Folk games, K-culture and a revived boating tradition keep Gangneung's tourism staff busier than ever over the holiday
The Gyeongpo area of Gangneung was once a long, jar-shaped inlet formed roughly 10,000 years ago as glacial ice melted at the end of the last ice age. Over the centuries, waves deposited sand along its mouth while sediment carried by seawater gradually sealed the opening, slowly transforming the inlet into a lake — a textbook example of what Koreans call a "K-lagoon."
The elongated inlet, carved into the western slopes of the Baekdudaegan range from the East Sea, once stretched inland as far as Seongyojang and Ojukheon.
After the lagoon formed, the waters in front of Ojukheon and Seongyojang — deep in the Gyeongpo Lake basin — barely rippled. It was here that seonbi scholars and artists of letters would gather for leisurely boat rides.
Today, Gyeongpo Lake and the Gyeongpo Ecological Retention Basin appear to be separate bodies of water, but they were once visibly one. The name Seongyojang itself means "the place where the boat bridge stood," and the estate's owner has said that elders told him boats once passed in front of the house even during the Joseon era.
That tradition is being revived. The Ojukheon Traditional Boating experience has been restored at the Gyeongpo Ecological Retention Basin and is quietly becoming one of Gangneung's newest tourism draws.
After a trial run from April through June, the attraction opened officially in July — making it a fresh addition to the city's lineup. It remains free until Oct. 1, when paid admission begins, so the Chuseok holiday is a rare chance to enjoy it at no cost.
The experience reimagines the traditional leisure culture of Ojukheon for a modern audience, letting visitors glide across the water by boat. For homecoming visitors and travelers who think of Gangneung primarily as a seaside city, stumbling upon a freshwater boating experience is likely to come as a pleasant surprise.
The city has put together a range of holiday programs tied to the boating attraction for both returning residents and out-of-town visitors. Tourism staff from the city and private sector alike are working through the Chuseok break to keep guests entertained.
From Thursday through Saturday, the city will run a special photo event for boating participants: a professional photographer will be on hand to take complimentary snapshots of visitors out on the water.
Visitors can capture a keepsake shot while drifting across the Gyeongpo Ecological Retention Basin against the backdrop of the Moonlight Art Show. The offer is limited to 200 groups over three days on a first-come, first-served basis and may close early.
The Ojukheon Traditional Boating fleet at the retention basin consists of 15 coffee-bean-shaped boats, 10 coffee-cup boats and two traditional wooden vessels.
The city plans to carry the momentum into October with a series of hands-on events following the Chuseok holiday.
From Oct. 8 to 11, the program will offer plogging kits and a lucky-draw event. From Oct. 15 to 18, an instant photo booth and a character-themed cotton candy event will be on offer.
Then, from Oct. 23 to 25, the city will tie in with the Gangneung Coffee Festival, running coffee and traditional tea tastings, traditional performances, a picnic zone and photo spots.
Ojukheon and the Gangneung Municipal Museum will host a Chuseok folk-games festival from Thursday through Sunday.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day and requires no advance registration — visitors can drop in and join freely. Activities are divided between two zones: a traditional games courtyard and a neighborhood playground area.
The traditional games courtyard features yunnori, tuho (arrow-toss), jegi-chagi (hacky sack), biseoktchigi (stone-flipping) and ring toss. The neighborhood playground area offers games more familiar to the parent generation — gong-gi (jacks), hopscotch and ddakji (card-flipping).
In addition, the existing full-moon photo zone will be stocked with hand-held signs bearing themes of health, happiness and wish fulfillment, so visitors can pose freely for commemorative photos.
On Chuseok day itself, Friday, Ojukheon and its outdoor grounds will be open free of charge, while indoor facilities — including the Yulgok Memorial Hall, the Gangneung Currency Exhibition Hall, the Gangneung Municipal Museum, the Yulgok Children's Museum and the hanbok experience center — will be closed.
Outdoor performances and taekwondo demonstrations are also planned at the Gyeongpo Traveler Center.
The outdoor space at the Gyeongpo Traveler Center will host two days of lively stage performances. The lineup opens with representative traditional arts from Gangneung — nongak (farmers' music) and the Gwanno Mask Drama — and continues with a band concert, guest singer performances, a taekwondo demonstration and a magic show, offering something for all ages.
Inside the traveler center, visitors can take part in a variety of hands-on activities. Highlights include a traditional tea ceremony introducing Gangneung's tea culture, gold-leaf stamping to make a daenggi-style charm decoration, and knotted-bracelet making. A tarot reading corner will also be set up as a lighthearted way for families to share holiday wishes and check their fortunes together.
Bae Gwang-sik, head of the city's tourism policy division, said he hoped visitors and residents alike would enjoy the rich performances and varied activities amid the natural beauty of Gyeongpo over the Chuseok break. "We will continue to develop and offer differentiated tourism content to make Gangneung a city people want to return to," he said.
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