Oido

The name ends in "-do", the Korean word for island, but Oido has not been an island for a long time. Salt pans laid out on its mudflats under Japanese colonial rule, followed by later land reclamation, joined it to the mainland, and today most people know Oido as the last stop on Seoul Subway Line 4 and the Suin-Bundang Line. Wide mudflats, a seawall promenade, Yellow Sea sunsets and a whole street of grilled-clam restaurants make it an easy half-day trip from Seoul or Incheon.

History: from island to mainland

People lived here long before written records. The Oido prehistoric site on the hill near the entrance is considered the largest Neolithic shell mound on Korea's west coast and is protected as a national historic site. In 1018 the island came under Ansan County; in early Joseon it was called Ojiraedo, later Ojiriodo, and it took its present name under King Jeongjo.

The name probably comes from a phrase used for two neighbouring islets, Okgudo and Okgwido. The Chinese characters for "crow's ear" were chosen only for their sound, so the popular story that the island was shaped like a crow's ear is a misunderstanding. Oido joined Siheung County in 1914 and has been part of Jeongwang-dong in Siheung city since 1989. Between 1988 and 2000 the Sihwa development project erased all of its old hamlets, such as Anmal, Salmak and Baedari.

What to see

• Red Lighthouse: built in 2005 as part of a fishing-village tourism project and now the symbol of Oido. The ground floor has a small exhibition on Siheung, and the observation deck looks over the Sihwa industrial estate, Baegot new town and, across the water, Songdo International City.
• Hwangsae Bawi-gil: a floating walkway that rises and falls with the tide. It reaches far out over the water, and at low tide you can watch the creatures of the mudflat right below your feet.
• Seawall promenade: the path runs along the coastal fence past the Tree of Life observatory, the Song of Sunset observatory and the Oasis ship observatory, a decommissioned patrol vessel turned into a viewing platform.
• Prehistoric park and Siheung Oido Museum: reconstructed Neolithic pit houses and a museum of local finds add some history to the seaside walk.
• Food street: raw fish, clam noodle soup (bajirak kalguksu) and grilled shellfish. For most visitors, dinner here is the main event.

Good to know

• The Sihwa Seawall starts right in front of Oido and runs all the way to Daebudo island, so a visit here easily turns into a drive along the west coast towards Daebudo.
• Next to the lighthouse is a shop selling Siheung souvenirs, and the lighthouse workshop runs small sea-themed craft sessions.

Nearby

• Okgu Park: the former Okgudo islet, long closed to the public because of a coastguard post, opened as a park in 2000, with a mudflat play area and a lotus garden.
• Sihwa Lake dinosaur egg fossil site: in 1999 a large cluster of dinosaur egg fossils was found around Ueumdo in the middle of Sihwa Lake; the site is now a Natural Monument with a visitor centre.
• Daebudo: just across the Sihwa Seawall, and a common place to stay the night after watching the sunset at Oido.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: the coast is some way from Oido Station. Take city bus 30-2 from the station to the waterfront.
• Opening hours: the promenade and harbour area are open all the time, every day of the year. The Red Lighthouse exhibition and deck are open 10:30–17:30. There is parking.
• When to go: the sunset is the star here. Arrive about an hour before dusk, walk the seawall, then move to the restaurants once it gets dark. If you want to see the mudflats, check the tide table for low tide first.
• Time needed: 2 to 3 hours including a meal. The sea wind is strong, so bring a jacket even in spring and autumn.