First things first: FOOD. Chuncheon is famous for having the best dalk galbi in the country. When I heard this, thoughts of last week’s dalk galbi dinner in MyeongDong came to mind. That had been pretty darn good, what could possibly be different? (I love food, but I can’t discriminate like a true foodie.) Well, my taste buds were educated once I had me some CHUNCHEON DALK GALBI.

 
           When we got to Chuncheon, we went to a dalk galbi restaurant that we had heard about called “Tongnamu Jib” (통나무집). Apparently other people had heard of the restaurant too...we waited 50 minutes to get seated.

However, once I experienced “dalk galbi” glory, I felt like every minute waiting had been worth it. A tangy, spicy sauce greets your tongue first while tender, juicy chicken gets to know your mouth a little better. I’m sorry if that’s a terrible metaphor, but that’s the only way I can describe it. I can’t write about it anymore, I’m salivating all over my keyboard.

Soyang Dam (소양댐)

         We then headed towards Soyang Dam to get to the ferry dock that would take us to Chyeongpyongsa Temple. The dam itself is really neat to look at and has an observation dock with a terrific view of the lake. There were speed boats at the dock that looked really fun, but I was worried that riding one would cause the delicious chicken that I had just eaten to come up in a way that wouldn’t be pleasant for anyone. The ferry ride was a soothing alternative to get to the temple. It costs 5,000W.     

Chyeongpyongsa Temple (청평사)

From the ferry dock, the hike up to the temple takes about 40 minutes. On the way up to the temple, there is a small, but pretty, waterfall. At the waterfall, there’s a statute of a woman holding a snake. According to one of my Korean friends, the myth about the temple’s origin stems from a romance between a Chinese princess and a common man. When the king heard of their relationship, he had the common man killed. The man was then reincarnated into a snake. The snake wrapped itself around the princess and would not let her go. The king found a Korean Buddhist monk who was able to release the princess from the snake’s grip. The snake then died and the princess was free. The king then built a temple in Korea to express his gratitude. Thus, we have Chyeongpyongsa Temple. 

The temple itself isn’t very large, but is still very peaceful and interesting to visit. On the way back down from the temple, we stopped to have makgeoli right on a stream. The trip to the visit the dam and the temple is perfect for a day trip. If you’ve got a whole weekend, you can pop over to Nami Island (which I happen to be writing about next)!

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