• By kimcheebookings
• 2015-10-262021-09-09
• odaesan natioanl park pyeongchang Olympics samyang ranch sheep ranch skiing weoljeongsa winter Olympics
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Where is Pyeongchang?

First off please try to confuse Pyeongchang with Pyongyang. Different countries, different governments. Just had to make that clear before continuing on.

Pyeongchang is a county in Gangwon province, South Korea located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is also home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is located approximately 180 km east of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Pyeongchang will host the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

What can you do there for fun?

The area is popular with mountain hikers, especially at the southern part of Mount Seoraksan.

Alpensia ski resort is a tourist attraction and has 6 slopes for skiing and snowboarding, with runs up to 1.4 km long, for beginners and advanced skiers, and an area reserved for snowboarders. The resort is open all year-round.

Alpensia will be the focus of the 2018 Cultural Olympiad, with a new, purpose-built concert hall within the resort.

A 250 km per hour KTX line will be built between Wonju and Gangneung via Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Olympics and will put Pyeongchang within 50 minutes of travel time from Seoul.

Buddhist temple Woljeongsa of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is located on the eastern slopes of Odaesan.

The Lee Seung-bok Memorial Center is located in Nodong-ri, Yongpyeong-myeon.

Samyang Ranch is the largest highlands farm in Asia located on the hills of Daegwallyeong 850 to 1,470 meters above sea level. It was operated as a petting zoo and enjoy the pastoral landscape. It is film locations of the drama ‘Autumn in my Heart’ and the movie ‘Lover’s Concerto.

And in 2018, We will get to bear witness to the Winter Olympics.

On 6 July 2011, Pyeongchang was announced as the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2018 Winter Paralympics. The other candidate cities were Annecy, Franceand Munich, Germany. It will be the third Winter Games in Asia after the 1972 games in Sapporo, Japan and the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan. It will also be the first Asian city to host the games outside of Japan. Pyeongchang won their 2018 bid after two previous failed attempts for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, in which it lost to Vancouver,Canada, and Sochi, Russia respectively. It will be the first ski resort town to host the Winter Olympics since the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

The name of the county is Pyeongchang, but the local authorities, the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) and the International Olympic Committee are generally using the the term PyeongChang.

Olympic venues and Dream Program

In preparation for the 2018 Olympics, the region will build facilities including hotels and a world-class ski resort, named Alpensia, which is currently under construction. As of June 2011, a ski jump tower has already been built to its full height, although not fully completed. At the bottom of the hill, an Olympic Stadium is in its early stages of construction. A test event for the IBU World Cup biathlon was staged in Pyeongchang in February 2008.

The region is implementing its so-called 2008 Dream Program, a legacy of the 2010 bid. It has mounted its fifth sports and cultural program, involving 123 participants from 31 countries, who were invited because they live where there is no snowfall and have no opportunity to participate in winter sports.

And now for some tourist attractions.

Daegwallyeong Samyang Ranch

Located on the hills of Daegwallyeong 850 to 1,470 meters above sea level, Samyang Ranch is the largest highlands farm in Asia. From the entrance, take the shuttle bus to the observatory for a view of the East Sea and up-close look at the hillside windmills. Follow the trail back down or take the shuttle bus, stopping off at the film locations of the drama ‘Autumn in my Heart’ and the movie ‘Lover’s Concerto.’ As you stroll down the hillside paths you’ll eventually make your way past dairy cows, Hanu cattle, lambs, and ostriches. Some of these areas are operated as a petting zoo, so make sure to stop off to give the animals a pat before you continue on to enjoy the pastoral landscape. Go to Daegwallyeong Samyang Ranch

Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm

The only sheep farm in Korea, Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm is located on a hill 850 to 900 meters above sea level. About 200 sheep graze leisurely on vibrant green pastures spanning over 204,960 square meters. The farm trails and the surrounding area offer picture perfect scenery throughout the year, making the farm a popular drama and commercial filming location. Visitors can even watch the sheep being sheared (between April and June) or give the sheep a snack.

Go to Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm

Odaesan National Park

Odaesan Mountain straddles Pyeongchang and Gangneung and is comprised of 5 peaks with Birobong Peak (1,563 meters above sea level) at the center. In addition to thick forests and gentle slopes that are perfect for hiking, the mountain hides within its folds the thousand-year-old Woljeongsa Temple, Sangwonsa Temple, and many national treasures and Buddhist cultural assets.

I for one can’t wait for this event to hurry up and get here. 3 years is too long.