How South Korea’s Gangwon-do is like a combination of Japan’s Kyoto, Okinawa and Hokkaido

Those who know me would probably label me as the Japan fanatic—the one who “always” travels to Japan. While I don’t exactly always travel there, I do love touring the land of the rising sun and experiencing their food, culture and sceneries.

The last thing people would associate me with is Korea, seeing how these two “same same but different” countries are often being compared. Alas, over the years, the Japan-crazy me learned to appreciate Korea more and even found myself picking up the language recently!

Just like how the universe has everything planned, last month, I had the opportunity to explore South Korea’s Gangwon Province for the very first time. I was pleasantly surprised, no less.

Given my travel experience in Japan, I couldn’t help but to compare everything that I came across in Gangwon. My conclusion? You can actually get a taste of Japan from Okinawa in the south to Kyoto in the centre to Hokkaido in the north in South Korea’s second-biggest (after North Gyeongsang) province, Gangwon.

The difference between Gangwon and Okinawa

Gangwon, which sits in the northeastern part of South Korea, has a unique geographical location. It is dominated by the Taebaek Mountains and bordered by the East Sea. As a result, the western region, characterised by Chuncheon City and Wonju City, is more mountainous, while the eastern region, characterised by Gangneung City and Sokcho City, features a more coastal landscape.

Eastern Gangwon thus offers seaside activities, water sports and sandy beaches, which you can find on the sunny island of Okinawa. Particularly, I love the chill atmosphere at Surfyy Beach, where you can unwind, gaze upon the vast ocean and look at how it stretches out seemingly infinitely to meet the sky.

The cultural experiences in Gangwon, specifically the Gangneung nongak (agriculture music), also reminded me of the culturally rich Okinawa. Nongak is a traditional dance with percussion instruments that farmers perform to pray for a good harvest. Over at Okinawa, there is Eisa, a folk dance that also uses drums. It is, however, performed during the Bon festival to honour the spirits of the ancestors.

I think as I grow older, I become more appreciative of the beauty of the different cultures and traditions, and hope that they will continue to exist generations after generations.

The difference between Gangwon and Kyoto

My impression of Kyoto is that it is very rustic with traditional-looking streets and buildings. Even though Gangwon isn’t as rustic, it has a similarly slow pace of life that lets you take it easy and tune in to your surroundings. Occasionally, it feels great to move away from city life—think of the busyness of Seoul and Tokyo—and be one with nature. Both Gangwon and Kyoto are ideal places to do so.

The location that truly emits Kyoto vibes in Gangwon is the ancient Buddhist temple, Woljeongsa. Situated amidst peaceful nature, along a river lined with fir trees on Odaesan, Woljeongsa reminded me of Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera and Kinkaku-ji, which are also Buddhist temples surrounded by beautiful nature.

I especially love the zen atmosphere enveloping these temples, but perhaps it was also because of the cool weather. It probably won’t feel as nice with Singapore’s sweltering heat.

The difference between Gangwon and Hokkaido

Many will know Gangwon for its ski resorts, especially the Yongpyong Ski Resort that was the host location for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. On the other hand, Hokkaido is also best known for its ski resorts, particularly Niseko United. With both having world-class ski resorts that are well-loved, it is difficult not to see the similarities.

But the thing that really screams Hokkaido in Gangwon is actually its food. When it comes to consuming king crab, you’d think of Hokkaido or Alaska. But did you know you can find king crab in Gangneung’s Jumunjin? There are also many fish markets in the area where you can purchase fresh, live ocean catches.

Hokkaido is also known for its potatoes, hence you’d often see potato snacks being sold as omiyage (local speciality or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling). Interestingly, Gangwon is a major producer of potatoes in South Korea. This gives rise to a variety of potato dishes in Gangwon, such as the potato pancake and potato dumpling soup.

As someone who loves to travel to Japan, it is amazing to see how Gangwon, a single province in South Korea, has the traits of multiple prefectures in Japan. The next time you visit South Korea, give Gangwon a try and you may find surprises like I did!

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