Snow Crab Sculpture Parks
Snow crab sculptures dot the landscape up and down Yeongdeok and Uljin Counties. Why? Reputation war!
Yeongdeok vs. Uljin
Until the late 20th century, Uljin County was a remote county cut off from the rest of Korea by the Taebaek Mountains. Yeongdeok County, also rural, had better transportation networks. So Uljin fishers often sent their snow crabs to Ganggu Port in Yeongdeok to access larger markets.
Because Ganggu was the crabs’ final port before distribution, many customers associated snow crabs with Yeongdeok County, upsetting Uljin fishers.
Many of Uljin’s snow crabs were rebranded — sometimes by accident, sometimes not — as “Yeongdeok snow crabs.” This made Yeongdeok the “home” of snow crabs.
Uljin residents still hold a grudge. In a PR effort to enhance their “snow crab brand,” Uljin holds a Snow Crab Festival to rival the Yeongdeok County’s, and they build monuments to their seafood star.
Snow Crabs on the Coast
Ride Uljin’s coast and you’ll discover two small sculpture parks tucked next to sea walls. Both named “Golden Snow Crab Park,” they showcase giant, gold-painted snow crab sculptures.
- Golden Snow Crab Pyeonghae Park (황금대게평해공원; map) next to Hupo Port is the largest. It depicts a giant snow crab climbing out of the sea. A fishing vessel, fishermen, and other sea life sculptures surround it.
- The smaller Golden Uljin Snow Crab Park (황금울진대게공원; map) in Giseong Village (기성면) sits 23.5 kilometers up Uljin’s coastline (directions). It exhibits a giant golden snow crab next to a bamboo shoot sculpture.
Why bamboo? The Korean word for snow crab is “/dae/ /gye/” (대게). “Dae” is another word for “bamboo.” Many Koreans believe snow crab legs resemble bamboo shoots.
In the smaller Golden Uljin Snow Crab Park, a plaque tells the history of snow crabs in Uljin and how Yeongdeok rebranded Uljin snow crabs. It also states that Uljin “possesses the best quality snow crabs in Korea.”
Why bamboo? The Korean word for snow crab is “/dae/ /gye/” (대게). “Dae” is another word for “bamboo.” Many Koreans believe the legs of a snow crab resemble bamboo shoots.
A plaque rests beside the snow crab sculpture in the smaller Golden Uljin Snow Crab Park. It tells the history of snow crabs in Uljin and how Uljin snow crabs were rebranded in Yeongdeok. It also states that Uljin “possesses the most bountiful and best quality snow crabs in Korea.”
