Ganghwa Peace Observatory (강화평화전망대)

A visit to Gimpo city in February to see our Korean friend from the Marine Corps turned into a surprise visit to the Ganghwa Peace Observatory (no.797).  We reached Gimpo city by car and form there he took us in his car. Even though we had been to Ganghwa Island last September, we had not seen much during that trip. The lonely roads on the island reminded me of Jeju. There was a military check-post where people had to show their identification. I guess foreigners need to have their korean identity card or passports for verification. Courtesy our friend's car, we did not have to stop. A pleasant surprise to see the people manning the checkpost saluting our friend.

It was over 4:30 pm and the observatory closed at 5 pm during winters :( We rushed to the place...A guide there was kind enough to show us a video explaining the landmarks across the river. Being a cloudy day, we could not see North Korean territory clearly...There were icicles floating on the river...Why I liked the place is due to the fact that not many places in South Korea we can have a look at North Korean currency and get a South Korean view of the North. For the first time in my life I had been to a border demarcating countries...The wired fences looked so eerie to me.

The gates were being closed and we were asked to leave. Some of the staff stay back after closing the gates.for the public.


Reaching the Observatory:

• Going by car is probably the most convenient way.
• There are various tours organized by some tour agencies specfically for the DMZ area. The various observatories along the fortified border can be a special kind of tourist attraction.Please check the Korean tourism site for more info.

Some pictures follow!

From visitkorea.or.kr

a view of North Korea beyond the waters

binoculars to see the North on clear days

North Korean currency