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Korea Isabu Lion Park: A Family-Friendly Theme Park
Isabu Lion Park is a theme park that was built to honour General Isabu of Silla and his pioneering spirit. The park is full of sculptures of lions. The history of these sculptures says that Isabu, a politician from the Silla Dynasty, used a wooden lion model to threaten Usanguk (the old name for Ulleungdo and Dokdo Island) so that Usanguk would submit to Silla.
Isabu Lion Park is a theme park that was built to honour General Isabu of Silla and his pioneering spirit. The park is full of sculptures of lions. The history of these sculptures says that Isabu, a politician from the Silla Dynasty, used a wooden lion model to threaten Usanguk (the old name for Ulleungdo and Dokdo Island) so that Usanguk would submit to Silla.
Watching lion sculptures with funny faces and movements is a fun thing to do. Isabu Lion Park is also a place where you can get a good look at the East Sea, and there are many things to do there, like an observatory, fountain, outdoor theatre, sledging hill, and cafes with sea views, and more.
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Isabu Lion Park in Samcheok City, Gangwondo, is a well-known park and place to have fun (Province). It is in a great spot on the east coast of Gangwon Province. It is on top of a hill facing the beautiful blue sea and beaches.
Isabusaja Park is a family-friendly theme park with many things to do, places to have fun, and services for relaxing. On top of the mountain (or hill), it has a great location where people can see the sea and other mountains and hills in the distance.
Places to relax and have fun
This amusement park is probably for people who are still very active. But please remember that you must walk up the steps to get to the top of the hill, where most facilities are.
When you get to the top, you’ll see and find the following:
- There is an observation tower, a sledging hill, an outdoor performance hall, a playground for kids, a place to rest, and more.
- The Park admission is FREE to get into, but you will have to pay for rentals and activities or buy tickets before you can use any of the facilities.
- This theme park is based on a real person from the Silla period who was still alive at the time. The historical figure was a brave general known for protecting the area from attacks from outsiders.
Establishing Isabu Park (이사부사자공원)
Samcheok City’s Isabu Shenyang program for the area includes Isabu Lion Park.
Isabu Lion Park remembers the time when Isabu beat Usan-guk. This is one of the park’s attractions and goals.
For this event, the organizers used only the sail, the water tide, and the oars to move the ship along the sea route. On the coast of Samcheok, facing Ulleungdo and Dokdo, they also built a wooden lion statue (islands).
There will be a festival as part of the celebraton, a Samulnori performance (traditional Korean music), a safety prayer event, and another folk music performance.
About fifty expedition teams from all over the country join the short commemoration expedition. They get on the 130-ton Dokdo Guard, which can only move when the wind blows.
During the trip to Dokdo, a story is told about the event, and a ceremony is held to show that Korea owns Dokdo (Island).
Note: Both South Korea and Japan say they own Dokdo, and the issue hasn’t been settled as of this writing. Since a long time ago, Korea has said that the island is part of its land.
The Isabu History and Culture Festival has been going on since 2008. It is made up of 30 different events. The events are held yearly to make more people aware of Isabu and what she has done in the past.
A monument was built for General Isabu, and a standard portrait of him is displayed at the Samcheok City museum. In Samcheok Port Isabu Plaza, you can also see a giant lion statue.
Isabu Park is on a hill and has a structure that lets people look out at Donghae Sicheum Chotdaebawi Rock.
The sledging hill is another fun thing to do. It costs 5,000 KRW and is open from June to August.
Discounts are only given to people who live in Samcheok City or to groups or guests who have paid for tourist facilities there. Holidays and weekends are not times when discounts are available.
Facilities Available
A place for outdoor performances, a place to learn how to make things out of glass, a playground for everyone, a path along the coast that goes through a bamboo forest, a cafe, a place to park, and a stairway to heaven.
In the Park, you can also see over a hundred works of art that won awards in the Wooden Lion National Craft Contest.
During the summer, free movies are also shown in the parking lot. You have to go there to learn more.
From the coffee shop where you can see the blue East Sea, you can also see the Chotdaebawi Rock of Chuam Beach. Children can have fun at the outdoor fountain, the playground, and the Four Season Sledding Slope, which is open all year. They also show movies at night, which is a unique way to watch a movie and see the city at night.
How To Go There
Location: 333, Surobuin-gil, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
The best way to visit Isabu Lion Park is to take public transportation to Samcheok City first, either by train or bus.
By Train: You can take a train from Seoul Station in Seoul, or from anywhere else in the country where there are trains, and get off at Donghae Station. You can take a taxi or bus (#21) from Donghae Station to Samcheok City.
By Bus: Take Bus #11-1 from Samcheok City and get off at the Jeungsan Bus Stop. Inside the bus, you can hear the stops being called out. If you want to be sure, tell the bus driver before you get off the bus.
[From Seoul] by Bus: Take a bus from Samcheok Bus Terminal. Then take a bus from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal in Seoul to the Samcheok Bus Terminal. Take Bus #11-1 from the Samcheok Bus Stop and get off at the Jeungsan (Beach) Bus Stop. You can walk to the Park in about 2 minutes.
If you want to get there quickly, you can also take a taxi from Samcheok City to the Park.
Admission:
[Park for sledding / June–August]
Price of entry: 5,000 w
4,500 w off for tourists
Groups of more than 30: 4,000 w
