“Korea’s Scotland.” “Korea’s Switzerland.” “Korea’s fjord country.” These are just a few of the appellations bestowed by visitors to the beautiful Cheongpyeong area, and not without reason. This is the heart of Korea’s loch district, a land of lakes deep and mountains high. While also known as a popular summer leisure destination, it’s just as charming in winter when the lakes steam and the hills turn white, transforming the landscape into a surreal winter wonderland.

Millions of beautiful lights at the annual Lighting Festival of the Garden of Morning Calm (Photo courtesy of Garden of Morning Calm)

Millions of beautiful lights at the annual Lighting Festival of the Garden of Morning Calm (Photo courtesy of Garden of Morning Calm)


Cheongpyeongho Lake

Covering some 12.5 square kilometers of the rugged Korean interior about one hour’s drive east of Seoul, Cheongpyeongho Lake was formed following the completion of Cheongpyeong Dam on the Bukhangang River in 1943. It is one of several large reservoirs that break up the mountainous landscape of eastern Gyeonggi-do and western Gangwon-do and an important source of water and electricity for the Seoul area. Flanked by the richly forested peaks of Mt. Homyeongsan (632m) and Mt. Hwayasan (755m), the lake is blessed with superb natural scenery that easily brings to mind the beauty of the Scottish highlands.

Thanks to its natural splendor and proximity to Seoul, Cheongpyeongho Lake is a popular windshield tourism destination—the lakeside road is one of the most beautiful drives in the country. The lake has long been a favorite fishing hole for Korean anglers, and in summer, weekenders descend on the place to enjoy waterskiing, motor-boating and other water sports. It’s also a preferred destination for team-building corporate and student retreats.

Cheongpyeong Sledding and Icefish Festival

In winter, the lakeside plays host to the Cheongpyeong Sledding and Icefish Festival (through Feb. 23). Kids will love the sledding, while adults may enjoy the opportunity to do a bit of ice fishing for the region’s famous (and tasty!) smelt and freshwater trout. Be sure to try out some Korean traditional ice-sledding, too.

The crater lake-esque Homyeong Lake and, in the distance, Cheongpyeongho Lake (Photo courtesy of Gapyeong County Hall)

The crater lake-esque Homyeong Lake and, in the distance, Cheongpyeongho Lake (Photo courtesy of Gapyeong County Hall)


Off the beaten path: Homyeong Lake Park

Near the peak of Mt. Homyeongsan is an artificial lake, the upper reservoir of Cheongpyeong Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant. The circular pond brings to mind the famous crater lake of Mt. Baekdusan, a peak on the Sino-Korean border regarded as sacred. When the weather is nice, it’s almost as if the sky is touching the water. There’s a road that climbs all the way up to the lake, but it is closed during the winter months for safety reasons.

Visitors catch a lake trout at the Cheongpyeong Sledding and Icefish Festival

Visitors catch a lake trout at the Cheongpyeong Sledding and Icefish Festival

Garden of Morning Calm

One of Korea’s most beautiful gardens in Korea, particularly in winter, the Garden of Morning Calm is the brain child of Sahmyook University landscape architecture professor Han Sang-kyung, who despaired at the lack of Korean gardens overseas, a sad state of affairs he discovered as a visiting professor in the United States. To promote Korea’s garden culture, Han opened his own privately operated garden in a valley in Cheongpyeong, populating it with 5,000 species of plants. He took the name of the garden from a famous poem about Korea by Nobel Prize-winning Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.

The Garden of Morning Calm is broken up into 13 themed sub-gardens, including a Korean garden, bonsai garden, herb garden a and so-called Moonlight Garden. The garden is beautiful year round, but in winter, visitors are treated to an additional spectacle, the annual Lighting Festival (thru Mar. 16). During the festival, the entire garden is resplendent with millions of colorful lights (sunset– 9pm, 11pm on weekends). It really is a site to behold—you’re transported into a fairy tale-esque wonderland of snow, light and color.

Petite France

About 10km east of Cheongpyeong Dam is a rather unexpected cluster of Frenchstyle buildings on a hillside overlooking the lake. Petite France, as this folk village is called, is the lifework of founder Han Hong-seop, one of Korea’s biggest aficionados of French culture. The village is home to 16 buildings, including a 150-year-old home relocated from France. Pride of place is given to French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince.

* Article from Korea Magazine (February 2014) 


[Source: Korea.net]