Ganghwa Island


Ganghwa Island, also known by its native name Ganghwado, is a South Korean island in the estuary of the Han River. It lies in the Yellow Sea off Korea's west coast, separated from Gimpo on the South Korean mainland by a narrow channel spanned by two bridges and from Kaesong in North Korea by the main channel of the Han River.
The island is strategically located, controlling access to the river which runs through the former Joseon and present South Korean capital Seoul. Its fortifications were repeatedly attacked during the 19th century. With an area of, it now constitutes most of Ganghwa County, a division of Incheon Municipality. It has a population of about 65,500 people, half of whom live in Ganghwa Town in the northeast.

Name

"Ganghwado" or "Ganghwa-do" is Korean for "Island Made Prosperous", "Illustrious", or "Flourishing by the River" in reference to its formation from the silt carried downriver by the Han. Former romanizations include Kang-hoa and Kang-hwa.

Geography

This island lies in the estuary of Korea's Han River. It is, measuring long and wide, making it the 4th largest island in South Korea. Its highest point is Mani-san.

Climate


Regional specialties

Ganghwa Island's Turnip has been cultivated in Ganghwa for over a thousand years. The moisture content is over 90% and its main component is carbohydrate. They are a taproot vegetable that has a smell of mustard and tastes like ginseng. This distinctive taste is due to its dark purple part.
Both turnip seeds and full grown turnip are used as an ingredient for folk remedies and oriental medicine because it contains beneficial ingredients for our body. The turnip's leaves have a lot of nutrients and vitamins and the roots contain tryptophan and glycyrrhizin.
It is said to have the trait of anticancer activity and helps to cure dermatopathy, digestion organs, tuberculosis and respiratory disease, and anti-bacterial effect.

Festivals

Ganghwa Nadeulgil

Ganghwa Nadeulgil is a walking tour line consisting of 20 courses. People can witness history from the prehistoric age to the Joseon dynasty and also experience the natural ecologic environment of global mud flat and the migrate habitats of birds.
Recently, the ‘나들길 app’ was launched so that people can enjoy a walking tour more conveniently.

Seokmodo

It is 1.5 km west at Ganghwado. The area is 42.31 km2 and the length of the coastline is 42.0 km. Seokmodo is located at 126°20′ degrees east longitude and 37°40′ degrees north latitude. The island currently home to around 1,800 inhabitants. ‘Seokmodo’ appears in 『Daedongyeojido』 and can be interpreted as ‘Water flowing around a corner’ or ‘A rocky beach corner’.
There is 'Ganghwa Nadeul-gil'. Starting from Seokpori dock, tourist can walk by dark-colored ditch and see the vast tidal mudflats unfold in front of tourist. After passing by Bomun dock and a fishing port while walking along the Jebang-gil road, visitors will pass through a quiet and peaceful forest. At the far end of the forest, there is Seokmodo Island's one and only beach called Minmeoru Beach. Keep walking along the Jebang-gil with the sea on left and Mount Nakga on the right, and tourist will arrive at Bomun Temple where this course ends. *Course: Seokmodo dock - Maeeum-ri dock - Fishing port - Minmeoru Beach -Eoryujeonghang - Bomunsa

Pungmul Market

Ganghwa Pungmul Market is a place with long history. A new building for the market was built in 2007, and you can buy grains, vegetables, fruits, etc. in a cheap price.
Dealt goods: grains, vegetables, fruits, salted seafood, fresh meat, dried fish, tofu, ginseng, etc.

The Goryeogung Palace Site

This was the palace site of Goryeo from 1232 to 1270.
position: Incheon Metropolitan City Ganghwa-gun the north gate street 42
The Goryeogung Palace Site leads to the cherry blossom tree path on a northern hill so many people come to see the cherry blossoms in spring and are often used as hiking trails.

Mani Mountain

Mani Mountain is the highest mountain in Ganghwa.
There is the home of Chamseongdan Altar where Dangun Wanggeom performed ancestral rites in the top of this mountain.

