Cheongnyeongpo

Cheongnyeongpo is a tongue of land enclosed by a loop of the Seogang on three sides and by a cliff on the fourth, so the only way in is by water - a small flat ferry crosses in a couple of minutes. That geography is the reason for its history: in 1457 the boy king Danjong, deposed at twelve by his uncle, was sent here in exile and held on the spit, and he died within months at seventeen. A restored house, a stone marker he is said to have piled, an observation point where he is said to have looked toward Seoul, and a stand of very old pines - one of them designated a natural monument - make up the site, along with a pebble beach and a pine grove that is the pleasant part of the visit. Yeongwol keeps his tomb, Jangneung, in town, and the whole district trades on the story. The setting does most of the work: green water, white pebbles, dark pines and no road.

What you actually see

• The ferry crossing - the short boat to the enclosed spit.
• The pine grove - old trees including a natural monument.
• The restored house - the exile site and its markers.
• The river loop - water on three sides, cliff on the fourth.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Ferries stop in high water after heavy rain, and the site closes then.

Honest expectations

The ferry is small and queues at weekends; it does not run in flood. The site is modest - the setting outweighs the buildings. Fees cover both the boat and entry.

Nearby

Hanbando Cliff and Seonam village are in the same district; Yeongwol town holds Jangneung.