Still in Pohang? What to do, I’m already under her spell . The more I see of Pohang, the more I love this place. Given a choice I do not mind staying here. Are you ready to see more of Pohang? I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed.
With the number of beaches available in Pohang there must be plenty of places to fish, and it would be sinful if I don’t let you know where they are, so I’ve copied this from the website in case there are fishing hobbyists amongst you. Happy fishing! Be sure to bring back plenty of fish so that we can have grilled fish for dinner.
- Location : Samjeong 2-ri, Guryongpo-eup
- Catch : black porgy, large scale black fish, surfperch, wrasse, rockfish, etc.
- Inquiry : Fisheries Cooperatives, Samjeong 2-ri Office (054-276-3298)
- Fishing method : reel fishing
- Directions (by bus or car)
Reserved seat buses No. 200 and 200-1 from downtown to Guryongpo → get off at Guryongpo → intercity bus to Daebo (16 times a day)
Gyeongbu Expressway → Gyeongju I.C. → Gyeongju → National Road No. 7 to Pohang → East of National Road No. 31 → 19km → Guryongpo
- Location: Daedongbae-ri, Daebo-myeon
- Catch: black porgy, large scale black fish, surfperch, blowfish, flatfish, black rockfish
- Directions (by bus or car)
Intercity bus from the downtown terminal to Daedongbae (17 times a day)
National Road No. 31 from downtown past POSCO to Guryongpo → Yakjeon Junction in Donghae-myeon → 15km to Daebo
- Location: Cheongjin-ri, Cheongha-myeon
- Catch: black porgy, large scale black fish, surfperch, halfbeak, greenling
- Fishing method: surf fishing
- Inquiry: Fisheries Cooperatives, Cheongjin 2-ri Office (054-261-6277)
- Directions (by bus or car)
Bus from the downtown terminal to Cheongjin-ri → get off at Iga-ri (10 times a day)
National Road No. 7 from downtown to Yeongdeok → turn right at Cheongha Junction → 4km from Wolpo Beach
- Location: Iga-ri, Cheongha-myeon
- Catch: black porgy, large scale black fish, flatfish, black rockfish, halfbeak
- Fishing method: surf fishing
- Inquiry: Fisheries Cooperatives, Iga-ri Office (054-261-6567)
- Directions (by bus or car)
Bus from downtown terminal to Cheongjin-ri → get off at Iga-ri (10 times a day)
National Road No. 7 from downtown to Yeongdeok → turn right at Cheongha Junction → 4km from Wolpo Beach
Jigyeong-ri Fishing Ground
- Location: Jigyeong-ri, Songra-myeon
- Catch: black porgy, large scale black fish, rockfish, mackerel, halfbeak
- Inquiry: Fisheries Cooperatives, Jigyeong-ri Office (054-262-2257)
- Directions (by bus or car)
Cross-country bus from downtown terminal to Yeongdeok/Uljin (45 minutes)
National Road No. 7 from downtown to Yeongdeok → turn right at Cheongha Junction → 6km from Wolpo Beach (21km to Yeongdeok)
Pohang Offing Fishing Ground
- Location: Guryongpo-ri, Goryongpo-eup
- Catch: black porgy, large scale black fish, rockfish, mackerel
- Fishing method: boat fishing
- Directions (by bus or car)
Reserved seat busses No. 200 and 200-1 from downtown to Guryongpo
Gyeongbu Expressway → Gyeongju I.C. → Gyeongju → National Road No. 7 to Pohang → East of National Road No. 31 → 19km → Guryongpo
Guryongpo Port Fishing Ground
- Location: Guryongpo 6-ri, Guryongpo-eup
- Catch: large scale black fish, black porgy, rockfish, mackerel, young perch, etc.
- Fishing method: pier fishing
- Directions (by bus or car)
Reserved seat busses No. 200 and 200-1 from downtown to Guryongpo
Gyeongbu Expressway → Gyeongju I.C. → Gyeongju → National Road No. 7 to Pohang → East of National Road No. 31 → 19km → Guryongpo
Guryongpo Pier Fishing Ground
- Location: Yangpo-ri, Janggi-myeon
- Catch: large scale black fish, black porgy, halfbeak, rockfish, surfperch, etc.
- Fishing method: pier fishing
- Directions (by bus or car)
Intercity bus from downtown terminal to Gampo → get off at Yangpo (22 times a day)
Downtown to POSCO → turn right at Cheongrim Junction → Ocheon-eup → Regional Road No. 929 → 10km from the Janggi-myeon Municipal Office
Yangpo Pier Fishing Ground
- Location: Sinchang-ri, Janggi-myeon
- Catch: flatfish, black porgy
- Fishing method: cast fishing
- Directions (by bus or car)
Intercity bus from downtown terminal to Gampo → get off at Yangpo (22 times a day)
Downtown to POSCO → turn right at Cheongrim Junction → Ocheon-eup → Regional Road No. 929 → 10km from the seat of Janggi-myeon Office
I’ve just discovered my little haven in Pohang. Don’t know whether I should keep it a secret.
