Upo Wetland

In Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang, Upo Wetland is the largest inland wetland in Korea, a landscape of water plants, willows and migrating birds that changes with every season. Protected as a Ramsar site and a natural reserve, it is best explored slowly on foot along embankments and forest trails, taking in a marsh that has been forming for well over a hundred million years.

A marsh from the age of dinosaurs

Upo is thought to have begun forming about 140 million years ago. During the Cretaceous, rising sea levels and subsidence in the Nakdong River basin trapped water and created marshes and lakes. Today the complex consists of four wetlands, Upo, Mokpo, Sajipo and Jjokjibeol, spread across Yueo, Ibang, Daehap and Daeji townships of Changnyeong County. Sources differ on its size, between about 2.1 and 2.5 km². Until the colonial period there were ten more marshes nearby, lost to development and farmland.

Protection

• Designated an ecosystem conservation area in 1997.
• Listed as a Ramsar wetland on 2 March 1998.
• Designated the Changnyeong Upo Wetland Natural Reserve, a Natural Monument, in 2011.
• In 2018 Changnyeong County was among the world's first certified Ramsar Wetland Cities.

What to see

• Upo Wetland Ecology Center: exhibitions on how the marsh formed and what lives there, and the natural starting point for a visit.
• Observatory: reached from the centre, with a panorama over the whole marsh.
• Daedae embankment and forest trails: paths along the dykes and through the woods at the water's edge. In late autumn the silver grass and reeds turn gold.
• Crested Ibis Restoration Center: working to bring back the crested ibis, which had disappeared from Korea.
• Wildlife: the endangered prickly water lily (gorgon plant) grows here among many other plants, birds and fish. In winter whooper swans and geese arrive.

Good to know

• The bottom of the marsh holds a thick layer of humus built up over ages, which is why Upo is called a living natural history museum.
• Normally 1–2 m deep, the water rises to nearly 5 m in the rainy season, soaking up floodwater like a sponge and protecting the surrounding farmland.
• Dinosaur footprints have been found at Sejin-ri in nearby Yueo township.
• To protect the marsh, only a small number of licensed local fishermen may fish here today. Crucian carp and water chestnuts have long been local staples.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: always open, with free admission and free parking.
• Choosing a route: a 30-minute loop via the centre, observatory and forest trail; a 1-hour loop adding the Daedae embankment; a 2-hour route from Somok village; and a 3-hour circuit around the marsh. You can also rent a bicycle and follow the cycling routes.
• Getting there: the address is 220 Uponeup-gil, Yueo-myeon, Changnyeong-gun. Public transport is limited, so a car is easiest; the car park is large (291 car spaces).
• Best time: early morning for mist, winter for migratory birds and late autumn for golden silver grass.
• What to bring: the embankment paths have little shade, so take a hat and water in summer.