A Journey to Danyang Along the Trail(On the Road)

Carving the Scenery on Route 36...

When you stumble upon a road that embraces a beautiful landscape by chance, you can't help but say, "Oh, thank you."
You realize that if you hadn't taken this road, you wouldn't have known how to find your way through the beautiful scenery, and you're grateful for the precious encounter.
Route 36, which runs from the West Sea to the East Sea, is a road that is carved with scenery that brings joy and happiness everywhere. In particular, Route 36 to Danyang is already widely known as a beautiful lakeside road surrounding Chungjuho Lake. There are many hills, and some say it's one of the toughest roads in the country, but it's also one of the roads with the most untouched natural scenery.

As the road crosses Oksungyo Bridge and meets Route 36...

The drive from Danyang starts cheerfully. After crossing the Gyelangyo Bridge, the road begins to climb, embracing the high mountainside.

As the road passes over one of the mountains, the blue waters of Chungjuho Lake appear again.

In Jecheon, it is called Cheongpungho Lake, but as it crosses into Danyang, it changes its name to Chungjuho Lake. The name may be changed, but the scenery hasn't, and the wide blue lake is still beautiful.

We cross the Janghoegyo Bridge and stop at the end of the bridge. The scenery on both sides of the bridge captivates your eyes, feet, and heart. On one side, large mountains form a folding screen, and on the other side, rocky cliffs stretch along the river. The scenery is magical and mysterious as if it were a replica of Guilin, China. The calm lake seems to envy its beauty and fills itself with the upside-down shadows of the cliffs.

As if it is trying to capture all the beautiful things in the world in itself, the waters of Chungjuho Lake become even more mesmerizing as it reflects all the scenery. Follow the water to Janghoenaru Pier, where you'll find cruise ships that offer round trips to Oksunbong Peak, as well as trips between Chungju and Cheongpung.

Route 36 still runs with the lake on its side, as if it has no intention of leaving it. The road is filled with sights that make you want to pull over and admire them every once in a while. Whether it's a spectacular view of rock formations along the river or a fairy-tale-like view of rental cottages on the hillside, the lake offers gem-like views. The road wanders left and right as if lost in the beauty. The lake is beautiful because of the scenery that dwells within it. In the middle of the day, the blue sky and white clouds linger and lose track of time, and at night, the soft moonlight and fine starlight fall on the carpet-like lake. Occasionally, a gust of wind rushes across the lake, creating rippling shadows on the water.

The daily life of the lake is quiet and calm. Turn left at the Uhwa Three-way intersection and cross Uhwa Bridge to reach Danseongmyeon. In the distance, you can see the colorful appearance of Danyang Hyanggyo and the densely packed village. After passing through the village, turn right at the Danseong Three-way intersection and Route 36 is just over a kilometer left for this drive.

Cross Danyang 1-gyo Bridge and turn left, and you're off Route 36. The road runs parallel to the train tracks, passing Danseong Station and reaching Danyang Station. The train cafe, which looks like it's going somewhere, and the cute park in the large yard in front of the station are enough to make you want to stay even if you don't need to take the train.

The drive from Danyang ends at Danyang Station, where you cross the Sangjindaegyo Bridge into Danyang Center. The road carves the landscape, and people carve their memories on the road. The reason why people feel nostalgic and longing for the road they came back from is because of the memories they left behind. It is because of those memories that we seek the same road again.