Margaret with one of the sculptures near Kyongpo Lake (February 2000).
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Kangnung (Gangneung) is known for its beaches. Kyongpo (Gyeongpodae) is a special case because you get two bodies of water -- the ocean and Kyongpo Lake. Legend has it that at Kyongpo you can see the moon five times -- once in the sky, once in the lake, once in the sea, once in your drinking glass, and once in your lover's eyes. And that, my friend, is about as romantic as Korea gets. ;-)

If you're not inclined toward moon-gazing (or mooning over a lost love), try the bike path that makes a circuit round the lake. There are plenty of places to stop for a break and a look at the sculptures (and, even more practically speaking, at least one where you can visit the loo).

Not long after Margaret arrived in Kangnung, she and her friend TJ rented a tandem bike and took in the sights along Kyongpo Lake's bike path. This is one of them. Squint a bit and you'll see one of the bog-standard themes in Korean sculpture. Yep, that's a phallic symbol (see also here and here). What else would you expect of a culture which (still) values boys more than girls?

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