Samsa Marine Park
Samsa Marine Park (삼사해상공원; map; aerial view) sits on a hill overlooking the East Sea south of Ganggu Port in Yeongdeok County.
The park comes with a list of typical fare: benches, springtime cherry blossoms, 20-ton rock with floral carvings, and an artificial waterfall.
But a couple of attractions set Samsa Marine Park apart from other recreational areas.
Sunrise Bell
New Year’s Day before dawn. Packs of tourists huddle on Samsa Marine Park’s hillside viewing decks. They gaze out at the East Sea’s horizon.
An official pulls back a wooden mallet in a pavilion overlooking the park. As the sun breaks over the sea, they release the mallet. It strikes the Gyeongbuk Daejong Bell (경북대종각; map) or “Sunrise Bell,” marking the year’s first sunrise in Korea.
Craftsfolk modeled the 29-ton Daejong Bell after the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok (성덕대왕신종), a Silla Dynasty (57 BCE ~ 935 CE) bell resting in nearby Gyeongju City.
Engraved with angels, the Daejong Bell commemorates the 100th anniversary of North Gyeongsang Province’s founding.
Craftsfolk modeled the 29-ton Daejong Bell after the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok (성덕대왕신종), a Silla Dynasty (57 BCE ~ 935 CE) bell resting in nearby Gyeongju City.
Engraved with angels, the Daejong Bell commemorates the 100th anniversary of North Gyeongsang Province’s founding.
Samsa Marine Trail
The Samsa Marine Trail (삼사해상산책로; map) sits 1.8 kilometers (6 minutes) down the coast from Samsa Marine Park (directions). Though not connected, they’re associated because they share a name and live near one another.
Oh. And Samsa Marine Trail isn’t a “trail.” It’s a boardwalk that extends 233-meters from the shore over the East Sea.
Completed in 2011, the boardwalk’s end fans out like a slice of pizza, offering an unobstructed view of the blue waters below.
- 8 AM ~ 8 PM in the summer
- 9 AM ~ 5 PM in the winter
- Closed Mondays
- Free the last Wednesday of every month.
Fishing Village Folk Exhibition Hall
In Samsa Marine Park, downhill from the Sunrise Bell, past the restaurants, convenience stores, and wedding hall, rests the Yeongdeok Fishing Village Folk Museum (영덕어촌민속전시관; map).
The four-story museum preserves the culture and folklore disappearing from Yeongdeok County’s ancient fishing villages. Visitors can learn how ancient fishers caught snow crabs, view fossils, and play boat navigating games.
