Paroho Lake (Yanggu) (파로호(양구))

215.3M 2021-11-30

545, Ha-ri, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-2531

Paroho Lake is a manmade lake that was completed in 1943. The lake was created due to the construction of a hydraulic power plant in Hwacheon during Japanese colonial period. The name was given after President Syngman Rhee designated a plaque in his own handwriting naming the body of water ‘Paroho Lake’ during the Korean War after a victorious feat in a battle against the Chinese army. The power plant has a generation capacity of 105,000 kilowatts, and the lake is one of the top fishing grounds in Korea as it is abundant in freshwater fish.

The area boasts several splendid views and a former president built his country home on the lake. Relics from the Stone Age and New Stone Age were found to be well preserved in the area. Twenty-one dolmens were found on the lake grounds, as well as 4,000 pieces of Prehistoric relics used during Paleolithic age, drawing interest from the academic field. Recently, habitats of mandarin ducks, a national natural monument, were found near the Paroho lakeside.

Yanggu Prehistory Museum (양구선사박물관)

643.7M 2022-08-18

439-52, Geumgangsan-ro, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-7220

Yanggu Prehistory Museum displays artifacts from the Paleolithic Age found in Sangmuryong-ri, Yanggu-eup and the Neolith Age discovered in Hyeon-ri, Haean-myeon. It is the first prehistory museum in the nation and aims to teach visitors about Korean prehistoric culture in a manner easy to understand.

Park Soo Keun Museum (박수근미술관)

3.3Km 2022-12-23

265-15, Parksookeun-ro, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-7226

Park Soo Keun (1914-1965) was an artist who devoted his life to drawing the lives of ordinary people with a warm gaze. The Park Soo Keum Museum, which has a floor space of 700 square meters, is built upon the artist’s birthplace in his hometown in Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do. The museum was founded with the intent to develop into a major cultural space for the region and to honor Park Soo Keun’s life and art. The collection of Park Soo Keun’s artworks shown at the museum include his oil paintings, a number of prints such as "The Tree and Two Ladies" and "Tapdori," watercolor painting "Watercolors," and dozens of other drawings.

Center of Korea Observatory (국토정중앙천문대)

7.5Km 2021-08-12

127, Guktojeongjungang-ro, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-2586

The Center of Korea Observatory in Yanggu-gun is named for its location at the center of the Korean Peninsula. It is equipped with an 80-centimeter reflecting telescope. There is also an exhibition hall providing the most recent astronomy news, a planetarium showing the night sky, and a range of hands-on programs.

Gwangchi Recreational Forest (광치자연휴양림)

8.0Km 2021-03-25

265, Gwangchiryeong-ro 1794beon-gil, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-482-3115

Gwangchi Recreational Forest is located near Gwangchiryeong Pass (alt. 800 meters). The pass encompasses waterfalls and valleys in a dense forest. Gwangchi Tunnel connects the areas of Yanggu and Inje to the East Sea, making the forest a great addition to travel itineraries. The recreational area serves as a retreat for residents and helps to support the local economy through tourism.

Yanggu Porcelain Museum (양구백자박물관)

9.5Km 2022-08-09

5182, Pyeonghwa-ro, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-7237

Yanggu Porcelain Museum (formerly Bangsan Porcelain Museum) exhibits white porcelain from the Bangsan area, along with its collection and tools. There are also various visual aids that help understand the history of porcelain in the Bangsan area. The experience room is equipped with electric kilns, gas kilns, and firewood kilns, and is a facility for both outdoor and indoor experiences. Here, visitors can experience the entire process of making clay, molding, and baking it in a kiln. Bangsan-myeon, Yanggu was already well-known for pottery production since the Goryeo dynasty. During the Joseon dynasty, raw materials were supplied to the Gwangju branch in Gyeonggi-do, and here the technology and aesthetics spread to Gwangju.

