Damyang

Damyang 담양
—  County  —
Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul	담양군
• Hanja	潭陽郡
• Revised Romanization	Damyang-gun
• McCune-Reischauer	Tamyang-gun
Emblem of Damyang
Country	South Korea
Region	Honam
Administrative divisions	1 eup, 11 myeon
Area
• Total	455.09 km2 (175.71 sq mi)
Population (2003)
• Total	51,420
• Density	121/km2 (310/sq mi)
• Dialect	Jeolla

Damyang County (Damyang-gun) is an county in Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Bamboo goods and strawberries are well-known local products of this highly touristic area.

Damyang is not to be confused with Danyang, which is located in eastern North Chungcheong Province.

Administrative units

The county comprises one eup (Damyang-eup, the seat), and eleven myeon (Bongsan-myeon, Changpyeong-myeon, Daedeok-myeon, Daejeon-myeon, Geumseong-myeon, Goseo-myeon, Mujeong-myeon, Nam-myeon, Subok-myeon, Wolsan-myeon, Yong-myeon).

Natural assets

Damyang area is a nice destination to enjoy Korean countryside. The development of road infrastructures allowed a boom in tourism, but it is still possible to come across beautiful, quiet, and unspoilt villages.

Bamboo

Damyang is one of the northernmost places where bamboo can be found on the Korean peninsula, and its bamboo forests are well-known among Koreans. Many touristic attractions have been created to leverage on that reputation: a Bamboo Theme Park / Daenamugol, a Bamboo Museum, a Bamboo Festival, a park filled with green bamboo (Juknokwon - 죽녹원)...

Mountains

Chuwolsan and Byungpungsan are popular hiking destinations. Also notable for its fortress (Geumseongsanseong): Geumseongsan.

Metasequoia

A stretch of metasequoia trees just outside Damyang-eup gained nationwide popularity after a romantic drama was shot here. It was even picked as one of the most beautiful roads in all of Korea.

Hot Springs

Here too, infrastructures followed the natural assets, and tourists can now stay in themed resorts, featuring of course hot baths perfumed with bamboo.

Cultural assets

Damyang is also a popular destination for food lovers and amateurs of cultural visits.

Food

• Jeollanam-do enjoys a good reputation for its cuisine, and Damyang generally evoques great food and the county provides a large choice of restaurants.
• Among the most popular specialities, Damyang ddeok galbi (tteokgalbi): this tasty and juicy marinated beef and pork mix, usually grilled at the table, is supposed to have originated either in Damyang or in Gwangju.
• Don't even think about escaping bamboo in Damyang: many restaurants propose daetongbap (rice cooked in bamboo), and tea places bamboo tea.

Soswaewon

A private garden built by Yang San-bo (1503-1557), Soswaewon (소쇄원) stretches along a charming streamlet dotted with pavillions particularly suitable for meditation. A refreshing spot in the summer heat.

Literature

Several houses of famous scholars can be visited, and the Miam Diaries (Miam Yu Hui-chun: 1513-1577) are exposed in Daeduk-myon.

Temples

• Yongheungsa in Wolsa-myeon (not to be confused with Busan's Yonggungsa)
• Gaeseonsa in Nam-myeon.

Other landmarks and monuments

They include the fortress of Geumseongsanseong (see above), and various national treasures (pagodas, pavillions... - overall, 66 properties, including 15 at the national level and 51 at the provincial level).

Events

• Damyang Bamboo Festival
• The V Asian-Pacific Astronomy Olympiad took place in Damyang in October 2009.

Dramas

Korean dramas have become a significant (though not often sustainable) source of revenue for tourism, and many counties sponsor series or compete to host a few shootings, hoping to hit a jackpot similar to the localities 'blessed' with Winter Sonata's visit. Damyang boasts its metasequoia path (see above), and a 'movie village'.

Sister cities

• Anji, China
• Takehara, Japan

See also

• Jeollanam-do
• Administrative divisions of South Korea
• Geography of South Korea

External links

• County government page