Upo Wetland

The Nakdong once flooded across this basin every summer, and Upo is what survived of that: a shallow, silt-floored marsh that was never drained for rice. It is the largest inland wetland in Korea, made of several linked pools - Upo itself, Mokpo, Sajipo and the smaller Jjokjibeol - with reed beds between them and low wooded hills behind. A flat track runs the whole way round, part gravel and part boardwalk, a few hours on foot or about an hour by bicycle. In summer the water closes over with prickly water lily until it looks like a green floor. In winter it is a bird site, with ducks and geese on the open pools and herons standing in the shallows.

The landscape

• The dawn fog - mist sitting flat on the water from autumn onwards, before any wind gets up.
• The reed beds - tall stands dividing the pools, cut through by boardwalk sections.
• Winter waterfowl - ducks, geese and herons on the open water from late autumn.
• The summer surface - prickly water lily and floating weed covering the pools until they look solid.

When to go

Late autumn through winter is the reason to come, when the waterfowl are in and the reeds have gone pale. Early morning brings the fog and most of the bird activity; by midday it has thinned out. Summer is hot, humid and full of insects, though the water plants are at their densest then. Bicycles are hired near the entrance.

Before you go

It is flat, quiet and much the same view for several kilometres, which some people find restful and others find dull. There is little shade on the gravel stretches and the summer heat is heavy. Mosquitoes near the reeds are constant. Without binoculars the birds are distant specks, and weekends fill the loop with cyclists.

Nearby

Changnyeong town and its Gyo-dong tumuli are a short drive away.

Key facts