Life is a different Wave moving by Time and ending at Shore: Incheon Gangwha Manisan Mountain Hike

1. Date and Time : Feb 26, 2019 10:00 ~12:00 (4 hours including one hour break).

2. Location : Hwado-eup, Ganghwa-District, Incheon Metropolitan City in Korea

3. Distance and Course : About 11.15km. Course is to start at Hamheo Dongcheon Parking Lot => Hamheojeong => Jungsusa Temple Junction => 114 Stairs => Seven Angel Stairs => Jungsubi-Major Repair Monument => 472.1m Altitude Manisan Summit => Chamseongdan-Memorial Service to Dangun, Korea National Founder => back to the Parking Lot through the same ascending course. Please see “Incheon Gangwha Manisan Hike- Hamheo Dongcheon Course Map” and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u1OmGb-0B8&t=264s

4. Overall Mountain Explanation.

In the Hamheodongcheon flows water upon the 100-meter-high rock bed where the letter Hamheodongcheon carved by Hamheodaesa himself. Hamheo Dongcheon means Area where you could see crystal blue sky without any cloud. Whether or not because Goryeo was invaded too often and tried to defend the country with the aid of Buddha through Buddhist rituals and services, there are numerous venerable temples in Ganghwado.

There are Jeondeungsa (Temple), Jeongsusa (Temple), Jeokseoksa (Temple), Baengnyeonsa (Temple), Cheongnyeonsa (Temple), and many more temples such as Bomunsa (Temple) in Seongmodo (Island), where Nahancheonjinseoksang (stone statue), discovered by a fisherman from the sea, is enshrined. Hwagaesa (Temple) of Yi Saek, Mogeun, and Seonwonsa (Temple) sites also still remain without damage. You can observe various treasures while visiting the mountain..

5. Detailed Hike Course Explanation.

I have been several times hiking Gangwha Manisan Mountain through Gangwha National Tour Center which is located at North Manisan and never tried to take other course, Hamheo Dongcheon Course locating at South East Manisan. I decided to take this course and arrived at the Hamheo Dongcheon Parking Lot some minute before 10 o’clock in the morning and prepared to start the hike. As I walked for a while, I passed ticket booth paying entrance fee and kept walking some more and reached the Junction which was the way going to the same Manisan Summit through valley at left or ridge at right. I chose left road and kept walking easy concrete paved road for about 20 minutes from the parking lot and reached the junction between Manisan Summit at straight and 70m to Hamheojeong at right. I turned right at the junction and walked up the hill for about 5 minutes and found Hamheo Dongcheon Pavilion which was used for break or observation at old days. I went up the Hamheojeong and over looked West Sea which looks sound and beautiful scenery. I moved back to hike course and continued to walk the concrete paved road and saw nice scenery of white clouds running over Manisan Ridge and recorded it to the camera. As I walked this road for about 10 minutes more, I reached real hike starting area changing the concrete paved road to ordinary soil hike road and found great water stream completely frozen at left and shot the good scenery at good angle. I started to move on the real hike road and realized I had to walk steeper uphill. When I walked this road for about 10 minutes more, I reached Jungsusa Temple Junction; 1.6km to the Manisan Summit at right and Jungsusa Temple at left. I took a right direction at the junction and kept moving up through steeper rocky uphill for about half an hour and reached114 Stair Way connecting to the Jungsu Ridge which was built on very highly sloped uphill and hardly walking through the stairs. I reached the Jungsu Ridge Junction after one more half an hour walking on the stairs and looked down West Coast and small islands at the sea and could see lose bigger rocky road on the ridge leading to the Summit. I hardly walked this rocky and slippery road for about 20 minutes and found Jungsubi-Major Repair Monument of Chamseongdan and tried to read and understood its explanation. As I continued to walk this rocky ridge raid for 10 minutes, I finally touched down 472.1m Altitude Manisan Monument and looked around the Summit and saw Chamseongdan just at next close peak and moved there less than 10 minutes walking and learned or confirmed Chamseongdan is area for memorial service to Dangun, Korea National Founder as well as taking fire with convex lens on the Porch to National Sport Festival. There was a fantastic event dancing around the firing spot area with impressive dressing like at the photo. I fully looked around the Chamseongdan and Summit and descended through the same way as I ascended this morning and pleasantly enjoyed packed lunch box at good and proper area, sunny and no windy.