Travel Like a Local in Ganghwa Island — A Tour Recommended by Ganghwaziang
Travel Like A Local In Ganghwa Island — A Tour Recommended by Ganghwaziang
1 Six spots recommended with love for the region by the Cheongpung Cooperative
Words Parc Jinmyoung
Illustration Kim Eunbin
In collaboration with Cheongpung Cooperative
1 The Cheongpung Cooperative is an organization formed by young people living in Ganghwa, creating content and programs that make use of the island’s diverse resources.
Strong Fire
The taste of wood-fired pizza made with strong flames
Strong Fire is a wood-fired pizza restaurant run by the Cheongpung Cooperative. Young people who moved to Ganghwa and local-born youth work together here to make wood-fired pizza. It first opened in 2013 in a corner of the Ganghwa Pungmul Market under the name ‘Hwadeok Restaurant’ (Wood-Fired Kitchen). Wanting to break the assumption that traditional markets only sell local, old-fashioned food, they wondered what kind of menu could be enjoyed by both children and adults, and landed on wood-fired pizza. In a market full of Ganghwa specialties, making pizzas that reflected the region’s character wasn’t difficult, thanks to the help of the elders who had long run their own restaurants there, each with their own philosophy. The menu includes a bangdaengi (sprat) pizza topped with Ganghwa’s local specialty, a sweet potato pizza made in partnership with farms on the island, and a springtime-only azalea salad pizza. Strong Fire was originally a community pub, but began selling wood-fired pizza together last year after Hwadeok Restaurant moved out of the market. Locals say the reason this young-run neighborhood shop has lasted so long is because it ‘didn’t try to stand out.’ In thinking about how to coexist with locals, they chose to blend into the community rather than try to change it. Now in its tenth year, Strong Fire plans to prepare a variety of programs to serve as a bridge between Ganghwa travelers and residents.
6 Ganghwadae-ro 368beon-gil, 1F, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
Ganghwa Soknoran Sweet Potato Pizza ₩15,000, Fire Fish Pizza ₩17,000
Asak Asak Sunmu Guesthouse
A base camp for exploring Ganghwa
Located above Strong Fire, Asak Asak Sunmu Guesthouse is also run by the Cheongpung Cooperative. The second floor is open to all genders, while the third floor is women-only, with two rooms on each floor for a total of four. There’s a special set of rules that everyone staying here must follow, including: ‘Speak with mutual respect regardless of gender, age, or education,’ and ‘When using local shops, keep in mind respect for their work.’ These rules reflect a wish to create a space where people can feel safe and respected while traveling somewhere unfamiliar. Asak Asak Sunmu Guesthouse originally served as housing for young people who had moved to Ganghwa. As more outside friends began showing up whenever local programs were organized, a bigger space became necessary — and that’s how it became today’s guesthouse. When the Cheongpung Cooperative runs its programs, it transforms into a base camp, serving as lodging for the ‘Jamsi Swim’ (Brief Rest) one-week-stay project in Ganghwa, or as the stage for ‘Experience-Type Residency,’ a program for young creators. This year, a bike rental stand for travelers was set up in the guesthouse’s yard. If you stay at Asak Asak Sunmu Guesthouse, which serves as a hub for exploring Ganghwa, you can rent a bike and explore the neighborhood shops, restaurants, and attractions they recommend.
Asak Asak Sunmu Guesthouse Instagram
6 Ganghwadae-ro 368beon-gil, 2F–3F, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
From ₩50,000 per night
Jindallae Seom
An island that gathers all of Ganghwa’s beauty in one place
Jindallae Seom (Azalea Island) is a shop that produces products and content capturing the beauty of Ganghwa. Founded by a Ganghwa native, the shop came together with a group of creators the founder met through local activities, united by the idea of “let’s try making something together.” It operated as a shop-in-shop inside Strong Fire before going independent, and two years later found a much bigger space of its own. Since settling into its current location in early April this year, Jindallae Seom has been filled entirely with Ganghwa-made products. Here you can find artisan-crafted Ganghwa sochang towels and hwamunseok (traditional woven mats), foods made with locally sourced ingredients, and regional goods created in collaboration with about 100 artists. These goods range from stickers and memo pads to fabric, postcards, T-shirts, and badges, and any artist who has discovered the beauty of the region is welcome to participate, whether or not they live in Ganghwa. Personally, the item that left the biggest impression on me was a cassette tape featuring songs by a singer-songwriter about the beauty of Ganghwa — you can even listen to it in-store on an adorable cassette player. Sticker goods featuring warm, familiar Ganghwa dialect phrases like ‘Annyeonghasikka’ and ‘Eoseoosikyeo’ are also popular items. One customer left a review saying the stickers made them feel like they could hear their grandmother’s voice.
