(Left - A panoramic view from the top of the 'Samnangseong Castle')
One of my favorite places to visit near my home in northwestern part of Incheon is Ganghwa Island, especially 'Jeondeungsa Temple' which was reportedly built in AD381 during the ancient 'Goguryeo' dynasty at the skirts of 'Jeongjoksan' Mountain'. Actually, I can get there within an hour and half in most cases by driving my SUV through the 'Choji Grand Bridge', connecting 'Choji', southern part of Ganghwa Island to the mainland; 'Daemyeong Port'. On my way to the mountain, additionally, I can look around some historic sites, such as 'Chojijin' fortress, built in 1656 for the first time and later became a big battleground, defending Joseun Dynasty from the foreign invasions primarily in late 19th century when American, France and Japanese troops started to pour into this country of Morning Calm to nudge the rulers, central or provincial, into opening its doors to the outside world for trading and cultural exchanges, etc.
I was able to visit the temple in the spring of 1967 when I was in the 6th grade of 'Seogot' Elementary School as a school field trip for the first time. At that time, we had to cross the river by a ferry boat together with two chartered buses on board at 'Tongjin' because there was no bridge connecting the island to the main land at all. At this point of time, however, there are two bridges available to and from the island.
