Rugged Wilderness and History Abound in Hwacheon

Written and Photographed by Robert Koehler

Rugged mountains, deep blue lakes and rushing rivers—it’s what Hwacheon’s all about. Just getting to Hwacheon is itself an adventure, with buses from Chuncheon (the nearest transportation hub) following a winding route along the craggy banks of Lake Chuncheon and the Bukhangang River. Traveling about the district involves bus and car rides through steep valleys and high mountain passes that offer stunning views over the wilds of central Korea.

For most of the year, Hwacheon is little more than a sleepy mountain town (albeit a beautiful one) frequented mainly by a) sportsmen hoping to do a little fishing, and b) Korean military personnel, who actually outnumber residents in this sparsely populated county near the DMZ with North Korea. In January, however, its frozen rivers play host to one of Korea’s most popular winter festivals, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. The festival aside, Hwacheon’s scenic beauty alone justifies the two-and-a-half hour bus ride from Seoul, and history buffs will appreciate the Korean War history hidden amidst the county’s mountains and waterways.

Land of Lakes

Hwacheon, like neighboring Chuncheon, is in the heart of Korea’s lake country. Granted, most of the “lakes” are actually reservoirs, the product of massive dam projects during the middle part of the 20th century, but the resulting scenery is beautiful nonetheless. They also provide a venue for leisure activities like sport fishing and boating.

Created in 1944 with the construction of the Hwacheon Dam (see below), Paro-ho Lake is the largest of Hwacheon’s reservoirs. Known prior to 1951 as the Hwacheon Reservoir, it was given its current name—which translates as “lake where the barbarians were smashed”—by Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, to commemorate the seizing of the strategically important body of water (and, just as important, its valuable hydroelectric plant) from Chinese forces in the Korean War.

Rimmed by snowy peaks, the deep blue lake is quite picturesque (especially in the morning, when it is covered in fog), and a small lakeside village has a number of restaurants where you enjoy the bounty of the reservoir’s plentiful fish stock. Also near the lake are a couple of Korean War battle monuments and a small museum dedicated to the bloody battles fought to control the lake. Within the year, ferryboat service between the lake and the famous Peace Dam (see below) will begin, although a concrete date has yet to be fixed.

Hwacheon Dam

Built by the Japanese between 1939 and 1944, the massive Hwacheon Dam is still one of Korea’s largest and an important source of electrical power. In fact, at the time of the Korean War, it was one of South Korea’s only sources of power, and it was for this reason—and the fear that the communists could use it as a weapon to flood the Hangang River valley—that some of the Korean War’s fiercest battles took place around the dam and Hwacheon Reservoir. Sturdily built, the dam survived intense bombings from US B-29 heavy bombers, although its sluice gates were eventually taken out by aerial torpedoes dropped by US Navy aircraft in a raid reminiscent of the Death Star scene in “Star Wars.” There are a couple of Korean War monuments by the dam, which itself cuts a rather spectacular image against the backdrop of the lake and forested hills beyond.

Getting There

Buses to Paro-ho Lake depart from Hwacheon’s inner city bus terminal. To get to Hwacheon Dam, however, you should take a cab from downtown Hwacheon (the fare comes to about 15,000 won).

Peace Dam and Bimok Park

Hwacheon is perhaps best known as home to the Peace Dam, a rather curious piece of Cold War history. In 1986, the North Koreans began work on a mammoth dam just across the DMZ. South Korea—then preparing for the 1988 Summer Olympics—feared the North Koreans might use the dam to flood the Hangang River and wreak havoc in Seoul, so they began work on a dam of their own, dubbed the “Peace Dam,” to block potential flood waters from the North. A nationwide campaign to gather money for the dam was undertaken—school children would donate their lunch money for the cause—but construction was suspended when public opinion turned against the project, which came to be regarded as an embarrassing white elephant. The dam got a new lease on life in 2002, however, when cracks began appearing in the North Korean dam across the DMZ. Work began again on the Peace Dam, which was finally completed in October 2005.

