As a major harbor city in South Korea, Incheon is blessed with beautiful beaches and numerous nearby islands available for visits. It is especially accessible from Seoul due to its proximity with the capital and the fact that the subway systems of both cities are linked. All of this gives visitors to the city plenty of things to do, from island-hopping to
heritage tours.

• Enjoy the cherry blossoms in Jayu Park: Jayu (freedom) is the first western-style park in the country, surveyed by a Russian named Sabatin back in 1888. It is made famous by the statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, as well as the 100th anniversary bronze tower commemorating the amity between South Korea and the US. During springtime around April, Jayu is covered in cherry blossoms, which is celebrated with military parades, a wedding festival, and other activities. Near the park is the country’s first modern meteorological observatory, built by the Japanese in aid of the Russo-Japanese War. If you stay in the park until dusk, you can enjoy the sea which gains a reddish tint at sunset.

• Eat Jajangmyeon in Chinatown: In 1905, the first Chinese restaurant in Korea launched an affordable noodle dish that is stir-fried in soy sauce paste, and it has since become a favorite among Koreans. Jajangmyeon devotees can visit the original restaurant in Chinatown called Gonghwachun. Although the place has long since closed, the building itself stands as a remarkable example of Chinese architecture. Incheon’s Chinatown is also the only official one of its kind in the country, and it celebrates Jajangmyeon during an annual 3-day festival in October at the Chinese Street and Freedom Market. Decades-old restaurants serve bowls and bowls of specially-priced noodles during this time.

Other dishes you’ll surely love are naengmyeon, cold noodles that’s perfect for cooling off during the summer time, and sundae, blood sausages made of vegetables and noodles wrapped in pork intestines which you can buy off the street vendors of the city. And while you’re in Chinatown, you can drop by the Korea-China Cultural Center where Chinese performances and exhibits highlight the history of Chinese immigrants in the country.

• Explore Ganghwa Island: Dubbed as “the largest open-air museum in Korea”, the 5th largest island in the country has many fascinating sites for history-lovers, ranging from Mount Mani and Chojijin Fortress to Bomun Temple and Dongmak Beach. On top of Mount Mani, there is a stone tower altar called chamseongdan, where it is said that Dangun, the mythical founder of Korea, is said to have offered sacrifices to heaven back in 2333 B.C.  In the morning, it’s best to visit the beach in the east and then look around the western side of the island past noon. To get to Ganghwa, you can take Ganghwa Bridge.

• Bathe in history at Landing Operation Memorial Hall: Dedicated to the arrival of UN forces in Incheon during the Korean War, this memorial hall serves as a reminder of how South Korea gained its freedom.

• Party on at the Wolmi Island Festival: Held every September along the Wolmi Island Street of Culture, this festival stages activities from jazz performances to daedonngut (shaman ritual for the fish harvest), culminating in a vibrant fireworks display over the waters at dusk. A popular hang-out spot for the youth, Wolmi Island includes an amusement park, a zoo, Yonggung Pavillion, shopping arcades, and marine activities.

• Shop at Bupyeong Subway: This very busy terminal hosts an underground shopping complex, where a majority of the products are remarkably cheap.  From the hundreds of clothing shops to cut-price bookstores, Bupyeong has also above-ground shops filled with Korean and Western restaurants. To get to Bupyeong, take line 1 of the Incheon subway system or the Seoul subway system to Bupyeong Station.

• Swim n’ surf in Eul Wang Li Beach: The white, sandy beaches and picturesque sunsets make this spot ideal for vacationers and business travelers alike.

Getting to Incheon is easy from Incheon International Airport, which is located on Yeongjong Island. The AREX train connects the airport to Gyegang, which is linked to the Incheon subway system. You can also get to the city from Seoul via the linked subway systems. And although there are major events all year-round, the best time to hit the beaches is from July to August. You can get to the islands surrounding the area via the Incheon Ferry Terminal.

Posted in Asia, Korea, Things to do

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 7:31 am and is filed under Asia, Korea, Things to do. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.