I have fallen in love with the Deokdong Cultural Village, in Odeok-ri, Gibuk-myeon, that I am almost reluctant to share it with you all. Anything eco-friendly is what I like most. And thanks to its natural condition and unique culture, the Ministry of Culture designated it as a cultural village in 1992 and again in 2001 as the eco-friendly village . This village is so different from the usual cultural villages that we normally come across. It’s setting in its natural habitat and un-spoilt surroundings is just beautiful. Just look at the pictures.
You’ve got to see the Yeongildae Lake which is located in a housing complex in Hyoja-dong. There’s a park there, and the residents would normally take a walk near the lake before taking a rest in the park. In spring, cherry-blossom and golden-bell trees are in full blossom making the scenery even more spectacular.
And now I’m going to tell you about a man, a dreamer of big dreams who used to stay in Deoksil Village in Pohang.
Deokseong-ri (Deoksil Village), is a place where courtesy and virtue are deemed to very be important. The area is called Deoksil Village because honorable people used to live there. Confucian scholars lived and studied in this village. Their academic level was very high, high enough to lead the folk Confucian scholars in nearby Daljeon, Heunghae, Gigaem, and Cheongha.
Lee Myung-bak, Mr. President, the leader of Korea, once a boy with many dreams, began it all here in this village of Deoksil.
Lee was born on December 19, 1941 in Osaka, Japan as his father was working on a cattle ranch there. After the end of World War II in 1945, the family returned to his father's hometown in Pohang and lived in Deoksil Village for a few years, after which time he relocated to Pohang. Lee attended night school at Dongji Commercial High School in Pohang on a full scholarship. A year after graduation, Lee gained admission to Korea University. He became the CEO of the Hyundai Construction Co., Ltd. at the age of 36, the youngest CEO at that time, I believe.
Cheongyecheon
Many of you may remember him as the Mayor of Seoul from 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2006 before becoming the President of South Korea. As the Mayor of Seoul, Lee's most noticeable projects included the restoration of the Cheongyecheon, the creation of the Seoul Forest and the addition of rapid transit buses to the city's transportation system. Seoul Forest, is what you might call, Seoul's answer to New York‘s Central Park or London's Hyde Park. It provides Seoul residents with a vast green space with 400,000 trees and 100 different animals, including the deer and the elk. The park opened in June 2005 after taking just one year to build. As for the restoration of the Cheongyecheon, the stream now flows through the heart of Seoul turning the place into a modern public recreation space. Citizens of Seoul were not the only ones who sang praises of President Lee. In May 2006, the Asian Times reported that "Seoul, once synonymous with 'concrete jungle,' has achieved successful transformation of its face into a green oasis and now it is inculcating upon other Asian cities with the love of environment", inserting the picture of Lee standing ankle-deep in the waters of the Cheonggyecheon stream. Then in October 2007, President Lee was chosen as a 'Hero of the Environment' in Time magazine along with former U.S. vice president, Al Gore.
On the hill at the back of Seolmeori, which is a coastal village at the end of Bukbu Beach, stands the Hwanho Sunrise Park, in Hwanho-dong, Buk-gu, which is the first and largest park in the area. It is the first citizens park with a view of the sea. Once you get to the park, you can see Yeongil Bay. In the spacious grounds amidst the natural beauty of the coastal cliffs and the trees, there are many tourist attractions and recreational facilities here, which are open all day long. Inside the grounds are a Grand Waterfall, a Grass Plaza, a Program Fountain, a membrane structure, an octagonal pavilion, a performance hall, and an observation platform. The park is centered around the observation platform which is connected to the outdoor performance hall. The view from the observation platform is truly fantastic.
The Janggieup castle is located in Eupnae-ri, Janggi-myeon, Namgu, Pohang. The castle is surrounded by Mt. Dongak, and Janggi River runs through it. Government office within the castle was almost destroyed by Japanese soldiers during the colonial period. Only Hyanggyo (Confucian school) is recovered and maintained by the residents. The wall of castle is mostly covered with weeds and crumbled down.
The Ibam Confucian Academy is made of wood with tiles on the roofs. The vicinity of the academy is very beautiful. The Iljaedang has three sections on its front side and two sections on its rear side, as well as roof tiles with four protruding corners of Korean eaves. It was built in 1600 (the 33rd year in the reign of King Seonjo). Jang Hyeon-gwang, Jeong Sa-jin, and Sohn Wu-am lectured on Confucianism there. In 1629, Park In-ro visited Iljaedang and composed 29 poems about Ibam and Ibam Verse.
In 1907, the Iljaedang was burnt by Japanese soldiers during a movement by the Japanese army but was restored in 1914. The Iljaedang was built as follows: a high plumb block made of natural stones was piled up against a cliff, and three sections on the rear row were built on the plumb block. A floor was created at the middle of the building, and rooms were heated by Ondol a Korean under-floor heating system was built at both sides. An entrance is built at the back of the floor, where there’s a loft.