At 601 meters long and 125 meters high, the Peace Dam is truly gargantuan in scale. True to purpose, it lacks a reservoir; it was built to keep water out, not hold it in. Located in a remote mountain valley near the DMZ, the surroundings couldn’t be any more gorgeous. The dam is now part of a “peace park,” and surrounding the dam wall are a number of belfries in which hang massive Buddhist bells crafted from casings and shells collected from 30 conflict zones around the world. It is said that when rung, the bells can be heard for 100 km.

Also near the dam is a humble stone tomb with a rusty steel helmet and a cross made from gnarled wood. This is a replica of an actual tomb found not far from here in 1964 by a young lieutenant named Hahn Myung-hee. Hahn later penned the song “Bimok” (“Wooden Cross”), which became one of the most famous Korean tunes of the 1970s. The tomb symbolizes the tragedy of a nation torn apart by fratricidal war.

Getting There

Buses to the Peace Dam run from Hwacheon’s inner city bus terminal. The trip takes about 50 minutes. The road to the dam passes through rugged mountain country, including the Haesan Scenic Spot, a high mountain pass that offers wonderful vistas. Of course, you can make better use of the scenic spot if you have your own car or are taking a taxi.

Old North Korean Barracks

Located above the 38th parallel, Hwacheon was controlled by North Korea prior to the Korean War. An interesting reminder of this history is an old North Korean barracks building located about a 20-minute drive from downtown Hwacheon. A sturdy stone building with little in the way of decoration, it has recently been restored. You’re going to want to take a taxi here—taxi drivers know it as the Inmingun Saryeongbu Maksa (인민군사령부 막사).

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival

Hwacheon’s population skyrockets by an exponential factor every winter when it plays host the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, to be held this year on Jan 9—31. Dedicated to the sancheoneo, an indigenous freshwater mountain trout that thrives in the county’s ice cold rivers, the festival’s signature event is ice fishing. There will be equipment on hand to help you do this, although if you like (and some do), you could try it barehanded, too! It’s really quite good fun, and even if the fish don’t appeal to you, there’s plenty else going on, like sledding and skating. If nothing else, it gives you an excuse to visit.

Getting to Hwacheon

Buses to Hwacheon depart from Seoul’s Dongseoul (14 buses a day) and Sangbong (13 buses a day) terminals. The trip takes about three hours, with all buses passing through the provincial capital of Chuncheon first. Indeed, if you prefer, you can take a train from Seoul’s Cheongnyangni Station to Chuncheon, from which buses to Hwacheon depart frequently. From Chuncheon, it takes about an hour to get to Hwacheon.

Where to Stay

There are about 20 or so motels and Korean-style inns (yeogwan) in Hwacheon Town. Most are pleasant enough and offer rooms at around 35,000—50,000 won a night, depending on size and time of year. If you’re looking for something a bit more luxurious, you might want to look in Chuncheon, where there is a much wider range of accommodation.

What to Eat

With its many rivers and lakes, Hwacheon is famous for its fish, often served raw. Myeongga (033-442-2957), not far from Hwacheon Bus Terminal, is famous for its freshwater trout (sancheoneo), roasted freshwater eel (jangeo-gui) and mandarin fish sashimi (ssogari-hoe). Raw fish can get expensive, though. Hwacheon Eojuktang (033-442-5544), located in front of Hwacheon Hydroelectric Power Station, does a mean eojuktang (spicy fish stew) on the cheap. Eobu Hoetjip (033-442-3131), located near the pier of Paro-ho Lake, has been serving raw fish for over 30 years.

If you’d prefer something less fishy, near the bus terminal you’ll find Cheonil Makguksu (033-442-2127), which specializes in makguksu—spicy buckwheat noodles served cold. It’s a regional specialty.

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