Yangyang-gun can be explored through a variety of experiences: a market held on set dates each month in Nammun-ri, recurring rituals in Yangyang-eup, and a park by the Namdaecheon. You can shape your stay around the interests that matter to you—visiting a market, exploring history, or walking through fields of reeds and silver grass.
Market dates and food in Nammun-ri
The Yangyang 5-day Market takes place in Nammun-ri on the 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th and 29th of each month. These fixed dates make planning easier: if you want to visit the market, schedule your visit for one of those days. The offerings include seasonal fruit, fresh vegetables and freshly caught fish, as well as pine mushrooms, medicinal herbs, wild greens and shiitake mushrooms.
Prepared foods are also part of the market offerings. These include tteok, kalguksu, traditionally fried chicken and twisted doughnuts; gamja-ongsimi is also available on market days. The range therefore extends from fresh produce to dishes you can enjoy as part of your market visit. Individual stalls and products may vary, so do not count on any particular item being available.
A boardwalk through the Namdaecheon landscape
Namdaecheon Salmon Ecology Park (Silver Grass Field) is located at 86-7 Josan-ri, Yangyang-eup. Its 658-meter-long boardwalk runs through stands of reeds, silver grass and cattails. Three observation points offer views of the Namdaecheon and the reed field.
The boardwalk and observation points offer different experiences within the park: the path passes through the plant stands mentioned above, while three spots look out over the river and reed field. If you want to distinguish cultural sites from landscape features when planning your trip, the park offers a specific nature-focused experience, with a stated path length and several observation points.
Rituals and history
The Yangyang Cultural Festival takes place each year during the Dano Festival and continues the Janggun Seonghwangje ritual. Its main program includes a procession to the ritual, a parade featuring participants dressed as primitive people, a Buddhist lantern parade, and processions for the Yangju Defense Commander and the Daepo Naval Commander. The events bring together religious ceremonies, performances and named historical figures. If you plan to travel specifically for the festival, check the exact event dates.
Each year, the “Yangyang Donghae Shrine Summer Beach Yongwangje” takes place at Donghae Shrine alongside the opening ceremony of the beach season. The shrine is designated Gangwon Province Monument No. 73 and is located near Naksansa Beach. Its history includes its demolition during Japanese rule in the second year of Sunjong’s reign, and its reconstruction by Yangyang County in 1993. This place thus brings together a historical interruption and an annual recurring ceremony.
Yangyang Hyanggyo offers a different perspective on local history. It was founded as a local educational institution during the reign of King Chunghye, on a site identified as the location of an earlier school. It was rebuilt and repaired in 1952, 1953 and 1990. In contrast with the history of Donghae Shrine, the focus here is its founding as an educational institution; the two sites therefore offer different insights into the area’s cultural heritage.
Discover more destinations: Wonju, Inje-gun, Sokcho, Cheorwon-gun, Jeongseon-gun, Taebaek-si, Donghae, Pyeongchang
Back to the main travel overview: Gangwon-do.
