Danyang Rocks! - Part 1

Danyang is not to be confused with Damyang, the town famed for its bamboo groves. The former is one of the few tourist towns in Chuncheongbuk-do, probably the least blessed of the provinces in terms of the number of attractions. Aside from Suanbo, three national parks and towns like Cheonju and Danyang, there aren’t that many attractions compared to other provinces in the country.

So, it probably hasn’t been easy for the local tourist promotion board in Chungcheongbuk-do to persuade foreign visitors to spend time and won there. Seoulites, however, need no persuasion. In summer, they descend on this quiet and cool provincial town to escape the oppressive heat. In winter, the town regains its sleepy provincial demeanour and the uncrowded streets take on an added charm.

Sandwiched between Woraksan National Park and Sobaeksan National Park, this pleasant town beside the Chungju Lake ( Chungju-ho) offers thrills for adventure-seekers in the form of white-water rafting and paragliding. Photo enthusiasts can also get trigger-happy hunting down the Eight Beautiful Sights of Danyang ( Danyang Palgyeong).

It’s even the ideal place for those seeking peace and quiet and long walks. Way back in 2002, my friend and I had only chosen to visit this town at the last-minute after watching the TV news about snowfalls causing jams in Gangwon-do. We decided it was more prudent to take the train from Gyeongju to Danyang instead of the bus to Gangwondo. It turned out to be a lucky detour.

Gosu-donggul, the main attraction of Danyang, usually attracts hordes of visitors during summer. According to my trusty Lonely Planet, during the peak tourist season, “you cannot move for all the tourists and it will take you an excruciating hour or more to walk around the system”. But when we visited this small provincial town in winter, it was almost as if we had the whole cave to ourselves.

As a result, it felt a little creepy at times so I had little reason to complain about the intrusive presence of the many steel staircases as they undermined the unearthly atmosphere of this very large limestone cave system. It was a good workout as we followed the well-posted 1300 m-long trail from one impressive formation of stalactites and stalagmites to another. Entrance fees were 3000 won in 2002.

source of pics:
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4262045-Namhan_River_and_bridge_at_Danyang_South_Korea-Tanyang.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Korea-Danyang-Gosu_Cave_3184-07.JPG
http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Seoul/blog-118713.html
http://images.travelpod.com/users/quebekwalouis/2.1221235320.gosu-donggulx-danyang.jpg