Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen
A dolmen is a kind of tomb, or prehistoric cemetery. They can be found all over the world, but Korea is said to have 50% of the world's total on its grounds. The numerous ones included here were constructed around the 1st millennium BC.
The dolmen in Kanghwa (Ganghwa in new spelling) is a northern-type, table-shaped dolmen where ancestral rites were held. It is the biggest stone of this kind in South-Korea, measuring 2.6 x 7.1 x 5.5 meters.
Visit September 2001
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Of these Korean dolmen sites, I only visited the big one at Ganghwa Island (near Seoul). No entrance fee there, though the dolmen is placed in a little park and there is the ubiquitous soft drink vending machine.
To simply get there, and to enjoy the Ganghwa landscape was the most interesting part of my visit. The dolmen itself is "just" 3 stones put on top of each other. I have seen those before in Holland.
But I have good memories of visiting this site, because it was the 7th and last worldheritage I saw on my trip to Korea. As this one is quite out of the way and was not included in my original travel plans, I am glad that I was able to visit it after all.
Reviews
Kyle Magnuson (United States of America):
 These Pre-historic Dolmens site are just as fascinating as some of those found in the UK. Not as spectacular as Stonehenge, but altogether impressive if at the very least by the sheer number of them. The largest Dolmen is located on Ganghwa Island, which is only about an hour or so from Seoul. Some of the best preserved and largest clusters are found in Gochang in the Southwest. Thats where I will be heading next. |
| Date posted: April 2010 |
Boj (Philippines):
I visited the dolmen site in Ganghwa Island in Jan. 1, 2010. It is an ideal day trip for those based in Seoul. The earliest bus from Sinchon station is at 5:40 a.m. and the trip will take about an hour and a half.
There are many things to see in Ganghwa. Apart from the dolmen sites, I also visited fortresses (overlooking the sea) and a palace. Be sure to check the bus schedule as they are quite few. It was cold when I went and waiting for buses going back to the terminal or to other locations in the island took at least 30 mins each time. |
| Date posted: January 2010 |
Prof. K.P.RAO (INDIA):
It was really a wonderful experience visiting the Hwasun megaliths in December, 2007. As a person studied widely, the megaliths from India, I find the Hwasun megalithis really amazing. They are huge and impressive. I feel we need to make a comparative study of the Korean and Indian megaliths. In india also we have cup-marks on megaliths. I am happy that the site is well protected and maintained. |
| Date posted: February 2009 |
Jacob Choi (United States of America):
First of all the Ganghwa dolmen are spread all across on a mountain park and you have to go through a steep climb to get there and to reach the park you need to go through a small village through the island but it was an incredible world heritage site. |
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