Yanggu Eco-Botanical Garden (양구생태식물원)

11.1Km 2022-08-18

169, Sumgol-ro 310beon-gil, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-7391

First opened in June 2004, Yanggu Eco-Botanical Garden was built on a total area of 189,141 ㎡. Nearly 3.1 billion Korean won (approximately 3 million USD) was spent on the construction and it was built to be developed into a South and North Korean ecosystem restoration center. Located in the northernmost region of South Korea, it houses more than 400 rare plants including plants that are Korean native species and protected by Korean Ministry of Environment.

The garden is divided into six parts by their features including a botanical garden, natural forest, and facilities zone. In the botanical garden, rare plants such as northern native plants and alpine plants that are naturally grown in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and Yanggu area are displayed in one place.

There are also walking trails, a medicinal plants exhibition hall, plant nursery, and greenhouse. To add a natural and lively touch to the garden, a mountain stream zone and wetlands zone were prepared to provide people with the chance to enjoy the pleasant sound of running water.

Soyangho Lake (Yanggu Section) (소양호(양구))

12.3Km 2023-09-14

Seokhyeon-ri, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-7204

Soyangho Lake is a man-made lake that was created when Soyang Dam, the biggest rock-filled dam in Asia, was built in 1973. The lake is a hotspot for aquatic tourism and the lakeside road is an important route that connects Chuncheon and Yanggu. It is also a popular fishing spot as over 50 types of fishes can be found.

Dutayeon Valley [National Geopark] (두타연 (강원평화지역 국가지질공원))

13.5Km 2021-07-17

Gobangsan-ri, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-480-2251

Dutayeon Valley is located north of the Civilian Control Line, requiring advance reservation through the Yanggu-gun Office website as well as filling out admission information at the Dutayeon Gallery before entering the area with a guide. The valley has a waterfall located along Sataecheon Stream where it merges with Suipcheon Stream. The water falls into a plunge pool, which has also carved out a deep cave in the bedrock at the base of the waterfall.

Hwacheon Bimok Park (화천 비목공원)

15.7Km 2021-08-18

3481-70, Pyeonghwa-ro, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-440-2225

Peace Dam was built over a period of 15 months from February 1987 to May 1988 with funds donated by the general public in response to North Korea’s construction of Geumgangsan Dam and a potential flooding attack. The flood control dam has proved its worth during the floods of 1995, 1996, and 1999 and it has become a major tourist destination over the years. Located in the vicinity of Peace Dam is Bimok Park, which is the origin of the famous national song “Bimok.”

In addition to the war monuments inside the park, there are around a dozen wooden crosses with rusty iron helmets placed on top within the barbed wire entanglements around the hill, thereby reminding visitors of the national tragedy of the Korean War. The county of Hwancheon hosts the Bimok Cultural Festival from June 3 to June 6 every year at Bimok Park, Bungeoseom Island by the town’s riverside, and the surrounding areas. The four-day festival offers a variety of events such as a singing contest, memorial ceremony of poetry reading, bimok tree cutting contest, rice ball eating contest, army life experience, military music parade, and more.

Crossing over to Yanggu County from Peace Dam, there is a national security education place comprised of attractions like the 4th Underground Tunnel and Eulji Observatory. Paroho Lake Battlefield Tourist Park is also worth a visit after looking around Peace Dam. Also known as the “ocean within mountains,” Paroho is a manmade lake created as a result of the Hwacheon Dam construction in 1944. The lake is home to over 70 different species of freshwater fish such as mandarin fish and carp. It also holds the sorrowful history of the water burial of three whole divisions of the Chinese Forces in defending the lake during the Korean War. The name Paroho, meaning “enemy breaking lake,” was given after the late president of Korea, Rhee Syngman, visited the place and designated a plaque in his own handwriting in memory of obtaining victory in fierce battle. There is an observatory, a security hall, and a stone monument engraved with the poetry of Wolha Rhee Taegeuk (1913-2003).

Paroho Lake (Yanggu) (파로호(양구)) - Area information - Korea travel information