History

As the location of the primary fortifications protecting the Joseon capital of Seoul from foreign invasion, Ganghwa Island was the site of several punitive expeditions during the 19th century. The mass execution of Catholic French missionaries and Korean converts under the ministry of the Heungseon Daewongun in the mid-1860s led to a French invasion in 1866 which held the island for several weeks, although Admiral Roze was unable to sail up the shallow and uncharted Han River and fortified monasteries prevented overland incursion. In 1871, a Korean assault on an American diplomatic mission led to the Battle of Ganghwa. Rear Admiral Rodgers took five forts on the island but withdrew after the Koreans refused to meet for negotiations. Following a diplomatic incident related to Korea's refusal to recognize the imperial status of the sovereign of Japan in 1868, the forts at Ganghwa fired upon a Japanese boat from the surveying gunship Un'yō in 1875. During the Japanese Battle of Ganghwa, the Un'yō's captain Inoue Yoshika silenced the batteries with superior firepower, then landed a raiding force which plundered local communities. The Imperial Japanese Navy then blockaded the area and compelled the 1876 Treaty of Ganghwa, which opened Korea to Japanese commerce.
When the Mongolia aggression Goryeo, Choe-woo the Goryeo's general changed the capital to Ganghwa at sixth aggression. And they prepared the war. At that time, Goryeo's religion was Buddhism. They want to save their country, so they borrowed the power of Buddha. In this process, the Tripitaka Koreana was made. The Tripitaka Koreana was called Palmandaejanggyeong. It is comprehensive collection of 80,000 Buddhist scriptures.

Invasion of Korea by the three U.S. warships in 1871

Cause

In 1866, the General Sherman arrived at Pyongyang through the Daedong River. One of crew was a Welsh pastor named Thomas, who was traveling for missionary work to Joseon. Initially, Pyongyang governor Park Gyu-su, who was Park Ji-won's grandson, informed the crew about his refusal to allow trade and advised them to go back. Disputes worsened between the crew and eventually, after the crew kidnapped a Joseon official sent on board and held him hostage, the Korean authorities sank the boat and killed the crew that did not die in the sinking.

Process

In 1871, during the Joseon expedition, America finally decided to open a port. The United States of America ordered the Joseon expedition to Asia led by Fleet Commander Rogers.
On June 1, The United States of America led sounding navigation of Ganghwa Strait. When the fleet arrived to Sondolmok, it was attacked from the coastline by Ganghwa artillery unit.
The American fleet scorched the Chojijin Fort and took it over with naval gunfire. The American army then took over Deokjjinjin Fort on June 11, and began the Gwangseongbo operation. After an hour of shelling of land and sea, the American army captured and took over Gwangseongbo.

Result

The scale that damage of human life caused by war.
First, damage of the US was: 3 people dead in battle, 10 people wounded. On the other hand, the damage to Joseon was: 350 people dead in battle, 20 people wounded. It can be seen that the damage to Josean is larger than the damage to the United States.
Heungseon Daewongun is the father of King Gojong. Heungseon Daewongun erected Cheokhwabi in each region of the whole country. In every Cheokhwabi he put the inscription: “If you don’t fight against the western barbarians, it means you negotiate for peace. And that is selling our country.” What is more, he strengthened the national isolation policy. Therefore, Cheokhwabi is a monument to exclude westerners.
Cheokhwabi is located in Deokseong-ri, Bureun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun. The name of the one located in Ganghwa-gun is Deokjinjin gyeong-gobi, it is also called ‘Cheokhwabi of the sea.’ There is a sentence in the front of the monument written in characters, that says: ‘it is guarding the sea gate, thus foreign ship cannot pass. There is a bullet mark remained on it.

Ganghwa Treaty

After the Unhyo Incident, Japan demanded unilateral compensation from Joseon.
Joseon was coerced to grant Japan the right of extraterritoriality, permission for ocean measurement and the opening of three ports in Pusan, Incheon and Wonsan.
Although normally extraterritoriality applies to diplomats, common Japanese who lived in Joseon also gained this right.
Before, Joseon was isolated because of the Daewongun's closed-door policy.
By signing the contract Joseon was to appear on the global stage.
The terms of the treaty were unequal, and are regarded as the first step towards Japanese colonialism.

Citations