Water, Nature, and Humankind

Geoje Botanical Garden

Explore a jungle in the middle of winter

In winter, only dry and skinny branches cover the mountains, but this place is verdant and lush with green vegetation. A tropical jungle is transplanted in Geoje Botanical Garden. The jungle dome built with 7,472 glass sheets is a signature of the botanical garden and a landmark of Geoje. The moment you step in the jungle dome, a whole new landscape will unfold before your eyes.
As soon as you enter the dome, the high level of humidity will greet you in the jungle, forcing you to take off your coat. Thus, you are strongly advised to wear light clothes underneath a warm coat when visiting the dome. From the entrance, you will follow the path that goes up and down until you reach a bird’s nest, the most popular photo zone in the jungle. Although the path is short, the palm trees growing along the path constantly catch your eye, slowing down your pace.
The exotic scenery continues past the bird’s nest. The palm trees rise tall as if they could reach the top of the dome, and the roots of tropical plants hang from above, creating what looks like a gorge. There are a jungle cascade and a cactus garden that you often see in western films. All these exotic scenes make you feel as if you were walking in a jungle. Climbing the skywalk and appreciating this exotic landscape from there, you can easily see why the jungle became quickly known as a hot attraction on social media as soon as it opened in 2020. Touring the dome, a replica of an entire jungle, is the highlight of the botanical garden. There are also other spots worth visiting including the outdoor ecological pond and Botanical Culture Center.

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Geoje P.O.W Camp
Historic Park

A Picnic into History

Today, Geoje is linked to land via Geogadaegyo Bridge and Geojedaegyo Bridge, but it was an isolated island, access to which was quite limited back in the 1950s when the Korean War broke out. With the relatively large area, the island was an ideal location for accommodating POWs, so up to 170,000 POWs were once detained on the island.
The scenes recreated in Geoje POW Camp Historic Park show what actually happened at the camp during the Korean War. With the legacy of the war weighing heavily even at the park’s entrance, the exhibition is designed around four themes: war, POWs, restoration, and peace. You will feel as if you jumped into a history book as you tour the park full of historic exhibits that range widely from different forms of records to videos on the Korean War,
Diorama Room is a must-visit section of the park where the replicas realistically show various aspects of life at the POW camp including the layout of the POW camp, daily activities of POWs, and riots. In addition to exhibits meant for viewing only, the room also features experience-based exhibits including mirror maze and optical illusion art; thus effectively serving an educational purpose for kids.
A feeling of tragedy and fear of war atrocity begins to dawn on me as I gaze at the replicas of the endless flow of refugees fleeing to the south and M.P. Bridge. This is why Diorama Room is called the mecca of a dark tour. Today, the sense of tragedy at the POW camp has been replaced by an air of peace and tranquility of the historic park, but a leisurely walk around the park will remind us of how grateful we should be for the peace we are allowed to enjoy in our everyday life now.

Geojedo Oepo Anchovies

Coffee Meets Anchovies: A Surprisingly Flavorful, Tasty Blend

Anchovies and coffee? You may scratch your head upon hearing this odd combination. If you are wondering what this combination tastes like, you can find out in Oepo-ri, Geojedo. Known as one of the nation’s major anchovy production centers, Oepo-ri is reshaping its regional brand by embracing new and creative marketing strategies. The name may be misleading, but Geoje-do Oepo Anchovies is actually a café located in a small coastal village where the aroma of coffee greets you.
On the first floor of the building are anchovy processing facilities, proving its underlying identity as a major anchovy production center. The café is on the 2nd floor and up. The blue ocean is visible through the giant glass window, and images of the sea are shown on the wall screen. On the ceiling shines an artwork depicting schools of anchovies swimming in the sea in silver. The artwork is also aimed at delivering a message that trash dumped by people into the ocean breaks down into tiny pieces and pollutes the ocean, eventually disrupting the marine ecosystem.
A must-try item on the café’s menu is anchovy mocha. Espresso and whipped cream are put on top of a chocolate milk base. The crunchy topping made up of deep-fried anchovies, chocolate, almond, and raspberries give the drink a tasty kick. The topping makes the drink visually and aesthetically interesting. There are many more snack items that will usher you into the world of trendy munchies. The café serves interesting snacks with the unique twist and kick of Oepo anchovies including toasted anchovies and fried and seasoned anchovies.

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