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Beautiful Park on the Sea where Angels Played

Seonyudo Island

The bow-shaped beach covered with white sand looks like Myeongsasipri, a well-known 4 kilometer-long beach with its famous white sands. It is the Seonyudo Island beach, which is famous for its clear sea and shallow water. The two giant rocks rising high on the other side of the beach are very impressive. According to legend, a loyal subject who was punished by being banished to this remote island climbed up these rocks and looked toward the northern capital Hanyang, earnestly wishing his king well.

Therefore these huge rocks are called Mangjubong (peak of looking toward one's master).After a shower in summer, the 150 meter-high falls Mangjupokpo shows off its wonderful cascade on a huge rocky cliff.

If you climb the summit of Mangjubong, which is 152 meters above sea level, you will be overwhelmed with an indescribable emotion to see the sublime sunset scene over the horizon, along with many little jewel-like islets dotting the vast sea pigmented yellowish red with the setting sun on the western sky. It is a very impressive sunset scene that is much better than seen on the beach far down below the summit. However, you have to calm down your excitement as you must be very careful when you walk down along the rocky trail in the dim dusk light.

The Seonyudo Island (island of angels' resort) has a legend that angels used to play on this island in the old days, and it is the central island of the Gogunsangundo (group of islands with old mountains) comprising islands such as Yamido, Sinsido, Seonyudo, Jangjado, Daejangdo, Munyeodo, Gotrido, Hoenggyeongdo, Bangchukdo, Myeongdo, Maldo and Biando. These islands used to be far away from the mainland before the Saemangeum land reclamation project was completed. Nowadays these islands are not so far from the mainland any longer.

Enjoyable Bicycle Riding Course through Seonyudo, Jangjado and Munyeodo


To the west of Seonyudo Island is Jangjado Island, and to the south of Seonyudo Island is Munyeodo Island. Between Seonyudo Island and Jangjado Island is the Jangjagyo Bridge, and between Seonyudo Island and Munyeodo Island is the Seonyugyo Bridge. As these three islands are connected with these two bridges, they seem to be a single island. These two bridges are 268 meters long and are not wide enough to drive a car but are a nice course for bicycle riding. Riding a bicycle to see every corner of these islands is very enjoyable. There is a bicycle renting shop in Seonyudo Island and the tandem bicycle is very popular among couples.

Jangjado Island used to function as the central sea port of the Gogunsangundo Islands. Many fishing boats used to harbor around the peaceful sea in front of Jangjado Island, and at night the sea was full of light from those fishing boats. But that spectacular night scene that was once called Jangjaeohwa (fishing lights of Jangjado) has disappeared nowadays.

The 113 meter-long Jangja Suspension Bridge connects Jangjado Island and Daejangdo Island. Therefore people do not differentiate the two islands nowadays and call them by one name, Jangjado Island. On Daejangdo Island there is 'Jangja Halmaebawi,' whose legend was broadcast once in the 'Home Village of Legend' radio program.

Sad legend of Jangja Halmaebawi Rock

During the Goryeo Kingdom a scholar couple lived on Daejangdo Island. The husband scholar left for the mainland to take a government exam for a high-ranking position, and his wife waited for her husband, praying for his success on the exam on top of Jangjabong, the highest peak in the island. For many years her husband did not return. However, the wife watched the horizon every day, carrying her baby on her back and climbing to the top of Jangjabong Peak. Then one day she saw a ship with her husband on board sailing by Hoenggyeongdo Island to the North of Daejangdo Island. What an amazing surprise to her! She saw her husband, and a young attractive woman sitting affectionately by her husband. Her long-awaited and cherished husband was coming back with a new young wife, without having passed the exam. The old wife's happiness to see her husband turned into shocked sadness, and she turned back toward her home in sorrowful tears. At that moment the baby on her back rejected her, turning back by twisting forcibly, and the two turned into rocks on the spot. That may be the reason why the ‘Jangja Halmaebawi (grandma rock)’ looks like a woman carrying a baby on her back. Afterward, when the husband heard of this tragic event, he also turned into a rock that is called 'Halbaebawi (grandpa rock)' on Hoenggyeongdo Island. These legendary rocks can be seen by the sea even today.

The name of Munyeodo (sorceress island) originated from the shape of the mountain that stands in the middle of the island with a shape of dancing female shaman. However, ironically, most inhabitants of this island are Christians. In comparison with other islands at the Gogunsangundo, this island has a wide area of rice paddies that is more than 30,000 pyeong in the area (one pyeong is 3.3 square meters). In addition to these wide rice paddies, this island has hundreds of thousands of pyeong of Bagirak (Tapes philippinarum) shellfish fields and salt fields that enable the residents to enjoy a rich and abundant lifestyle.

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