Anbandegi Village

At 1,100 m above sea level, the whole mountain is a cabbage field and the cabbage field is the mountain. Anbandegi Village in Wangsan-myeon, Gangneung, is the largest highland vegetable-growing area in Korea, carved out of steep slopes by hand. The gradients are too steep for farm machinery, so every curving terrace still carries the mark of the farmers' own labour.

Name and history

Anban is the broad, shallow wooden board on which rice cakes are pounded with a mallet, and degi means flat land. The village takes its name from the wide, slightly hollow ground on the mountaintop that resembles such a board.

The village began in 1965, when slash-and-burn farmers settled on land cleared from the mountainside. With nothing but picks and shovels they dug fields on slopes where a slip could send you tumbling dozens of metres. In 1995 some 28 households who had farmed here for generations formally bought the land. Today the once-barren hillsides form about 2 million m² of fields. The village straddles the ridge between Gangneung and Pyeongchang, so although it belongs to Gangneung, roads also climb up from the Daegwallyeong side in Pyeongchang.

A view for every season

• Spring: rye turns the slopes into what looks like green meadow.
• Summer: potato flowers and highland cabbages cover the hills; by the August–September harvest the green is at its deepest.
• Autumn: foliage on the high peaks seems to touch the sky.
• Winter: snow-covered mountains, but icy roads.

About 10 minutes' walk up between the fields, the path forks: straight on towards Gorupogisan, right onto the Unyu-gil section of the Gangneung Baugil trail. The hill at this fork offers the widest view of Anbandegi, where wind turbines along the ridge and the curves of the fields make the village's signature scene. Being so high, it also draws people for sunsets and, on clear nights, stargazing.

Tripto tips

• These are working fields: Anbandegi is farmland first. Do not walk into the fields; stay on the paths and viewing spots. During the harvest (August–September) farm machinery and trucks use the roads constantly, so take care even on the verges.
• Getting there: there is no public transport; you need a car. From Gangneung you cross Dangmongnyeong pass, from Pyeongchang Pideungnyeong pass. Coming from the Seoul area, leaving the Yeongdong Expressway at Hoenggye IC and taking the Suha Valley road is shorter. The mountain roads are narrow and winding, so drive slowly.
• Facilities: a small café opposite the car park opens only in summer; at other times bring your own drinks. The village also has guest accommodation if you want to stay overnight under the stars.
• Time needed: about 1 hour to walk up to the viewpoint and back, 2–3 hours if you walk the Unyu-gil.
• What to wear: at 1,100 m it gets chilly and windy in the evening even in midsummer. Bring a warm layer if you come for the stars.
• Nearby: the Daegwallyeong sheep farms, Nochusan mountain and the Maebongsan wind farm are close by, making a full day on the Daegwallyeong plateau. Information: +82-33-640-5125.