Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites

Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites

Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
3.5
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Prehistoric tombs made of large stone slabs.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles38 reviews
Excellent
9
Very good
14
Average
12
Poor
1
Terrible
2

Dave H
Singapore, Singapore123 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
Korea is the dolmen capital of the world. This is a dolmen focused park, and does have one really good exam, but you need to roam around Gwanghwa to see more. Nice, but not worth a special trip.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew M
7,585 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Family
The Jiseokmyo Dolmen is a "table top" shaped Dolmen which is the best known Dolmen on Ganghwa. It is found in Ganghwa Dolmen Park which is next to the History Museum. Admission is free, and the site always seems to be open. There is an information booth at the entrance to the park, where a brochure is provided that gives information on the different types of dolmens and also includes a suggested hiking trail to the dolmens of Ganghwa. The hiking trail is 12km and covers 9 dolmen sites, so would probably take most of the day to explore.

The park itself can be seen in half an hour, and includes replica prehistoric huts, exhibts depicting the type of dolmens over the world,and the Jiseokmyo Dolmen. A visit here should be done with the museum which is opposite the park. The museum opens at 9am and has exhibits relating to the dolmens.

The Dolmen park may be easily reached by taking the "tourist bus" from the Ganghwa Bus Terminus or a taxi that would cost approximately W8,000. It may be a good idea to check the bus schedule to plan your visit here, as public transport seems to be infrequent.
Written August 30, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JerseyInShanghai
Shanghai61 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2016 • Family
The dolmens are smaller than expected, and scattered about the island. You can walk right up to them. The largest is fenced, and there is a small natural history and archaeology museum next door. If you go to the largest, look for the path that goes through the farmer's field; there are a few unrestored dolmens among the trees. The signage is mostly in Korean, so you will not get any in-depth info. We took a two hour public bus from Seoul, which was easy and cheap, but it might be easier to explore the island with your own car.
Written March 4, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alana
Hanam, South Korea9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
If you visit Ganghwado Island you should try to make a stop at this UNESCO heritage (2000) site. Dolmens are stone graves or tombs that were thought to be formed in the pre-historic era. Korea has about 30,000 dolmens. It's really interesting to observe the theories and history behind the dolmen. Ganghwa dolmen is a table-top type dolmen and has the largest stone in Korea. They believe that the dolmen might have been used for ancestral rites. I highly recommend visiting Ganghwado for its rich history, especially the Ganghwa dolmen. I think that afternoon or evening time is a perfect time to visit. We visited during the autumn season and the area around the dolmen created a fantastic array of golden colors including swaying reeds and changing leaves. You can also view traditional Korean houses near the dolmen and the Ganghwa History Museum is very close to the dolmen. This area provides a fantastic chance to view pre-historic Korean history right up close. Thank you to the KOCIS (Korean Culture and Information Service) and Funday Korea Networks for taking on this fantastic trip to Ganghwado and the Ganghwa Dolmen Heritage site.
Written October 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Scott H
18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016
Looking for a lot of history? Looking for an out of way destination but still only 70 KM away from Seoul and best of all NO crowds? Go to Sinchon Sta, exit 1 go fwd 5 mins to the GS25 convenience store and take the 3000 Ganghwa bus. Use your T-Money card, only 2,500 Won. Sit back and enjoy the 90 minute trip to the Ganghwa City Bus Terminal. Plan your trip to see Gwangseongbo Fortress where the U.S. invaded Korea in 1871. Then catch the #1 Bus to the Ganghwa Peace Observatory and be only 2 KM from North Korea, bring along a telephoto lens and a pair of binoculars to check out NK. Before you leave the island visit the World Heritage Ganghwa Dolmens and the Ganghwa History Museum. It is a full day so leave Seoul early you will not be disappointed. At the terminal take the 3000 bus back to Seoul. Don’t expect the locals to speak much English but the information people at the bus terminal are extremely helpful.
Written May 31, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kjmagnuson
Los Angeles, CA668 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2012 • Solo
If I just reviewed one site, such as the large Ganghwa Dolmen, my overall impression would not be that high. However, I had the opportunity to visit multiple dolmens on Ganghwa Island and hundreds in Gochang. There are numerous dolmens throughout Korea, but these 3 cluster areas were chosen for their large numbers and/or stle variation.

It is important to consider "With an estimated 35,000 dolmen, Korea alone accounts for nearly 40% of the world’s total." This made it hard for me to be satisfied seeing only 1 dolmen of one style. Nevertheless, these ancient remains are not "wow" sites, the impact of the experience is a collective one. Taken as a whole, considering the sheer amount of dolmens in Korea, their various styles and size, indeed this is an impressive Unesco world heritage site. I recommend if you really want to make a worthwile experience, explore Korea's many dolmen sites, make a challenge of it, hike and explore the surrounding areas on top of searching out dolmen locations.
Written December 1, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew T
Gwangju, South Korea18 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2012 • Couples
I visited the Dolmen site at Gochang spring 2012. Its a great little spot which is perfect for walking aound if you have an hour or two and good weather. There were several ancient dolmens littered around which I learnt is common in South Korea. There is a small museum and historic mock village but I didnt explore them because of time limits. I definitely recommend a trip to the area if you are near but I would make it part of a bigger trip to the area and perhaps take in Gochang fortress the same day.
Written April 5, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lauren W
San Francisco, California, United States68 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2015 • Friends
Ganghwa island is about a 2 1/2 hr ride from Seoul by bus. The dolmen is well preserved and the museum by it is interesting but it is far. If you are going to be in the area anyways and are really into ancient history this would be a good place to go. I didn't run into a lot of people who spoke english so if you are not comfortable getting directions in Korean you might want to do this one by tour or find a closer dolmen. If you want to get a view of small town Korean living ganghwa island is a good place as well. Everyone I met was super friendly and helpful.
Written July 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ZT713
3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
It was quite amazing seeing how the stones were built and put together with a detailed explanation of the tour guide.

The Ganghwa Dolmen site contains the highest density and greatest variety of dolmens in Korea, and indeed of any country. Dolmens are megalithic funerary monuments, which figured prominently in Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures across the world during the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE. Usually consisting of two or more undressed stone slabs supporting a huge capstone, it is generally accepted that they were simply burial chambers, erected over the bodies or bones of deceased worthies. They are usually found in cemeteries on elevated sites and are of great archaeological value for the information that they provide about the prehistoric people who built them and their social and political systems, beliefs and rituals, and arts and ceremonies.
Written October 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KOVH
59 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Friends
If you are in the area you will probably see these because what else are you going to do here? The historical aspect of the site is intriguing but in the end you are just looking at some rocks stacked on top of each other so do not expect the something out of this world.
Written October 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites, Gochang-gun

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