3 Cheongha-donggil, Ganghwa-eup, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
Ganghwa sochang towels from ₩15,000, hwamunseok badges ₩18,000
Huiwarae
A space with as much ease as the wide-open rice paddies around it
Green in spring and summer, golden in fall, Huiwarae is a vegan-oriented café. They roast their own beans and brew the coffee in-house, and bake vegan desserts using Ganghwa specialties, such as vegan Earl Grey cookies and a crumble made with Ganghwa’s soknoran sweet potatoes. They also introduce other vegan foods the owners personally enjoy, like a vegan vegetable quiche. The couple who run the café previously ran one in Seoul before moving to Ganghwa two years ago. While running the café, the couple — a sculptor and a cultural arts program planner, respectively — also organize a variety of projects at Huiwarae. For example, they’ve invited wine experts to give talks on natural, organic, and vegan wines, and hosted theater performances set against the backdrop of the surrounding rice paddies. They plan to bring a range of cultural and artistic activities to Huiwarae that have rarely been experienced in the region before, so it’s worth keeping an eye on. Just as the couple found balance and comfort in life after moving to Ganghwa, they hope Huiwarae can be a place people turn to whenever they need comfort in their own lives.
25-29 Deokjin-ro 178beon-gil, Bureun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
Vegan levain cookie ₩3,700, vegan carrot cake ₩7,300
Chaekbang Sijeom
The neighborhood’s first bookstore
About a 30-minute drive from the town center, Chaekbang Sijeom is a book-stay that doubles as both bookstore and guesthouse. It was opened by three friends living in Incheon who frequently visited Ganghwa. What drew them to Ganghwa came down to just two things: a countryside bookstore and good walking paths. The bookstore at Chaekbang Sijeom is open not only to overnight guests but also to regular visitors. One interesting detail is the vinyl flooring laid out so that guests take off their shoes before entering. Removing your shoes in a bookstore might feel unfamiliar or even uncomfortable at first, but the idea was that doing so might encourage people to stay longer and read more comfortably. The shop mainly curates books around three themes — discovery, perspective, and questions — and also carries books related to the Ganghwa region. There are two guest rooms on the first floor and one in the loft. It could originally accommodate up to 10 guests, but now takes reservations for up to 4. The owners of Chaekbang Sijeom added that they hope to be a communal gathering spot, sharing neighborhood news that visitors can only learn by coming to the bookstore itself.
101-16 Mani-sanro, Gilsang-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
From ₩50,000 per night, per person
Geumpung Brewery
A Brewery with 100 Years of History
Geumpung Brewery, where three generations have brewed rice wine using groundwater flowing through the small village of Onsu-ri in Ganghwa and pesticide-free rice grown locally, feels like a century has passed just by looking at its wooden exterior. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the history of Onsu-ri itself, yet the operators remain humble in their ambitions. Since 2020, the founder's grandson has rebranded and run the brewery, aiming not simply to sell Geumpung makgeolli as a product, but to share the brewery's story and history along with it. While tastings sometimes take place at pop-up stores in other locations, this is the only place where you can regularly try Geumpung makgeolli. The roughly one-hour tour lets visitors sample new products in advance, walk through the brewery while hearing the stories behind each space, and even make makgeolli themselves. For designated drivers, a low-alcohol makgeolli beverage of 1–2% is also available. One reason Geumpung Brewery was selected as an outstanding local creator last year is its series of fun collaborative projects with various local brands. Together with ‘Jamjanhan Restaurant’ across from the brewery, they created ‘Incheon Landing Operation,’ a dish made with jeon (Korean pancake) and makgeolli, which won first place in Incheon's food competition. They also collaborated with the neighborhood bookstore ‘Gukjawa Jugeok’ and ‘Keun Namu Café,’ which runs an apiary together with people with disabilities, to create and sell a Chuseok gift set called ‘Book, Drink, Honey.’ With the idea of creating a ‘brewery that smells of flowers,’ they also carried out a project decorating the brewery with flowers alongside a local florist. Going forward, they plan to continue steady collaborations with local shops on projects that highlight the unique character of Ganghwa.
8 Sallangseong-gil, Gilsang-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
Geumpung Brewery Makgeolli 30,000 won