Hongcheon is Korea's largest county by land area, a heavily forested stretch of inland Gangwon Province built around the Hongcheon River and known today for its ski resorts, hot springs, and hanwoo beef.
History
The area has carried the name Hongcheon since 1043, during the reign of Goryeo's King Injong, after passing through several earlier names under the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla. Its mountainous, thickly forested terrain kept it thinly populated and agricultural for most of its history, with cattle-raising and ginseng cultivation eventually becoming its signature industries. Since Korea's 1945 liberation and the postwar reorganization of local government, Hongcheon has grown as a gateway for Seoul-area visitors heading further into Gangwon's mountains, and in recent decades it has built a resort and leisure economy around its rivers, forests, and hot springs.
Highlights
- Daemyung Vivaldi Park, a large ski resort with 13 runs alongside the OceanWorld indoor water park.
- Hongcheon River, lined with wide sandbanks and a popular summer spot for rafting and camping.
- Alpaca World, an animal park in Pungcheon-ri where visitors can feed and walk alongside alpacas.
- Suta-sa Temple, a Buddhist temple on Mount Gongjak first built in 708.
- Hongcheon riverside market, where the county's namesake ginseng and other mountain produce are sold.
Food
Hongcheon markets itself as hanwoo (Korean beef) country: local cattle are typically raised for at least 27 months and fed an alcohol-fermented feed said to improve marbling, and restaurants around the county specialize in hanwoo barbecue. Ginseng, grown in the surrounding hills, is the other local specialty, appearing in everything from ginseng chicken soup to local liquor.
Annual events
- Hongcheon Ginseng Festival (October) — celebrates the county's ginseng harvest with tastings, products, and cultural events; first held in 2003.
Getting there
Hongcheon has no train station of its own; direct intercity buses run from Seoul's Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Hongcheon Bus Terminal in roughly an hour, making it one of the more easily reached Gangwon counties.
How long
Hongcheon works well as a day trip from Seoul given the short bus ride, especially for a single stop like Alpaca World or a river visit — but the ski resort and hot springs are worth an overnight if you want to actually use the slopes or water park rather than just pass through.