Yangyang (양양) is in Gangwon. It is a name of a small town and of a bigger county of which it is the capital. Originally, it was an unpopular tourist destination compared to Sokcho and Gangneung, but it became famous for surfing and now attracts about 15.22 million tourists a year.
Understand
Yangyang is a small coastal town (population: 28,000 in 2022) and a county in the very north east of South Korea in Gangwon province. In the east, there are beaches, ports, and ports as it faces the east coast. In the west, there are many mountainous areas such as Hangaryeong Pass and Seoraksan Mountain.
Information
1.Yangyang General Passenger Terminal Tourist Information Center
☏ +82 033-670-2397~8, It provides various tourism information about Yangyang-gun.
History
The original place name was 'Yangju' from Goryeo to the early Joseon Dynasty. However, during the reign of King Taejong of the Joseon Dynasty, most of the villages whose names end in 'Ju' were changed to 'Yangyang' as they were ordered to change their names to 'Yang', 'Cheon', and 'San'. Located in the middle of the Taebaek Mountains, which form the backbone of the Korean Peninsula, it connects Seoraksan Mountain in Yeong-dong, Gangwon-do to the East Sea, making it the "Sunrise Town" as it is.
Townships
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 Yangyang map |
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Climate
Yangyang has a similar climate to Gangneung in the south. The Taebaek Mountains are blocked to the west, and the East Sea is bordered to the east, so the cold northwest wind crosses the Taebaek Mountains in winter, making the climate warmer than the west coast of the same latitude, and cooler than the west of the Taebaek Mountains in summer.
Yangyang's annual average temperature is 10 degrees, which is said to be higher than the annual average temperature in Gangwon-do. Yangyang-gun's annual precipitation is 1,557mm, which is more than the average precipitation in Gangwon-do. The maximum temperature in summer is 25 degrees, and the minimum temperature in winter is -4 degrees.
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Get in
By plane
- 🌍 Yangyang International Airport (YNY IATA). As of 2015, it has no scheduled flights. There used to be scheduled routes to Seoul Gimpo, Busan's Gimhae International Airport and Gwangju that may operate again. The nearby ski resort area of Pyeongchang held the 2018 Winter Olympics.
By bus
A number of buses leave from Seoul Express Bus Terminal daily, headed for Yangyang or Sokcho. Travel time on the tickets says 2 hours, but 3½-4 hours is more realistic (depending on traffic and weather conditions).
When buying a return ticket, this paper ticket might work only for the Seoul/Yangyang leg. Before departure back to Seoul, the ticket would then need to be exchanged at Yangyang Intercity Bus Terminal. (August 2020)
There are a few local buses (Line 9) that make the trip between the Yangyang bus station and the Naksan beach area, but they leave infrequently. A taxi ride for that trip takes around 5 minutes and costs around ₩8,000. (August 2020).
By car
1.Yangyang Expressway (2 hours and 10 minutes)
You will arrive at Yangyang from Seoul via Chuncheon.
2.Yeongdong Expressway (2 hours and 30 minutes)
You will arrive at Yangyang from Seoul via Gangneung.
Get around
By taxi
- Foreign tourism taxi, ☏ +82 033-670-2397. 10:00 ~ 17: 00(Reception time). Yangyang-gun operates foreign tourist taxis. Up to four people can take a taxi. You can apply online or at the tourist information center at Yangyang General Passenger Terminal. 20,000₩ (3 hours of use / 15,000₩ per hour of additional time).
See
- 🌍 Naksansa (낙산사). Possibly the main draw of Yangyang besides the ocean. Beautiful temple area with both mountain and ocean views. Open daily (in the summer it closes around 6 pm - might be different in other seasons). ₩4,000 entry fee.
- Naksan Beach (낙산 Beach). Yangyang's main beach with swimming opportunities and parasol rental.
- 🌍 Hajodae Beach (하조대해수욕장), Hyeonbuk-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do 강원 양양군 현북면. A 1.5-km-long beach with fine, white sand.
