Ganghwa Island (), also Ganghwado, is an island in Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea. It is in the Yellow Sea and in an estuary of the Han River.

The island is separated from Gimpo (on the South Korean mainland) by a narrow channel spanned by two bridges, and from Kaesong (Gaeseong) in North Korea by the main channel of the Han River. It offers some of the closest views in the South of North Korean villages, which can be seen on clear days from less than two kilometers.

It is strategically located, controlling access to the river, which runs through former Joseon and South Korea's capital, Seoul. Its fortifications were repeatedly attacked in the 19th century. With an area of , it constitutes most of Ganghwa County (a division of Incheon). The island has a population of about 65,500, half of whom live in Ganghwa Town (Ganghwa-eup) in the northeast.

Name

Before the 10th century, the island went by various names, including Haegu (), Hyeolgu (), Gangha ().

In 940, during the Goryeo period, it received its current name, which means "beautiful [town by the] river".

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History

The island was part of Ganghwa-hyeon in the early Goryeo period. It became part of Ganghwa-bu in 1377. It became part of Ganghwa County in Gyeonggi Province (Keiki-dō) in 1914, and remained so until 1994, when it became part of Incheon Metropolitan City. the 1871 United States expedition to Korea, the Battle of Ganghwa, and the 1875 Ganghwa Island incident with Japan. In 1876 Korea was forced to sign with Japan the Treaty of Ganghwa, which was named for the island.

Transportation

In 1969, the was constructed between the island and the mainland. The bridge was replaced in 1997. The opened in 2002.

Pungmul Market is a food market selling grain, vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, fish, tofu, and ginseng.

thumb|Goryeogung (2018)

Goryeogung is a palace site of Goryeo from 1232 to 1270 in Incheon.

Manisan is Ganghwa's tallest mountain and home to Chamseongdan Altar, where Dangun Wanggeom reportedly performed ancestral rites.

Festivals

  • Goryeo Azalea Festival: Mid-April at Dolmen Square on Goryeo Mountain
  • : Early October at Oepo-ri dock
  • Ganghwa Goryeo Ginseng Festival: Mid-October

Notable people

  • Ahn Hak-sop, former spy for North Korea, now political activist against American military presence in South Korea.
  • CoreJJ, birth name Jo Yong-in, professional League of Legends player

See also

  • Geography of South Korea

References

  • Ganghwa Tourism

Sources

  • .