Farmers' decades of hard work transform rugged Gangwon terrain into scenic alpine village

This undated photo taken with a drone shows an autumn view of the Meong-ae lookout point and cabbage field after harvest. The lookout point was built with the rocks and pebbles removed from the fields to prepare them for cultivation. Courtesy of the Korea Tourism Organization

Home to quality alpine cabbage, ideal spot for stargazing

By Lee Hae-rin

GANGNEUNG ― As its name suggests, the highland village of Anbandegi, which stands 1,100 meters above sea level in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, is known for its unique landscape. The name was coined from its distinct topography. Anbandegi is a combination of the Korean word, "anban," meaning the concave wooden support used when pounding out rice cake dough and "degi," Gangneung dialect for "a wide and flat piece of land.

The region is home to quality alpine cabbage. Along with its crunchy texture, the cabbage's relatively thin leaves taste good for a year if it is made into kimchi, a Korean staple side dish.

There is another defining characteristic of this cozy village: Anbandegi is one of the nation's best places for stargazing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the region has received media attention as a starlit spot for those seeking a repose from busy city life. An episode of a television program featuring K-pop celebrity Hwasa's nighttime drive to go stargazing drew many young campers to the quiet town.

Night view of the Meong-ae lookout point under a starlit sky / Courtesy of the Korea Tourism Organization

The scenic, starry landscape of the alpine village makes it difficult for those who are unfamiliar with the history of the region to imagine that it was once a rugged, uncultivated landscape until the mid-1960s when farmers, struggling with food shortages after the Korean War (1950-1953), were encouraged by the government to settle there, reclaim the land for cultivation and raise crops for a living. The farmers toiled for years to bring the current village to its current state.

The farmers used slash and burn methods to cultivate the land, burning wild grass and brush there. The burnt grass and wood became natural fertilizers, making the soil there more fertile.

Yoo Si-bok, 55, the village head of Daegi-4-ri in Anbandegi, is the son of a farming family. His parents moved from Gangwon Province's southern town of Cheolwon during the early 1960s and gave birth to their son there. The landscape of the village used to be quite different from what it is today, according to Yoo.

"Like other farmers here, my parents moved up here when President Park Chung-hee was in office. At the time, many people were very poor and they were told to gather, settle here and cultivate the land. But it was practically a no man's land," he said during a recent Korea Times interview.

Park called together poor people living in mountainous areas throughout the country, including Yoo's parents. As there was no basic modern infrastructure, such as a running water supply or electricity, the early arrivals had no choice but to build everything from the ground up with their bare hands, shovels and pickaxes.

"We were given a bag of flour for a day's labor. At the time, that was all we had. With only flour and sometimes barley to eat, we paved the mountainous fields with our labor," he said.

It was a challenging task. The inclined fields made it impossible for the farmers to use agricultural equipment. They had no choice but to rely on their own bodies, shovels and cattle plows to cultivate the rugged mountain terrain, facing the constant danger of tumbling down the mountainous slopes at any moment.

Yoo said that the first generation started farming potatoes and medicinal herbs.

"Apart from flour, we were fed with potatoes, too. And we planted some herbs as well. Trucks that look like today's military trucks would come once in a while to take the herbs we harvested and dried and sold them in the market across the mountains," he said.

Making a living in such a harsh environment was extremely challenging, and only about 10 families remained after a decade. In the 1970s, however, roads were built to connect the mountainous village to Gangneung crossing the Daegwallyeong Range, casting a ray of hope for the farmers. The settlers started farming cabbages, which can be grown successfully on highland terrain, on an enormous uncultivated field.

Today, Anbandegi's huge cabbage field is the size of about 280 football fields, stretching over 2 million square meters. The region accounts for 48 percent of the country's cabbage production or about 7,500 tons every year.

In this photo taken on Aug. 13, farmers harvest alpine cabbages from a sloped mountain field in Anbandegi, Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Yonhap

The harsh topography of the highlands, ultimately, became an asset to the cabbage farmers. The high altitude and low temperature make it difficult for insects and pathogens to destroy crops, while the cold wind promotes the growth of plump vegetables with a crunchy texture and sweet taste.

In memory of the hard work and sorrows of the farmers, a lookout point was built on one of the highest slopes with rocks and pebbles removed when preparing the mountain fields. The observatory is named "Meong-ae," which is a Korean word meaning a yoke, a wooden tool affixed to cattle and used to guide them when plowing the land.

Although many stones were removed from the slopes to build the lookout point, the cabbage fields still have some stones left. Yoo explained that the secret of high quality vegetable crops lies here, apart from the distinct climate and topography.

"In the day time, the temperature rises and heats up the stones. At night, the temperature falls again and dew forms as the warm stones meet the cold air. This moisture somehow affects the cabbage," he said.

Thanks to these special features, Anbandegi's cabbage is known for being rich in moisture and fiber, Yoo said. The leaves are firm and small and have a rich and sweet flavor. "Kimchi made of our cabbage stays fresh for more than three years," Yoo said.

Seen is a cabbage planted in Anbandegi before harvest on Aug. 27. Alpine cabbage is the region's specialty and is known for its rich, sweet flavor and moist, crunchy texture. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok

Asked whether the night sky full of stars provided any comfort for the local farmers amid their harsh lives, Yoo said that they found no greater hope and joy than from the cabbage fields.

"Not much," he said. "People here, we've been busy all our lives farming. We are too tired and go straight to bed at night and wake up early in the morning and get busy working."

"The biggest joy is a good year's harvest. If we have a good harvest, that's good. If not, there will be a big sigh. We do our best, but it's in heaven's hands. Without enough rain and good weather, we have no crops," he said.

For the members of over 50 households who have spent their entire lives farming cabbage with Yoo in Anbandegi, the most beautiful view is not of the nighttime stars but rather the fields filled with cabbages in late summer, when it is time to start harvesting the ripe vegetables.

"It is most beautiful in July and August, when everything is covered in green and filled with fresh cabbages," he said.

The cabbage field stretching throughout the slopes of Anbadegi is filled with cabbages in this photo taken on Aug. 12, Gangneung, Gangwon Province. The region was fortunately unharmed during the heavy rains the central region of the country experienced last August and saw a plentiful harvest. Newsis