Gangneung was the home of the Yemaek people in ancient times and became the land of Wiman Joseon in 129 BC. In 128 BC, Nam Ryeo, the army officer of Yaekam, punished Wujang of Wiman Korea and became the territory of the Han dynasty. In the 14th year of Goguryeo Muchheon (313), it entered Goguryeo territory.[4]
In 639, Silla occupied this place and ruled it as a 'Sogyeong' (소경). In 658, King Moo-yeong abolished the Sogyeong and made an arsenal to send the todok, because it was adjacent to Malgal. In 757, it was renamed Sungju and restored it in 776.[5]
It was renamed Myungju again during the Goryeo period, and it was under the jurisdiction the north of Chuncheon in the 14th year of Sungjong (995). It separated the Hamgyeong-do from the Gangeung and called it Gangneung-do, but it has always been the center of administration and military. At the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, it called to Hwadangdo and Wonchundo and rename Gangneung by the name of Gangwon Province in the 5th year of King Sejong (1423).[6]
Some areas have been incorporated into Yangyang since 1945, and Gangneung City was established in 1995 as the areas of Gangneung and Myeongju merged.[7]
On 18 September 1996 a North Korean submarine ran aground near Gangneung in an attempted infiltration mission, spurring a 49-day manhunt for the escaped passengers. For more details, refer to the 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident.[8]
Symbols of Gangneung
The flag of the city shows a red sun in the centre and blue wave in front, on a white background. The sun represents the sunrise, the wave the sea. The flower of the city is the crepe myrtle, the tree of the city is the pine tree, its bird the swan. The animal of Gangneung is the tiger.[9]
The total area of Gangneung is about 1,040.4 km2 (401.7 sq mi) as of the end of 2015, which accounts for 6.2% of Gangwon State's 16,873 km2 (6,515 sq mi). 80.4% of the area of Gangneung, 837.36 km2 (323.31 sq mi), is forestland.[11]
Climate
Gangneung experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with cool to cold winters and hot, humid summers. Since Gangneung is a coastal city, it has generally milder winters and relatively cooler summers than the rest of Korea. It is bordered by mountains to the west and the sea to the east.[12]
Climate data for Gangneung (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present)
Sunrises, especially the first in the New Year, are important in traditional Korean culture. The Jeongdongjin and Gyeongpo beaches in Gangneung are popular places to enjoy a sunrise.[17]
Gyeongpodae Area
Gyeongpo BeachOlympic Rings in Gyeongpo Beach in May 2018
Gangneung is considered special due to its access to both a lake and the sea. Gyeongpodae is a pavilion overlooking a Gyeongpo lake. It is said that a person can see the Moon five times when at Gyeongpodae: once in the sky, once reflected in the lake, once reflected in the sea, once reflected in the drinking glass, and once more in the eyes of a lover. The site of Gyeongpodae is known for its location east of the centre of the city.[18]
Inside the Gyeongpodae pavilion, built with 28 pillars, is the Gyeongpodaebu, a poem by Yul Gok. Gyeongpodaebu describes the movement of the heavens and the Moon. The best view of the Moon is on the 15th of the lunar month.[18]
The nearby Gyeongpo Beach has a sandy beach and a line of fresh seafood restaurants, with its proximity to Seoul making it a popular summer destination.
Jeongdongjin Beach is about 250 meters long and is famous for its beautiful sunrise scenery. In particular, the sunrise seen from the top of Goseong Mountain is known to be the most beautiful.
Culture
Heritage
Ojukheon.
There are a total of 128 cultural properties in Gangneung. Among them, there are 34 State-designated heritage and 58 Province-designated heritage.[21]
National Treasure No. 51, a gate to an official inn, is in Gangneung. This gate is the front gate of the Gangneung official inn built in the Goryeo period. It is the oldest gate in the Goryeo Dynasty and is the only cultural property designated as a national treasure among the buildings in Gangwon-do.
Ojukheon is the birthplace of Shin Saimdang and Yulgok Lee. It was designated as Treasure No. 165 by being recognized as one of the oldest architecture in the Korea and being a rare example of preserving Joseon-era architecture.
