By Paula Rivera
Did you know that Pyeongchang is home to the Baekryong Cave (White Dragon Cave)? It is known for being the only exploration cave in Korea. In 1979 it was classified as a National Monument. Then in 2010 they opened to the public allowing 240 people to enter per day.
Since the cave always has a temperature of 13ºC, many years ago, it was used as a shelter for people to be protected from the cold in the winter. And during summer it would be a place to cool down from the hot air. Years later during war times, the villagers would also use the cave as a resting base and hide from enemies.
Before 1979, the cave didn’t have as many passages that it has now. Until one day a man decided to investigate other entrances that could lead further into the cave. With the help of his brothers, he opened a path. There they discovered that the cave was deeper than what they originally thought.
After the discovery of the new path the cave became a National Monument and is now run by the government.
There is only one way to get to the cave and it’s by boat. Before you could arrive through a walking trail, but it was closed off due to the unstable rocks on the path.
A few things you should know about the cave are:
- The facility provides you with the safety gear such as helmets with flashlights, gloves, a special suit and boots
- You have to leave your belongings in the lockers
- Any electrical devices like cameras, phones are not allowed inside the cave. This is because the flash of the camera can cause damage to the rocks and be bad for some living organisms in the cave. Only the guide will have the camera, so make sure to smile and pose every time 🙂
Now we are ready to crawl through the White Dragon!
Finally we made it inside!! This is when the fun started. You will go down through the path and learn about the previous ancestors that lived there and how they would rest or hide.
Look at us crawling like professionals through the cave!
As you keep walking you will be able to see bats and if you focus a lot you might be able to see some insects, but don’t be frightened you won’t find them easily. You can also learn about the small shrimps that can live five times longer than the ones from the ocean.
We arrived at the end point and it looked beautiful! But the best part was when we sat on the floor and got to turn off our flashlights. At that moment we got to experience total darkness. We couldn’t see the people that were sitting next to us. We stayed in the dark for a few minutes and went silent to appreciate the sounds of the cave. After this we headed back through the same way we entered.
The time we spent in the White Dragon cave was truly amazing. We laughed and learned many interesting things about the cave. Got to see at least one bat, the limestones. Everytime we had to crawl through the narrow paths This is one tour that you should consider doing!!
The best part of the cave’s location is that you can go to other places near the area and explore. You can go hiking in the Ciljokryeong trail, explore the nearby villages and go on a rafting cruise through the Donggang River.
Information about the cave
Working days: Summer season (February 11th – November 10th): 09:00-15:00
Winter season (November 11th – February 10th): 09:00-14:00
Directions: 63 Munhui-gil, Mitan-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do
Official cave website: http://www.pc.go.kr/cave
For more information about packaged trips visit: www.adventurekorea.com
Contact us: webmaster@adventurekorea.com
