정동진

Jeongdongjin (정동진, 正東津) is a seaside town that lies directly east of Seoul and hence its name.

Train is not supposed to be the landmark of Jeongdongjin but I love how this train cabin is placed just beside the sea.

I arrived at Jeongdongjin on the last day of 2012 after 6 hours of flight (from Singapore) and 5 hours of bus ride. It was a cold day with temperature plummeting below -5°C. Wind was strong and so were the waves. It has been quite a long time since I last saw such a wide open sea. I could feel my heart opening up and cool fresh air flowing in. All trapped stuffiness has found a way out finally.

The sound of waves pounding the shore was melodious to my ears.

The sky was clear blue a day before a brand new year, so there was good chance I might witness new year's sunrise the next morning. However, weather forecast was not that optimistic. Overcast sky was predicted. There was abundant sunlight in the afternoon but no warmth was felt while walking by the beach. My hands froze once they were out of gloves for a while.

The yacht-like building is a sashimi restuarant and a cafe

The tide was rising and the rolling waves were pushing nearer and nearer to the shore. Jeongdongjin got more and more crowded as it got closer and closer to night. People, like me, were gathering at Jeongdongjin to bid farewell to 2012 and welcome the first sunrise of 2013. Accommodation at this seaside town was not easy to come by during this peak period and if you do find one, the room rates would be three times its non-peak rates.

The train is not part of Jeongdongjin Station. It is a museum under constuction and can be found beside the hourglass park.

Jeongdongjin is famous for its huge hourglass and Sun Cruise Resort and Yacht but I have taken a liking to Jeongdongjin Station - a train station by the seaside. There is nothing unique about the station itself but when you look seaward, the scenic view is captivating, good enough as a filming site for Korean drama.

A stone tablet at Jeongdongjin Station with a poem about Jeongdongjin inscribed.

The turquoise sea and blue sky made beautiful backdrop for the sculptures, pinetrees and other man-made structures found within the station compound. There was a big crowd at the station but most were tourists not passengers. The station master did not restrict people from going down to the track unless a train was approaching. The row of colourful toy windmills beside the track turned vigorously as wind blew strongly.

One of the few sculptures found at Jeongdongjin Station.

I like this view - so exhilarating.

Jeongdongjin Station is at the direct east of Gyeongbok Palace and Gwanghwamun (not exactly though).

It was difficult to stay outdoor for a very long time as the cold wave was in the midst of building up to its peak. However, there were a few more things to do for the rest of the day - visit Sun Cruise at sunset, watch the performance in front of the hourglass and fireworks at midnight.

The locomotive is part of the "Time Museum" (정동진박물관), a new landmark at Jeongdongjin.

The tail of "Time Museum" which ends very close to the sea.

Sun Cruise - a resort built like a passenger liner, overseeing the whole of Jeongdongjin.

The landmark of Jeongdongjin - the huge hourglass. It would be turned over when the clock hit twelve.

The bridge which spans over the frozen Jeongdongjin Stream.

Performance to welcome 2013 in front of the huge hourglass.

Next stop: Sun Cruise Resort and Yacht

Bird's eye view of Jeongdongjin from the Sun Cruise.