■ HwaCheon-Gun Tour Overview​

You can enjoy the huge Peace Dam and drive around Paroho Lake in Hwacheon-gun. It is famous for "Minmul Maeuntang(Spicy Freshwater Fish Stew)", cooked with fish caught in the Paroho lake. On a sunny day, visitors can relax and enjoy picnic with their family in Bungeoseom Island, and at Hwacheon market, they also can taste foods such as "Wild edible greens" and "Chwi-tteok", produced in Hwacheon.

■ Peace Dam

Panoramic view of Peace Dam

Peace Dam in Hwacheon-gun was built in response to a potential flooding attack from North Korea. The first phase of construction began in 1986, and ended in 1989; the second phase, which entailed raising the height of the dam, began in 2002, and ended in 2005. Over the years, the dam has become a major tourist attraction. It has several cultural and recreational facilities including the Water Culture Center, an artificial wall stream, and rest areas. It is also located close to the DMZ, and natural landmarks such as Bimok Park, Bisugumi Valley, and Suhari Fishing Site.

Left) Engraved stone of Peace Dam, Middle) The World Peace Bell, Right) Nobel Peace laureates

ㅇ Open : All year round

ㅇ Address : 3481-18, Pyeonghwa-ro, Hwacheon-eup, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea

ㅇ Admission : Free

ㅇ Enquiries : +82-33-480-1512

ㅇ Transportation : By car

■ Paroho Lake

Panoramic view of Paroho Lake

Paroho Lake is a manmade lake created in May 1944 when Hwacheon Dam was built in the valley of the Bukhangang River. Since there is a two-lane national road around Paroho lake, it is good to enjoy driving slowly. More than that, you can find plenty of restaurants serving Gangwon-do mandarin fish, crucian carp, and catfish across the road. You can ride a ferry and tour around Paroho lake at the dock, but when we visited, it was not available due to construction. At the downstream of the dam, there is a power plant called Gumanri Power Plant, and you can see cute cafes. It was a famous fishing spot among anglers in the past, but recently, due to dam development and indiscriminate fishing, there was no people fishing.

Left) Panoramic view of Paroho lake at the observatory, Middle) Paroho national security showroom, Right) Sashimi restaurant street

ㅇ Open : All year round

ㅇ Address : 산61-2, Guman-ri, Gandong-myeon, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea

ㅇ Admission : Free

ㅇ Enquiries : +82-33-440-2563

ㅇ Transportation : By car

■ Bungeoseom Island, Hwacheon Market

Left) Bungeoseom Island, Middle) Hwacheon market Entrance, Right) Inside the Hwacheon market

The 'Bungeoseom' was named because the island looked like a Bungeo(crucian carp) seen from the sky. There are some monorail facilities, but they are not currently running. Hwacheon Market is used by 25,000 county residents. Compared to the past, perhaps due to the influence of major supermarkets and online markets, it is usually quiet, but when the 5-day market opens on the date the date ends on the 3rd or 8th, it becomes crowded.

■ Restaurant information (Source : Hwacheon-gun Culture & Tourism website)

ㅇ Woojung Galbi : 23-12, Jungang-ro 2-gil, Hwacheon-eup, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea / +82-33-442-9220

- 10:00~22:00, Open all year round

ㅇ Shinpoongru(Chinese restaurant) : 6445, Yeongseo-ro, Sangseo-myeon, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea/ +82-33-441-9105

- 10:30~16:00, Closed Thursdays