Literary pavilion trip along Gyeongpo in Gangneung | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Seongyojang is the most well-preserved and dignified nobleman’s house in the Gangwon-do region. Located about 4km from Gyeongpo in Gangneung-si, Seongyojang represents the residences of the upper class during the Joseon Dynasty and is designated as a National Folk Cultural Heritage site. When Gyeongpo Lake was larger, the village was called Baedari Village (船橋里) because people traveled by boat to cross over; the name Seongyojang originates from this. In 1703 during the reign of King Yeongjo of Joseon, Lee Naebeon, a descendant of Prince Hyoryeong, built the house on a site considered auspicious, which he discovered while chasing a weasel. His descendants still live there today. The total floor area is 1,051.24m² (318 pyeong), featuring a main house, annex, East Byeoldang, family shrine, and other buildings surrounded by long corridors, along with the Hwallaejeong pavilion built over a pond of several hundred pyeong in front of the gate, showing a perfect structure with a garden. Seongyojang is valuable not only for its buildings but also as a precious resource for studying residential life and household items in the late Joseon period, and the scenery blending with the surroundings is beautiful.

Chodang sundubu, one of the most famous foods in Gangneung, is made by grinding soybeans and coagulating them with seawater from the East Coast, resulting in a very soft and savory tofu. You can enjoy various unique tofu dishes such as dubu jeongol (tofu stew), modubu (soft tofu), and jjambbong sundubu (spicy seafood tofu stew). The name of Gangneung Chodang Sundubu Village comes from 'Chodang,' the pen name of Heo Yeop, the father of the famous Korean novelist and poet Heo Gyun and his sister Nanseolheon. The birthplace of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon is still preserved in this village. There is a related story that Heo Yeop lived in Chodang-dong, Gangneung-si, and used the good-tasting spring water from in front of his house to process soybeans and season the tofu with clean seawater, which became popular for its taste, leading to the village being named Chodang after his pen name. Besides tasting sundubu, you can also enjoy murals that simply and enjoyably depict the process of making Chodang tofu.

Heo Nanseolheon Birthplace in Gangneung is a site created to honor the artistic spirit and literary achievements of Heo Nanseolheon, one of the greatest female poets of the Joseon Dynasty. She was the sister of Heo Gyun, the author of 'Hong Gil-dongjeon,' and showed genius poetic talent from the age of eight but lived a tragic life and died at 27. Her works, which delicately expressed her unhappy fate, were posthumously compiled by her brother Heo Gyun as the 'Nanseolheon Collection.' Restored in 2001, the birthplace is a typical noble family hanok building that appears after passing a beautiful pine forest. Inside the high gate and low fence, the daecheong (main hall), sarangchae (men’s quarters), and anchae (inner quarters) are neatly arranged, and next to the well and mill, there is a narrow door for women’s entrance, clearly showing the gendered space division. Inside the house are portraits of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon, and a plum blossom tree grows beautifully in the yard. This site is designated as a cultural property of Gangwon-do, and in addition to the birthplace, Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Hall and Memorial Park are also established and can be visited together.

Gangneung Gyeongpodae is one of the representative scenic spots of Gangneung and is designated as National Treasure No. 2046. It is one of the Gwandong Eight Views reflecting the culture of the Goryeo period and is a pavilion located on the northern hill of Gyeongpo Lake. Built in the 13th year of King Chungsuk of Goryeo, it has detailed records of one relocation and several reconstructions, with especially detailed records even before its construction, allowing a concrete understanding of the changes over time. The name 'Gyeongpodae' features a signboard in the style of cursive script by Yuhanji and a regular script signboard by Lee Ikhoe. Inside Gyeongpodae are many writings of notable figures and poets, including King Sukjong's own 'Eoje-si', and 'Gyeongpodaebu' composed by Yulgok Yi I at age ten, as well as Cho Hamang's ridgepole inscription. Surrounding the pavilion are appropriately dense pine and sawtooth oak trees, creating an elegant landscape. The Gyeongpo Eight Views and Gyeongpo Wolsam are renowned as magnificent scenes of the world. Nearby attractions include Gyeongpo Lake with its old pine forest and cherry trees, and the coastal sand bar separating Gyeongpo Lake from the East Sea, which forms Gyeongpo Beach.

Gangneung Central Market is a representative traditional market located in the Seongnam-dong area of Gangneung-si. It was registered and opened on January 18, 1980, and has been actively operating since then. To the east lies Dongbu Market, and to the west is Seobu Market; as the third market to open following these two, it serves as a core commercial area fulfilling the central distribution function of Gangneung city. Nearby is Seongnam Market, composed of individual stores, and institutions such as the Livestock Cooperative, Nonghyup Mart, and Saemaeul Geumgo are concentrated here, closely connecting the local commercial district. Especially, a variety of street stalls line the roads and alleys, trading local specialties actively throughout the four seasons, allowing you to feel the vitality of a traditional market. The greatest feature of Central Market is that it fully preserves the local character of the Gangneung region. It is a market visited not only by citizens living in downtown Gangneung but also by residents of nearby East Sea coastal farming and fishing villages. Various items including agricultural and marine products, dried seafood, and Gangneung specialty ingredients circulate here, playing a central role in the local economy. During the annual Gangneung Dano Festival, the area around Namdaecheon Danojang near the market fills with a festive atmosphere, becoming even livelier as a traditional market at the heart of the Yeongdong region where various products and people gather from across the country. If you want to experience the life and culture of Gangneung in a space where tradition and modernity blend, Central Market is one of the must-visit travel destinations.