Recently we spent a little time area of the urban life and visited The Gwangseongbo Fortress (광성보). It is located on the eastern coastline of Ganghwa Island north Incheon. This county area is the one of the most North Western parts of the nation. Although not the most famous of Korean landmarks it has an interesting history and is a little quieter than the grand palaces in Seoul (for example).
Parts of the Gwangseongbo Fortress date back to the Goryeo Dynasty with the main fortress elements being built a few decades later. The fortress is maybe most well known as the location of one of the main battles during the Battle of Ganghwa during the American invasion in 1871 (The United States expedition to Korea). This is maybe why it’s not listed in as many western guide books.
In recent times the Fortress has been restored to closer to it’s founder glory and has been an enjoyable mix of nature, history and culture. Their are old cannons to look at, great views over the channel as well as other areas. The Yongdudondae Observation Post is a key aspect of the Fortress and so we’ve separated that into a different post (coming soon).
Entry see ₩1,100 ($1) and parking is free, so it’s a nice place to visit before or after lunch and maybe on the way to one of Ganghwa Islands numerous pensions or hotels.
Pictures from Gwangseongbo Fortress (Ganghwa-Do, Incheon)
The pictures start at the entrance and make their way down to the Yongdudondae Observation Post;
Directions to, map and Link for Gwangseongbo Fortress (Ganghwa-Do, Incheon)
If you’re driving type in 광성보 on your satnav and you’ll easily find it, it’s 10mins north of the main bridge going onto the island.
Via public transport it isn’t easy, there is a tour bus which leaves Ganghwa Terminal every hour or so. Other than that a mixture of local buses and taxis maybe your best option.
Finally here are a few useful links about the fortress;
Visit Korea Page
Ganghwa County PageOfficial Website (Korean)
Information on the Yongdudondae Observation Post (coming soon)
Finally
As always if you have any questions about the Gwangseongbo Fortress (광성보) and/or anything else please feel free to let us know. Either below by Email or via Twitter or Facebook.
Tim & Jeonghye
Modern Seoul
tim@modernseoul.org
Modern Seoul 