- Yangyang Airport. South Korea spent a great deal of money building airports all over the country. Yangyang airport is probably the best example of this, having an infamous reputation of being a fully functional international airport with hardly any flights at all.
Do
- 🌍 Surfyy Beach (서피비치), 119, Hajodaehaean-gil, Hyeonbuk-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, ☏ +82 033-672-0695. M-Th Su 10:00-22:00, F Sa 10:00-24:00; surfing school 10:00-18:00. Surfing is the main place. However, it is a hot place for young Koreans these days, such as food and famous photo zones in Korea. It's a unique thing to find in Korea because it's decorated in an exotic way.
- Yangyang board park (보드파크), 250, Ilchul-ro, Yangyang-eup, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, ☏ +82 033-670-2726. It is a place where you can skateboard. There are three skateboard lamps.
Festivals
- Yangyang Songi Salmon Festival Festival held in autumn. Yangyang's representative festivals, the Songi Festival and Salmon Festival, which have been held since 1997, will be held for the first time in 2023.
- Song-i Festival (Pine Mushroom Festival). Early October, for five days. Song-i mushrooms are known as the golden mushrooms, diamonds of the forest and mysterious spiritual beings. The Song-i Mushroom Festival is an opportunity to observe the habitat of song-i mushrooms that are strictly monitored. Anyone can enjoy the mysteriousness of these delicious pine mushrooms, but reservations should be made in advance.
- Yangyang Salmon Festival. Early November, for two days. This festival is held in the fresh waters of Namdaecheon, the biggest Korean river up which salmon swim. Apart from a good look at the natural ecosystem, there are various events such as catching salmon with bare hands, regular salmon fishing, and running with salmon.
- Yangyang Cultural Festival (양양문화제), Namdaecheon, Sungnaedong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, ☏ +82 033-670-2795. Every year for three days before and after Dano, in June. A local cultural festival that inherits Yangyang's traditional culture, Through various events and performances such as ssireum competitions, traditional weddings, and traditional folk experiences, you can have a special experience of traditional customs.
Buy
The gift store at Naksansa temple has some nice or interesting souvenirs.
And in the town there are several shops and stalls selling dried fish, squid, ...
Eat
The line of restaurants along Naksan Beach mostly offer dishes with raw fish. For solo travellers, Hoe-deop-bap (회덮밥) is a good meal choice.
In the street Naksan-sa-ro (낙산사로), also nearby, the focus is more on baked/grilled fish. If looking for a vegetarian main dish, quite delicious Deodeok-gui (더덕구이) can be found here, too.
Drink
- 🌍 Cafe Pinetree (파인트리), 56, Haesongcheon-ro, Hyeonnam-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, ☏ +82 0507-1406-5641. 10:00-20:00. You can drink coffee at Korean traditional hanok.
Sleep
It feels like the Naksan area of Yangyang consists almost entirely of "motels", all not-so-cheap with mediocre quality. If Korean is not a problem, it might be best to check out Korean websites and compare to find the best deal.
- Naksan Beach Hotel, ☏ +82 33-672-4000. Deluxe, 136 rooms
- Osaek Green Yard Hotel, ☏ +82 33-672-8500. 155 rooms
- Freya Naksan Resortel, ☏ +82 33-672-5000. 228 rooms
Connect
The area code for Yangyang and the rest of Gangwon province is 033.
- Tourist Information Phone, ☏ 1330. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.. If you call 1330, you can find out the tourist information of the tourist destination, accommodation, transportation, and restaurants you want. Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese.
Go next
- The town of Gangneung is a short journey to the South. It is a tourist destination similar to Yangyang, but I recommend you to stop by at least once as it is the most visited place in Gangwon-do.
- The town of Sokcho and the Seoraksan National Park are a short journey to the North.
- The town of Pyeongchang is a short journey to the West. You can see great natural scenery such as Daegwallyeong sheep ranch.