The Ganghwa Peace Observatory is the only place on the popular tourist island that offers unobstructed views of the North Korean flatlands.
In the Civilian Control Zone just 1.8 km from North Korea, the observatory was a military lookout in the past. But amid improving inter-Korean relations in September 2008, it was turned into a tourist spot, and has been a popular destination for Korean and foreign visitors alike.
In the Civilian Control Zone just 1.8 km from North Korea, the observatory was a military lookout in the past. But amid improving inter-Korean relations in September 2008, it was turned into a tourist spot, and has been a popular destination for Korean and foreign visitors alike.
The Ganghwa Peace Observatory
A short drive from Seoul to Ganghwa Island leads to the entry control point. Visitors must show their ID card and get an entry permit to be attached to the car window. The observatory is a five-minute drive away.
On the first floor is an outdoor lookout point, from where a North Korean village can be seen.
Kang Chang-hak, a staffer at the Observatory said, "We can only see village nearby because of sea fog today, but on clear days there are views of Mt. Songak."
On the first floor is an outdoor lookout point, from where a North Korean village can be seen.
Kang Chang-hak, a staffer at the Observatory said, "We can only see village nearby because of sea fog today, but on clear days there are views of Mt. Songak."
Outdoor and indoor lookout points of the observatory
The third floor has powerful telescopes for more detailed views of North Korea both indoors and out. A video screen there also shows scenes of North Korea so that visitors on cloudy days can get a glimpse of it.
The striking thing is the number of cyclists, because Kaesong residents are rewarded with bicycles for farming the area on collective farms.
The striking thing is the number of cyclists, because Kaesong residents are rewarded with bicycles for farming the area on collective farms.
The estuary where the river flows into the West Sea (top) and a North Korean village seen from the observatory
An exhibition of pictures and videos on the Korean War can be seen on the second floor. A paper tree made of memos greets visitors at the entrance to the first floor. Visitors write messages hoping for reunification and hang them on the tree.
Outside is a shrine where people remember their families in the North.
Outside is a shrine where people remember their families in the North.
Next door, there is another must-see place nearby, the Ganghwa History Museum, which opened last year, bringing together relics scattered around the island. The miniature models show the past and present of Ganghwa Island.
The Ganghwa History Museum
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