Cheongsando an island beautiful in spring | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Korea's dolmens include northern-style tomb chambers aboveground resembling a checkerboard, southern-style dolmens with small supporting stones under the cover stone, and cave-style tombs with slab stones placed underground. This southern-style site is located in Eup-ri, Cheongsan-myeon, where the Hamabi and dolmen can be found on the east side of the village road at places called ‘Golgimi’ and ‘Dokbaegi.’ The dolmen was damaged by road construction, making its original form hard to identify, and currently only three southern-style dolmens remain intact. No. 1 has four exposed stones (goindol), and No. 2 also consists of four stones. No. 3 lost the northern slab stone with an exposed wall stone. According to locals, stone tools, including a polished stone sword (majaeseokgeom), were excavated near the dolmen during the Japanese colonial period. The Hamabi, a monument erected in front of the Jongmyo Shrine and royal palace gates during the Joseon Dynasty, bears an inscription instructing anyone passing by to dismount from their horse. The Eup-ri Hamabi is based on folk beliefs, surrounded by about ten scattered dolmens. This natural stone monument features a bodhisattva carving on the front, and the word Hamabi is inscribed with cement on the lower base. The hat depicted above the Buddha's head suggests it is a bodhisattva statue, believed to have been erected in the late Goryeo to early Joseon period.

Cheongsando is a small island named for its blue mountains, sea, and sky. Due to its outstanding natural scenery, it was designated as Dadohaehaesang National Park on December 23, 1981, and in 2007, Cheongsando was selected as Asia’s first Slow Road, where visitors can fully experience the aesthetics of slowness while walking leisurely. In 2012, it ranked 4th in CNN’s selection of Korea's 33 Most Beautiful Islands, and in 2017, it was chosen as one of the 100 Must-Visit Tourist Sites for Koreans. Representing slow cities nationwide, it is famous as an island ideal for walking. Cheongsando’s Slow Road consists of 11 courses, 17 paths, totaling 42.195 km, each offering unique themes. Visitors can enjoy photo zones, blue sea, blue mountains, guduljang rice paddies, stone wall paths, and various other sightseeing features, making it a uniquely walkable island in Korea.

Jiri Beach is the representative beach of Cheongsan-do and is one of the beaches known for its beautiful sunsets. The beach features a 100-meter-wide and 1-kilometer-long white sand shore, and behind the beach, more than 500 pine trees over 200 years old provide cool shade. At sunset, the sun setting west of the islands scattered in the sea appears so red that it darkens the sea. Cheongsan-do is Korea's largest sea fishing spot, and this area is rich in premium fish species such as sea bream, black porgy, and rockfish. Jiri Cheongsong Beach corresponds to course 10 of the Slow Road, called the Sunset Road. From mid-November to the end of December, a beautifully colored autumn foliage path stretches from Jiri Cheongsong Beach to Jinsan-ri Pebble Beach.