Gangneung Guseongsa site, which was founded by Burma in the 13th year of King Munsung of Silla(851), has been designated as Korea's Historic Site No.448. Inside the temple, treasures are designated as Treasures No. 85, Treasures No. 86, There is a stone Buddhist image designated as No. 38.
total
State-designated heritage
Province-designated heritage
Registered cultural heritage
Cultural heritage material
total
National Treasure
Treasure
Historic Site
Natural monuments
Intangible Cultural Property
Scenic Site
National Folklore Cultural Heritage
total
Tangible Cultural Heritage
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Monument
128
34
1
16
3
5
1
4
2
58
39
5
14
2
2
Festivals
Gangneung has numerous festivals. The biggest and most famous is the festival Gangneung Danoje at the dano fairground near the Namdae River. In 1967, the Gangneung Dano Festival was designated Korean National Immaterial Cultural Heritage No. 13. On November 11, 2005, it was designated by UNESCO as one of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". Nowadays, it is a combination of several commemoration rites and traditional plays. A highlight is the traditional Gwanno Mask Dance (Gwanno Gamyeongeuk), which is only performed at this festival.
In addition to well established festivals like the Dano, there are several newer festivals in Gangneung, such as the IJAF (International Junior Art Festival), which enjoys great popularity. The IJAF is a cultural festival for youth from all over the world. The festival includes both performances of the participating groups and a diversified cultural program demonstrating the essence of Korean culture. Since 2002, the IJAF has taken place at Gyeongpo Beach in the end of July. There is also the Gyeongpo Rock Festival, which was established in 2006. This festival, mostly attracting young people, offers young Korean bands from the Gangneung area a stage for their performances. The Gangneung Coffee festival, which began in 2009, is an annual coffee-tasting festival in which a variety of coffee vendors showcase coffee drinks as well as coffee machinary. In the festival are also some smaller, non-coffee vendors, as well as arts and crafts stalls. As of 2023, it is being held within the Gangneung Olympic Park.
Museum
There are a number of historical remains and museums in Gangneung. The most prominent being the Ojukheon Museum, which is named after a special black bamboo growing in this area. It was the birthplace of the famous artist, calligrapher and poet Shin Saimdang (1504–1551) (whose image is on the 50,000 won note), and her son, the scholar Yulgok (1536–1584) (whose image is on the South Korean 5,000 won note). In 1963, the Ojukheon Museum was designated as National Cultural Heritage No. 165. It includes one of the oldest wooden buildings in Korea. The Hwanhee and Fantapia Museums, established in 2013, opened anew in November 2020[22] Housed in a new structure of contemporary architecture it is the only cup museum in Asia. The museum's collection contains 2,000 cups from 70 countries. Currently, 1,500 are on display.
Several shrines and old residential buildings deliver insight into the lives of these famous Koreans. Next to the Ojukheon Museum there is the Gangneung Municipal Museum which shows folklore and antique pieces from the history of the city. Located in the hills surrounding Gangneung, there is the revealing Daegwallyeong Museum. It consists of a private collection with more than 1000 artifacts and shows the agricultural history of the region.
Religious architecture
Gangneung Imdeungdong Cathedral is a cathedral-style Roman Catholic sanctuary in Gangwon State. It was constructed in the 1950s. It became Registered cultural heritage No.457.
Local transit operators connect communities in the city divided three regions. This is managed by Gangneung City Office and the operation is carried out by each transportation company.[25]
A total of 589 units in Gangneung are operating taxi licenses. The basic fare of Gangneung taxi is 2,800 won for 2 km. After that, 100 won will be charged for 152m from 2 km to 6 km, and 200 won will be charged for 152m after 6 km. but Jumunjin area, Gangdong-meon, Okgye area are designated as exceptional areas to 45% extra charge.[28]
^Bureau of railroad operation, MOLIT. 서울~강릉 KTX 올해말 개통, 114분 소요 (Press release) (in Korean). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, South Korea. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
^"International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 4 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
^韩国江陵市议会代表团到芒市进行友好交流 [Korea Gangneung City parliament delegation arrive at Mangshi to friendly exchange]. www.ynmsrd.com (in Chinese). 2014-10-19. Archived from the original on 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
