Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
강화 고인돌 유적
A Bronze Age megalithic tomb complex in South Korea, part of the 'Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites' World Heritage property. The Bugeun-ri table-type dolmen is the most representative.
The Korean Peninsula has roughly 40 percent of the world's dolmens (megalithic tombs). In 2000, the 'Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites' were inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Around 150 dolmens are scattered across the area from Bugeun-ri to Samgeo-ri in northern Ganghwa Island. The most famous is the Bugeun-ri Dolmen, where a capstone about 6.5 meters long and weighing about 50 tons rests on two upright stones. It is the largest table-type (northern-style) dolmen in Korea, and its simple, powerful form lets visitors feel the megalithic culture of three thousand years ago as they stand before the lawn. Next to it, Ganghwa Dolmen Park sits alongside the Ganghwa History Museum and the Natural History Museum, where visitors can learn about Bronze Age society and Ganghwa Island's role as a refuge capital during the Goryeo and Joseon periods. The dolmen sites are free to visit outdoors, while the museums charge a small admission fee and close on Mondays. Getting there: from Incheon or Seoul's Sinchon, take a bus bound for Ganghwa Bus Terminal, about 1.5 to 2 hours, then transfer to a local bus or taxi for about 15 minutes. The sights on Ganghwa Island are spread out, so a car or chartered taxi is recommended.
Opening hours
Open all day (museum closed Mondays)
Nearby sights
- Goryeo Palace Site, Ganghwa
- Ganghwa Peace Observatory
- Gwangseongbo Fort
- Bomunsa Temple, Seongmodo
- Jeondeungsa Temple
- Daeryong Market, Gyodongdo
- Manisan & Chamseongdan Altar
- Chojijin Fort