Ganghwa Island

On Saturday morning, beneath a grey and rainy sky, I set out for Ganghwa island off the western coast of Korea. One of the lawyers from my firm had very graciously offered to take me, and I was excited about my first real trip outside of Seoul (aside from the DMZ). For such a small country, Korea's landscape changes dramatically from place to place. By the time we arrived, the sun had come out and it turned into a beautiful day.

Because of it's position as a point of entry from the West Sea, Ganghwa has been the site of many battles during the frequent invasions of Korea by other countries (including Japan, China, the Mongols, the French and the U.S. when Korea was first opened). When Genghis Khahn and the Mongols invaded Korea in the early 13th century, the ruling family of the Goryeo dynasty (the modern-day name "Korea" comes from "Goryeo") moved the capital from what is now Kesan (in North Korea) to Ganghwa for 39 years, since the island woudl be easier to defend. There are lots of fortifications around the island, as well as Royal Tombs. There are also several incredible Buddhist temples built into the hillside.

Now that Korea is at relative peace, Ganghwa has become a beatiful and serene retreat. It's a farming community where people grow ginseng, lotus, peppers and rice--lots of rice--and the pace of life moves slowly. The scenery is simply goregous, and it was great to get away and spend a day there. I hope you enjoy the pictures below--this is just a small selection.

To best understand this section, read the next post about lunch. Then go down to the last of the pictures from Ganghwa, and scroll up through them.