"Kanghwado Museum" with kids

Ganghwado Island, which has many historical sites and a wide tidal flat, is a paradise for children to learn. The museum is a good place to look around before visiting historical attractions or nature learning centers. As if you are preparing, accumulating knowledge about Ganghwado Island in advance helps a lot during field trips. The Ganghwa History Museum and the Natural History Museum are located side by side in front of Dolmen Park, where the dolmen tomb in nearby Ganghwa, a world cultural heritage site, is located. You can see both of them even if you ticket only one of the two museums.

● 5,000 years of history and culture
Ganghwa History Museum

People began to live in Ganghwado Island from prehistoric times. As a result of investigating Paleolithic artifacts found in Jangjeong-ri, Jangjeom-myeon, Sagi-ri, and Dongmak-ri, Hwado-myeon, it is known that they were formed in the residence about 15,000 years ago. The name Ganghwa was given during the reign of King Taejo of Goryeo, and it is also recorded that it was called "blood cell group" and "Gabbi high tea" during the Three Kingdoms period. Like this, Ganghwa History Museum tells many stories about Ganghwado Island that we didn't know well

The first thing that stands out is the same kind of Ganghwa made during King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty. It is a treasure-class cultural property that was hung at the gate of Ganghwa Fortress. Fortunately, during Byeongin Yangyo, the French army tried to loot it, but it was so heavy that they left it near the Gapgot-ri Rabbit Bridge. After hearing the story of the bell, each artifact here comes to me preciously.

The exhibition starts on the second floor. From the prehistoric period to the Three Kingdoms period, the history of Ganghwado Island was clearly summarized. In particular, three-dimensional exhibitions using dioramas stand out for children to understand. It is also worth seeing an exhibition on the stone tomb in Ganghwa-ri, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The things that I wondered how I could build a huge stone with only human power without a mechanical device are solved neatly.

The first floor shows the appearance of Ganghwado Island during the Goryeo, Joseon, and modern periods by period. There was also a time when Ganghwado Island was the capital, and although it was a short period of time from 1232 to 1270, when the Goryeo Dynasty took refuge due to the Mongol invasion, Goryeo's culture and art, which bloomed on the island, remains in various forms and is displayed in the museum. They will also learn the history of aggression, such as the war against foreign powers and the unequal treaty at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. The exhibition of the Gwangseongbo Battle with the U.S. military during the Treaty of Ganghwa Island and Shinmiyangyo, which were signed with Japan, reminds us of the painful history. 

● Extensive knowledge from the tidal flat to the universe 
Ganghwa Natural History Museum

It is a space to observe the natural ecology of Ganghwado Island and explore the Earth and space, which are huge homes. There are many things to see and the composition of the exhibition is fruitful, so it takes more time to see it than expected.

In the first special exhibition room, numerous butterfly and insect specimens donated by the late Park Je-won are displayed. Colorful butterflies and silkworms with colorful colors and patterns are even as beautiful as works of art. There are also many strange exhibits like butterflies whose wings resemble owls. Behind the exhibition, the topography of Ganghwado Island, reclamation projects that began from the Goryeo Dynasty, and migratory birds visiting the tidal flats are explained in detail.

The permanent exhibition room looks at the solar system we live in. The creation of the universe, the structure of the earth, and various minerals are exhibited, and various creatures living with us are sampled. Exhibits with large embroidery crystals also attract attention.

Life began to sprout on Earth about 3.5 billion years ago. The first living things were like bacteria and birds. They evolved into photosynthetic plants, and as oxygen increased, various species of living organisms such as reptiles, amphibians, and mammals emerged. It also explains how animals and plants that flourished a long time ago responded to the changing environment by guessing the global environment before humans lived through the ammonite fossils or silicide on display.

Whales are a mystery to people back then and now. The types of whales in Korea include porpoises, killer whales, ghost whales, and long-male whales, and various types of whale specimens, including minke whales, can be observed. On the first floor, the skeleton of a sperm whale stranded in Boleumdo Island, Seodo-myeon, Ganghwa-do is displayed. It is said to have reached 14.5m in length and 20 tons in weight at the time of discovery, and dozens of cone-shaped sharp teeth are attached to the long lower jawbone, suggesting the greatness of living.