A spring day in April, when the warm breeze blowing gently touches the branches of the buds and the sunshine shines quietly down the river. The heart of the outing to the suburbs with family, lovers and friends is just as excited and excited. Indeed, it is a section of the old Gyeongchun Line that leads to Daeseong-ri, Cheongpyeong, Gapyeong, Gangchon, and Chuncheon, so it is loved only by hearing its name. It is a place where every middle-aged person in Korea would have buried at the edge of the old days. Let's go on a memory trip to Gangchon Station, which was once a pronoun of youth and romance.

"Oh, maybe Gangchon Station is the same as it is now."
“By the way, wasn't there an original track here in this tunnel? The train was standing inside. ”
“There were no standings in MT season, so some people stood up and went.”
Excitement and regret are mixed in half in the conversation between the people who shared the memories.
On December 20, 2010, the Gyeongchun Line Mugunghwa-ho train, which connected Seoul and Chuncheon, finished its last service and disappeared into history. Afterwards, the tracks in the tunnel were demolished, but the unique arch-shaped piam tunnel and old history remained. The old “Gangchon” station sign remains the same.

Rail bikes run one way, starting at Kim Yu-jeong Station, about 6 km.

In the summer season, rail bikes operate nine times a day, every hour from 9:00 am. Youths on a date, young couples with children, middle-aged alumni, families with grandparents… Age groups and members vary widely. There are two types of rail bikes: two-seater (30,000 won) and four-seater (40,000 won). After listening to simple usage and cautions, such as how to operate the brakes, start in sequence.

A simple rest area appears when you run your mind in the fresh spring breeze that touches your cheek and the river stalk that spreads out alongside the track. Everyone goes down here for a short break and buys fish cakes. If you haven't exercised at all, your thigh muscles feel stiff.

Again, the first of the four tunnels in the 6km section is right in front of your nose. Red and blue lights dance in the tunnel. It's like a real event like this! While smiling, I exit the tunnel. The last tunnel is a VR tunnel, so in order to experience VR, you need to make a reservation for a VR rail bike. You can take a romantic train to Gangchon Station, or take a shuttle bus to return to Kim Yu-jeong Station.

The old Kim Yu-jeong station square is packed with huge books (?), Making it a good shooting point. This bookshelf-shaped book-sculpture was produced by photographing the original works of 29 major novelists from Gangwon-do, including Kim Yu-jung, Park Kyung-ri, Han Soo-san, Oh Jeong-hee, Kim Hyung-kyung, and Choi Soo-cheol. It is also a good idea to visit the nearby Kim Yu-jeong Literary Village and eat chicken ribs and makguksu before going back.

Gangchon Rail Bike consists of three courses: Kim Yu-jung, Gyeonggang and Gapyeong. Where is Gyeonggang Station? The train departing from Seoul passes Daeseong-ri, Cheongpyeong, and Gapyeong, and the next stop is Gyeonggang Station. Next to Gyeonggang Station is Baekyang-ri, followed by Gangchon. With the opening of the Gyeongchun Line train, Gangchon Station and Kim Yujeong Station took their old names, but Gyeonggang Station was renamed Gulbongsan Station. 'Gyeonggang' is a letter of Gyeonggi Province's 'Gyeong' and Gangwon Province's 'Gang'. Gyeonggang Station, which was a small simple station, was known to many people through the 1997 film <Letter>.

The old Gyeonggang Station, built of red brick, still retains its taste, so those who want to enjoy the quietness prefer this course. The Gyeonggang Rail Bike Course is an 8km course that takes a little over an hour to travel and runs every 1 hour and 30 minutes starting at 9 AM.

1.Access

* Self-driving

Seoul Chuncheon Expressway Gangchon IC → toward Elysian Gangchon → turn left at Chuncheon and Gangchon at the intersection of Gangchon IC → Gangchon Station

* public transport

Take the Gyeongchun Line train from Sangbong Station of Seoul Subway Line 7

* Gimyujeong Station: Get off at Gimyujeong Station, exit 1, and walk about 30m to the right
* Gangchon Station: Get off at Gangchon Station and go 1.5km toward Gangchon Bridge (about 20 minutes on foot)
* Gyeonggang Station: Get off at Gulbongsan Station, exit 1, and walk about 1.5km towards Seocheon branch of Namsan Elementary School (about 20 minutes on foot)

2. Delicious

Sodam Chicken Ribs Makguksu: Chicken Ribs and Makguksu / 151-1 Gangchon-ro, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si / 033-261-5934
Gyeonggang Makguksu: Buckwheat Makguksu and Buckwheat Sprout Meat / 62-4 Seobaek-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si / 033-263-1138
Yurim Chicken Ribs: Chicken Ribs and Makguksu / 34, Anmasan-ro, Chuncheon-si / 033-244-5119

3.Accommodation

Gangchon Mountain Pension: 26-1, Pulmugol 1-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si / 010-2971-6899
Remember Pension: 320, Bukhangangbyeon-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do / 033-263-2063

※ The above information was updated in April 2019, and may be changed later, so please check before you travel.
※ Information, such as text, photos, and videos used in this article, is copyrighted by the Korea Tourism Organization, and unauthorized use of the article is prohibited.