Gangjin and Wando Culture Trip

My most recent culture trip took me to the areas of Gangjin and Wando, South Korea. First we went to Gangjin, South Korea for the cultural experience of making Hangwa (한과), which is a type of traditional Korean dessert. First, you boil the sweet glaze in a large wok until it is bubbling well. Then you add the popped rice kernels to the glaze and stir it until there is an even coating of sticky rice pops. Next you scoop some into a mold and flatten it. Once it hardens you pop it out of the mold and presto! You have yourself a nice piece of Hangwa. It tastes pretty good to me, seems like a cross between a Korean version of popcorn and a breakfast cereal. It actually reminded me of the cereal Honey Smacks, which I really enjoyed eating when I was little. The two types that we made had pumpkin and green tea based sweet glazes. I find that they are a very satisfying snack to munch on. I made a video of the process we went through to make it, which I posted below. I will apologize though that the quality is poor and so the video is very small. I don't know to enlarge it.

After this experience we made our way to Wando, South Korea for some tourist attractions there. First we went to Sinji Beach (신지 명사십리해수욕장). Swimming at the beach was currently closed for the season, but that didn't mean I was unable to find things to do. First I explored the shoreline, splashing in the water and feeling the nice sand. Then my friends and I went seashell hunting. I managed to get lucky and found a really beautiful red-pink shell and even a pristine sand-dollar. We also played around in some seaweed and watched locals who were digging in the sand and collecting some type of small gray stone. I am not sure what they were collecting them for, I wish I knew, but unfortunately I lacked the ability to ask.

Sinji Beach, Wando SK

My lucky finds!

After the beach we made a quick stop at Wando Tower for some sightseeing. The view from the tower overlooked the ocean and surrounding islands for a fantastic view. You could also see where they were growing seaweed out in the distance. Due to the set up of the tower, panoramic shots are difficult from the top so this photo was taken outside at the base of the tower. However, it is still worth it to go to the top of the tower to see the view. The ocean view was great.

From the base of Wando Tower

The following day we made a trip to the 2017 Wando Seaweed Expo, and as you can probably imagine it is all about seaweed. Never before in my life would I have imagined all the things seaweed was capable of until I came here. Wando is Korea's largest producer of seaweed, and is known for its clean ocean as well. Wando produces 50% of the total seaweed, as well as 81% total abalone production and 68% of the fish in Korea. Here I was able to ride water bikes, taste seaweed flavored ice cream and seaweed lattes, as well as dye leather and make key chains, and even make my own seaweed facial masks. The seaweed flavored ice cream and lattes had a different taste for sure, but it was surprisingly refreshing and I liked it. We also had the chance to do a virtual reality tour of under the sea, walk through some amazing seaweed museums and touch and feel many different types of seaweed. Guides showed us how the seaweed was made, and even showed us the many potential future uses of seaweed. Did you know that one day our cars could run on seaweed, and that clothes and houses can even be made out of it? I didn't before I came to Wando. The extensive uses for the plant showed a promising future. Seaweed is also very beneficial for your health if you eat it regularly. According to the expo, seaweed not only helps keep you young, but also prevents cardiovascular disease, destroys cancer cells, helps you diet, protects the environment, is a eco-friendly future energy source, and even protects our bodies from radiation. 

Seaweed Latte

The entrance to the expo

To the left you can see the beautiful water fountain that is at the entrance of the expo. At the right is my seaweed latte that I bought. It was made fresh, and then canned and given to me. It was delicious and milky green in color.

Here you can see some photos of the seaweed that was being grown in the ocean near the expo. They had ferries attached to the shore so that people attending the expo could see some of the seaweed that was actively being cultivated for harvest. There also were bins with small samples of the seaweed to feel and they had areas where you could see live marine life as well. Seaweed isn't as slimy as you would imagine, in fact it is quite rough, thick and depending on the type somewhat spiny. 

Here you can see some of the various types of seaweed from Wando that were on display and that can be found, grown, and eventually consumed.

Below is my video of the waterfall cinema movie that was shown at the expo. The announcer said that it was the first time cinematography of this type has ever been used. Seeing the movie displayed on a stream of water in the middle of the room was quite unique and exciting.

If you ever have the chance to visit Wando and attend the Seaweed Expo I recommend it. I learned a lot more about seaweed than I had expected to and was able to have some amazing experiences and taste some interesting foods. There also were live traditional dancing performances and other events taking place as well.


Lastly, before leaving Wando we made a short trip to Wando's Cheonghae port filming site (청해포구촬영장), where historical movies and dramas have been filmed. We were there a regrettable short period of time, so I wasn't able to see as much of the site as I would've liked, but from what I saw the film site was a beautiful and well kept space.




To the left you can see one of the areas of the film site where people would've lived and worked in historical times. The photo on the right is from the cliff-side and the flag that hangs over the port.

From the cliff-side overlook of the port

Inside the film sets upper-class area

Here is a map of the overall site and what different building were used for when filming.

Okay I think that is all I have to say about my experiences in Wando and Gangjin. Overall Wando seems like a great place to take a trip if you want to enjoy a quiet and peaceful weekend on the ocean. I hope one day I can take another trip back to swim on their beach and taste Wando's famous abalone.