The Manhwaldang has three sections on its front and one section at its side, as well as roof tiles. It exists facing the west on a hill where a stream flows. This building was used by Jang Hyeon-gwang, who was a Confucian scholar in the mid-Joseon Dynasty, as a shelter from the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. On a three-layered plumb block made of stones, a natural cornerstone was placed and a column was built. This building is made of three purlins, and has one eave. The purlins have a round shape.
The middle section of the front three sections has two windows, and a room was built in the section. In each of the other sections, an Ondol room was built. A floor looking like a well was created. The rear walls of the Ondol rooms are equipped with the windows of the middle section at the Ibam Confucian Academy, and an alcove was built.
Guryongpo still has Japanese houses where the Japanese used to live more than 100 years ago. The backstreets of Guryongpo-eup, which used to be the residence of the Japanese under the Japanese imperialism, still can be seen. As you enter one of the backstreets, you will feel as if you are watching the everyday lives of the Japanese in Korea, in the early 1900s. Both sides of a narrow backstreet are filled with houses. Even if many of the houses are old and empty, their presence can still be felt. Even if the traces of their lives have disappeared, they have left their mark in history.
On a mountain at the back of the houses, there is a park built by the Japanese. As you climb the steep stone steps up the mountain the park looms into sight. Inside the park, there is a dragon king shrine for praying for the safety of the crews of ships at sea. Monuments facing the sea were built by the Japanese residents and inscribed with their names. But after they left, the Koreans covered the inscriptions with cement and turned the monuments in the opposite direction. Instead they inscribed the monuments with the names of meritorious people from Guryongpo.
If you have the time do visit the Haok Valley, it’s another beautiful place and you can even swim in the river. The Haok Valley shares the northern boundary with Budong-myeon Cheongsong-gun, the eastern boundary with Dalsan-myeon Yeongdeok-gun, and the southern boundary with Songra-myeon Pohang City. It is the source of the Osip river in Yeongdeok which is merged with the Dongdae Mountain valley’s water and the Hyangro peak's valley water from the main Taeback Mountain.
I would also like to mention a few of the hot springs that can be found in Pohang that are known for their therapeutic water.
The Yeongilman Hot Spring located in Daegak-ri is the youngest hot spring in Korea. There were already hot springs in existence in Onjeongjae, Wangeogol and Gamagol prior to its discovery. in 1974, during an oil exploration, it was found that the Yeongilman area has the best ground temperature. In 1988, the Yeongilman Hot Spring company, developed the area and established a large-scale hot spring resort there.
Properties of the spring water
- It is natural hot spring water containing hydrogen ion (9.45~10 in concentration), sulphuric ion, sodium bicarbonate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, fluorine, etc.
- It converts acidic physical constituents into alkali physical constituents, which relieves fatigue and restores energy, and is particularly effective for anti-aging and skincare functions.
- It enhances the natural healing powers of the human body to prevent and treat various adult diseases.
- It is effective for the prevention of diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, neuralgia, rheumatism (arthritis), eczema, skin infections, feeling of coldness, and women’s diseases.
Pohang has its fair share of festivals too, the festivals in Korea are what keep Korea so exciting and inviting. I’ve already told you about one in my previous post, the Homigot Sunrise Festival and now I shall tell you about the others.
I don’t know how often the Pohang International Fireworks Festival is held but last year it was held on July 26.2008 ~ July 27.2008 at the Buk-gu Duho-dong Northern Beach and the Hyeongsan River Sports Park. 6 teams from 4 nations participated in this festival, which included a Laser Show and a Water Show of the fountain besides the fireworks. It must have been great to have witnessed it, we can only admire the beautiful photographs here.
One may enjoy food, especially seafood either by buying it raw from the street or by eating in one of the many restaurants. The local dish of Pohang is called guamegi. It is cooked with pike which is frozen and defrosted in order to imitate the traditional habit of keeping it outside to dry. I think I already told you how that is done in my earlier posting. Also instead of fruits, why not try a specialty made of berries called Jaenggi Bokbunja? What I like about Korea is that you can always find a specialties street where you can buy food from hawkers without having to go into a restaurant. Hey isn’t it December now? Looks like we’re in luck, we can get to sample all the different types of food in Pohang. The Guamegi Festival is held in December in Nam-gu Guryongpo-eup where lots of FOOD will be on sale in the specialties street. It’s nothing else but food, food, food! Don’t believe me, then take a look at the pictures.
There doesn’t seem to be a date as to when the Pohang Beach Festival is being held. I only know that it is held at the Guryongpo Beach, the Pohang Northern Beach or Songdo Beach where the major events are catching live fish without any equipment and eating and drinking. There is a Dance festival, beach song festival, and best couple on the beach contest. I could only get hold of some pictures from the 2007 festival but just look at the crowd.
And with this I have come to the end of my visit to Pohang. I had a great time in the city of hope and dreams. Hope that you have enjoyed your tour to Pohang as much as I have. Thanks for dropping by, hope to see you again.
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