GANGNEUNG CITY ENG - 솔향강릉

The Gangneung Danoje, which was registered as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005, is a traditional festival with a thousand-year history.

Gyeongpodae, a famous pavilion in Gangneung that has been designated as Treasure No. 2046, provides an unobstructed view of the Gyeongpo Lake, which is “clear as a mirror,” the blue sea, and the east coast with its long stretches of a white sandy beach. Gyeongpodae Pavilion is a splendid sightseeing spot where stunning scenery can be witnessed.

Gangneung-daedohobu Government Office, designated as Historic Site No. 388, appears imposing amid the modern buildings in downtown Gangneung. Initially built as a guesthouse during the Goryeo Dynasty, it was where central government officials stayed during a visit to Gangneung from the Goryeo Dynasty until the Joseon Dynasty. During the Japanese colonial era, most of the buildings were destroyed, but the original appearance of the site is being gradually restored through restoration projects carried out since 2000.

Seongyojang House was given its name based on a story that in ancient times, a bridge was built across Gyeongpo Lake using boats. Seongyojang, a 300-year-old old house featuring the typical architectural style of traditional houses of the gentry during the Joseon Dynasty, has been in the family for over ten generations.

“Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park” was established to pay tribute to Gyosan Heo Gyun, the author of the first novel to be written in Hangeul (the phonetic alphabet used to write the Korean language), “Hong Gildong-jeon (The Story of Hong Gil-dong),” which presents a revolutionary idea of eradicating the class system and achieving equality in the Joseon Dynasty, and Naseolheon Heo Cho-hui, whose poetry and paintings became widely famous in China and Japan despite the constraints she experienced as a woman.

Shin Saimdang was a brilliant artist of the mid-Joseon Dynasty and the mother of Yulgok. With exceptional artistic sensibility, she was well-versed in all genres of the arts and literature including poetry, painting, and calligraphy, but she was especially talented in painting.