- 1–4 hrs
Highlights
- 1943년 완공된 북한강 첫 수력발전소 청평댐
- 평소 수면 약 12.5km², 산에 둘러싸인 굽은 호수
- 30곳 안팎의 수상레저장과 7~8월 물놀이
- 울업산 절벽에 놓인 데크길 청평 호수길
- 가평 8경 청평호반, 서울에서 약 50km
About this place
Cheongpyeong Lake was created when the Cheongpyeong Dam blocked the Bukhangang River, about 50 km from Seoul. Water-sports centres, guesthouses and cafés line its mountain-ringed shores, making it one of the easiest lakeside getaways from the capital. The area around the lake, known as Cheongpyeong Hoban, is one of the Eight Scenic Views of Gapyeong.
A lake made by a dam
The Cheongpyeong Dam was built under Japanese colonial rule as the first hydroelectric plant on the Bukhangang river system and completed in 1943 (some sources give 1944). It is a concrete gravity dam 470 m long and 31 m high with 24 spillway gates. Large numbers of people were forced to work on it: press reports speak of 3 million workdays and at least 43 officially recorded deaths. The dam still generates power today.
The lake behind it normally covers about 12.5 km², rising to around 19 km² when full, and holds some 180 million tonnes of water. Because it winds between the mountains, wherever you stand on the shore you look across the water to layer upon layer of wooded ridges.
How to enjoy it
- Water sports: Around 30 water-sports centres offer water skiing, motorboats, jet skis and banana boats. More than half of the year's visitors come in July and August.
- Cheongpyeong Lake Trail: A boardwalk fixed to the cliffs of Ulleopsan on steel pillars, with views over the lake, the Bukhangang and the rock faces. It links up with the Sinseonbong circular trail, so it also works as a light trek.
- Lakeside drive: The road along the shore is dotted with cafés and restaurants with lake views.
- Pleasure boats: Cruises leave from the Cheongpyeong pier at the north end of the lake. Sailing times vary with the season, so check before you go.
A lakeside resort that grew with the dam
The dam remains an important power station on the Han River system. When a fourth generator was added in 2012, its peak output rose to 139,600 kW, the largest of the five dams on the Han River system. Below the dam, the Bukhangang flows on towards Namyangju.
Because the new lake was easy to reach from Seoul by train and bus, resorts soon appeared on its shores. Old lakeside pleasure grounds and holiday villas sprang up around it, and pleasure boats began to run from the Cheongpyeong pier on the north side, turning it into a year-round resort. Today water-sports centres line the shore village after village, and on summer weekends boats cross the water in a constant stream.
Tripto tips
- Access: The lakeside is open at all times and free. Prices and hours for water sports vary by operator.
- When to go: July–August for water sports; spring and autumn for quieter walks. On peak-season weekends the lakeside roads get congested, so set off early.
- Time needed: 1–2 hours for the lake trail, half a day if you add water sports.
- Getting there: Take the Gyeongchun Line to Cheongpyeong Station (ITX-Cheongchun trains stop here), then a bus or taxi to the lakeside. The Garden of Morning Calm is not far away and pairs well with the lake.
- Information: Gapyeong County Tourist Information Center, +82-31-582-8830.
Plan your visit
Getting there
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Nearby attractions
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The Garden of Morning Calm
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