The lead characters of the drama series "A Good Man in the World" longed to visit Chuam Beach, and whenever a troubled thought crept in, they would slip away there without a word.
Simply standing alone before the East Sea on a sudden impulse can itself be a meaningful journey — but when a knowledgeable guide, warm as a favorite aunt, walks alongside, everything beautiful becomes even more so.
The small tunnel at Hanseom Beach in Donghae is now a favorite spot for the MZ generation to snap the perfect photo, but it once served as the only passage connecting the homes of a farming-fishing community to the sea.
Trains on the Yeongdong Line passed constantly, so residents petitioned hard to have the tunnel carved beneath the coastal railway. The narrow passage still carries the quiet weariness of people who labored day after day toward a better tomorrow.
Nongoldamgil takes its name from the water that once ran through it. Fishermen hauling buckets heavy with seafood climbed the steep slope from Mukho Port into Mukho-dong, and the seawater that spilled and pooled along the alley made the lane look like a flooded rice paddy — "nong" meaning paddy field. A small actual paddy that yielded precious rice did sit at the hilltop of this hillside village where squid were hung to dry, but it is the image of the water-soaked alley that gave the street its name.
This area was called "Nongol," while the inland spot near Hanseom where cold, clear spring water bubbled up was known as "Hangol" — written with the character for "cold." That spring-fed hollow is essentially the etymological root of Cheongok-dong, Donghae's downtown district, whose name means "a valley where springs flow."
Hearing this, a stroll down the Nongoldamgil alleyway becomes something far richer than a visit to a filming location for the K-drama "The Heirs" — it takes on a deeply emotional pull. One might find oneself thinking of a grandmother, or a father.
Cheongok-dong, where young people from in and around Donghae, ship crews and office workers gather nightly, feels all the warmer — and the drinks taste all the sweeter — when you picture clean spring water once welling up from that very ground.
Cultural guides bring these real stories to life, giving visitors a far richer experience of the places they walk through.
Donghae city is expanding its guided-tour services along Haeparang Trail routes 33 and 34 — the city's stretch of the 770-kilometer East Coast trail — to offer walkers a more rewarding experience at sites including Chuam, Hanseom, Cheongok and Nongoldamgil.
Route 33 runs from Chuam Beach through Donghae Station and Hanseom Beach to Mukho Station. Route 34 continues from Mukho Station through the Mukho-dong neighborhood of Nongoldamgil, the raw-fish hub of Eodal, the emerging surf destination of Daejin, and Mangsang Beach — Donghae's signature seaside resort — before heading toward Okgye.
On Wednesday, the city held field-focused training for its cultural tourism guides, covering route-specific information and how to use the "Durunubi" trail app, sharpening their ability to convey the stories and attractions of the Haeparang Trail more vividly.
About 62,000 tourists have used Donghae's cultural tourism guide service through September this year. The city plans to link guided walks with its broader tourism offerings to raise visitor satisfaction.
Improvements to the walking environment are also ongoing — deck repairs, railing maintenance, weeding and repainting continue across the trail — and restoration work on the Hanseom Rhythmical Gate section has been completed at a cost of about 80 million won ($58,500).
Kim Hyeong-gi, director of the city's culture and tourism bureau, said the Haeparang Trail is "a path where you walk and encounter the stories of Donghae's sea, its downtown and its fishing villages," adding that the city would "run the guided-tour service with real substance, sharing stories unique to Donghae alongside a safe walking environment."
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