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Tongyeong for First-Time Visitors: Cable Car Views and Chungmu Gimbap

Level
A2
Type
Guide
Theme
Travel
작성자
Y
Yanghwa
작성시각
Tongyeong sits on Korea's south coast, surrounded by dozens of small islands. Locals sometimes call it "Korea's Naples" because of them. A short list of words covers getting there, the cable car, the local gimbap, and a walk through the hillside mural village.

Getting There

Korean
Pronunciation
Meaning
통영 가는 버스표 주세요
tong-yeong ga-neun beo-seu-pyo ju-se-yo
A bus ticket to Tongyeong, please
통영종합버스터미널
tong-yeong-jong-hap-ppeo-seu-teo-mi-neol
Tongyeong Comprehensive Bus Terminal
Tongyeong has no train station, so 통영 가는 버스표 주세요 is the phrase to know. Intercity buses run from Seoul's Nambu Terminal, taking around four hours, and from Busan in under two. Either way, the bus pulls into 통영종합버스터미널, a short taxi ride from the harbor.

Riding the Cable Car

Korean
Pronunciation
Meaning
케이블카 표 주세요
ke-i-beul-ka pyo ju-se-yo
A cable car ticket, please
스카이워크 어디예요?
seu-ka-i-wo-keu eo-di-ye-yo
Where is the Skywalk?
케이블카 표 주세요 gets a ticket for the ropeway up Mireuksan, one of the longest cable car rides in Korea at close to two kilometers. At the summit station, 스카이워크 어디예요? points toward the glass-floor observation deck, a short walk from the cable car's upper station.

Trying Chungmu Gimbap

Korean
Pronunciation
Meaning
충무김밥 주세요
chung-mu-gim-bap-jju-se-yo
Chungmu gimbap, please
오징어무침 매워요?
o-jing-eo-mu-chim mae-wo-yo
Is the spicy squid side dish spicy?
충무김밥 looks different from regular gimbap: it's plain rice rolled in seaweed, with the spicy radish and seasoned squid or fish cake served on the side instead of stuffed inside as filling. The dish takes its name from Tongyeong's former name, Chungmu, and started as food that could survive a day on a fishing boat without spoiling. 오징어무침 매워요? is worth asking before digging in, since the side dish carries most of the spice.

Walking Dongpirang Mural Village

Korean
Pronunciation
Meaning
동피랑 벽화마을 어떻게 가요?
dong-pi-rang byeo-kwa-ma-eul eo-tteo-ke ga-yo
How do I get to Dongpirang Mural Village?
여기서 사진 찍어도 돼요?
yeo-gi-seo sa-jin jji-geo-do dwae-yo
Can I take a photo here?
동피랑 벽화마을 어떻게 가요? points the way up the hill behind the central market, where narrow alleys are covered in murals repainted every couple of years. People still live in the houses along the way, so 여기서 사진 찍어도 돼요? is a fair question before pointing a camera at someone's front door or garden.

Taking a Ferry to the Islands

Korean
Pronunciation
Meaning
여객선 표 주세요
yeo-gaek-sseon pyo ju-se-yo
A passenger ferry ticket, please
다음 배가 몇 시예요?
da-eum bae-ga myeot-ssi-ye-yo
What time is the next boat?
여객선 표 주세요 works at Gangguan Port, the departure point for ferries to islands inside Hallyeo Maritime National Park, including Hansando and Somaemuldo. Boats don't run constantly, so 다음 배가 몇 시예요? is a good one to ask as soon as a destination is picked, especially if the island trip has to fit into a single day.
Between the bus ride in, the cable car, a plate of Chungmu gimbap, and a walk through the mural village, that covers a solid first day in Tongyeong.