Daewangam Park

Introduction of Daewangam Park Daewangam Park is steeped in the legend of King Munmu, who unified Korea’s Three Kingdoms. After the King’s death, he was buried in an underwater tomb off the coast of Gyeongju. According to legend, when the Queen died, she joined him in the afterlife and became a dragon guarding the East Sea. Daewangam Park is also one of the Twelve Scenic Places of Ulsan City. Beyond the tale of the Queen and the dragon, the park is rich with other mythical stories. Today, let’s dive into Daewangam Park and uncover its secrets, some of which are over a thousand years old. Let’s get started!

Yonggul Cave(Daewangam Park) If you walk past the Daewangam Stairs that lead up to the Jeonseolbawi-gil Trail, you’ll reach a place called “Haekkaebi,” located between the outer and inner “Makgujigi” borders. In the past, mysterious will-o’-the-wisp lights were often observed here. The term “Makgujigi” is a compound of “Mak,” meaning dead end, and “Gujigi,” meaning corner in the local dialect. At the inner Makgujigi, a drum-like sound can be heard when a large wave crashes against the cliff. Interested in knowing the source of this sound? Beneath the cliff lies a mysterious cave associated with the legend of the blue dragon. One day, a blue dragon appeared in the area and began to harass the fishermen. Furious at the dragon’s behavior, the Dragon King blocked the cave entrance with a massive boulder, trapping the dragon inside. According to legend, whenever a large wave hits the cliff, the dragon inside the cave thrashes against the boulder. That’s the source of the mysterious sound.

Minseom(Daewangam Park) If you look across the inner Makgujigi, you’ll see a rocky island that acts as a natural breakwater for Ilsan Bay. From certain angles, the island resembles a beautiful lady lying down. Interestingly, nothing grows on the island, and there is a story behind this. A long, long time ago, the seven angels of the Great Jade Emperor would cross a rainbow bridge once a year to visit Earth. Each time, the Emperor warned them sternly that if they did not return before sunset, the gates of heaven would close. One year, the seven angels arrived near Daewangam, where they met Geobukbawi, head of the royal guard protecting the Dragon King. Geobukbawi, brave and handsome, transformed into a turtle-shaped rock by day and became a man by night. Min, the youngest of the angels, fell in love with Geobukbawi and disobeyed the Emperor’s decree. She chose not to return to heaven, deciding instead to stay on Earth. Once the Great Jade Emperor found out about Min and Geobukbawi, the infuriated Great Jade Emperor turned Min into a rocky island. Barren and as smooth as a bald head, the island became known as “Minseom.” Heartbroken over losing his beloved Min, Geobukbawi’s heart grew cold and hard, and he eventually lost the ability to transform into a person. Minseom stands as the center of this tragic love story between Geobukbawi and Min. How about taking a walk along the beach and sharing this story with your loved one?

The story of a suspension bridge and a cave For centuries, Daewangam Park has been compared to Haegeumgang Islets by Joseon scholars because of its beautiful scenery, which can best be enjoyed on the wooden deck along the mountain trail. The trail leads to a birthplace of many folktales that originated from various natural landscape features such as Tangeonam Rock, Yonggul Cave, and Halmibawi Rock. The locals call Yonggul Cave the Thumping Cave because it sounds like a double-sided drum when a sea wave hits the cave. There is a story stemming from Yonggul Cave that a long time ago, a mean blue dragon caused high tides and damaged fishing boats. Seeing this, the Dragon King became furious and locked the blue dragon up in a cave and blocked the cave with a large rock. The story goes on to say that the sea became quiet ever since. There are a number of promenades around Daewangam where old folktales originated. The place became even more popular after a suspension bridge was built between Heotgaebi Trail and Surubang, where local fishermen kept watch and wait for a school of mullets to come near the shore so they can catch them. Local legend has it that it was a place where many people claimed to have seen will-o’-the-wisps. As you cross the suspension bridge, you will see schools of mullets if it's November and other types of fish in other months and seasons. With a total length of 303 meters, Daewangam Suspension Bridge has the longest distance between the bridge towers. It's also the first suspension bridge built over a sea. It offers a great view of the sea below and also of Minseom Island, Ilsan Beach, and also the industrial complexes of Hyundai Heavy Industries.

A children’s park within Daewangam Park Daewangbyeol Ainuri a natural playground for children, with the East Sea and dense pine grove within view. It's an environmentally-friendly playground because children can play creative games using sand, soil, hill, and trees. There are also AR and VR playgrounds for children to experience virtual reality. In addition to the VR playground where children can enjoy jungle rafting, motion chair, wing suit, and hang glider, there are other sections of the playground for children to play other games such as bubble pop shooting, sand crafting, and blocks. As for outdoor playgrounds, there are Hill Playground, Water Playground, Clay Playground, Sand Playground, and Mazes. There are so many things to do that children will never get bored. As for parents, there are many photo zones in all of the playgrounds to capture their memorable moments. Daewangbyeol Ainuri is located inside Daewangam Park, so it won’t be a bad idea to take a look around while you are at the park.