa Island

Ganghwa Island (강화도, 江華島 Ganghwado) , (Previously romanized as Kanghwa Island), is a rural county (군, gun) of Incheon, South Korea. The county of Ganghwa includes several other islands, most notably Seokmodo, the site of Bomunsa Temple.

Understand

Ganghwa is separated from the Korean mainland by a narrow channel, spanned by two bridges passable by cars. North Korea is directly across the channel on the north coast of the island.

Get in

By bus

There are frequent direct buses (W4200; 90 min) from Seoul's Sinchon Bus Terminal to the main town of Ganghwa-eup, as well as Bupyeong Station, Hapjeong Station, Songjeong Station, and Incheon Bus Terminal in Incheon. Local buses also connect to Gimpo (the city, not the airport).

Get around

There is a tourist information located inside the bus terminal. No English is spoken but they have English language tourist maps. There is also a tourist information center at the ferry terminal in Oepo-ri. They speak English.

Local buses appear to be infrequent.

See

Ganghwa Dolmen site

• Bugeun-ri Dolmen (부근리석묘군). A prehistoric burial site listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest stone here is 2.6×7.1×5.5 meters in size and weighs somewhere between 150 and 225 tons. Hourly buses from Ganghwa-eup. There is another cluster of dolmen at Gocheon-ri (고천리). Free. 
• Bomunsa (보문사). High up on Seokmodo Island, this temple is located in a scenic grotto with rock carvings and is famous as a place for women to pray for sons. Getting there is half the fun: take a bus from Ganghwa-eup to Oepo-ri (30 min, every 30 min), cross by ferry to Seokmodo (W2000; 10 min, every 30 min), and then take a shuttle bus (W1000) to the temple. 1500 won. 
• Gwangseongbo Fortress
• Mani Mountain
• Jeondeungsa Temple

Buy

Ganghwa Ginseng and Hwamunseok, which is a mat woven with flower patterns a representative traditional Korean product, with its intricate handwork and designs.

Eat

Drink

Sleep

There are several motels and yeogwan in Oepo-ri.

• Ganghwa Namsan Youth Hostel, 439 - 16 Namsan-ri, Ganghwa-eup, ☎ [phone]. Cavernous, charmless youth hostel, 10 min walk from the Oepo-ri ferry terminal. 
• Asomeplace (pension & spa), Asomeplace, 1009-7 Seondoo-ri, Kil Sang Myeon, Ganghwa county, Incheon, Korea. (Sinchon subway station (No.2 station of subway No.2 line) Exit No. 4, walk straight to Artreon (Movie complex) bus stop, No. 3100 bus, Get off at Onsuri, You can ride the taxi or call for pick up services.), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Pension Spa & Resort of Korea. 90,000won~310,000won. 

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