STOPOVER
Incheon B / 3 hours
Tour Highlights
- Heungryunsa
- Incheon Landing Operation Memorial Hall
Meet your tour guide upon pick up at the airport and explore Incheon city. You will drive over the Korea's longest suspension bridge spanning 21km. You will visit Heungryunsa, an active temple providing a glimpse into the Buddhist culture. Following 108 steps up gets you to the main worship hall dedicated to the Sakyamuni Buddha accompanied by the Bodhisattva of Wisdom and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Other figures include seven Bodhisattavas, four deva kings and ten disciples. You can check out The Bodhisattva of Compassion. Without a doubt, this wooden statue is one of the most beautiful and intricate statues in all of Korea of this Goddess.
Afterward, you will get to learn about the turbulent history of Korea as you visit Incheon Landing Operation Memorial Hall. It is a war memorial commemorating the landing in incheon, featuring documents, military uniforms of South and North Korea during that time, miniature dioramas of the operation, and weapons used in the Korean War.
The high-risk Operation Chromite with 75,000 soldiers and 261 battleships was launched on September 15, 1950. The most spectacular amphibious landing in modern warfare led to the recapture of Seoul by the allied forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. UN troops arrived on Wolmido at 06:31, ready to begin their attack. Based on the original plan, they were one minute late. Soon after, the smell of gunpowder and smoke permeated the entire island of Wolmido, and the attack began. The North Korean troops were too taken aback by the unexpected blow to counterattack. As a result, UN troops were able to seize the entire island by 08:00. From the commanding post in Mount McKinley, General MacArthur was watching the successful results of his plan. A violent battle raged on in downtown Incheon the night of the 15th, but by dawn, the North Korean troops were forced to retreat. From the operation, the death toll for UN forces was 20; the death toll for the North was over 1,400. The U.S. Marine Corps seized the Gimpo airport and moved warplanes over from Japan to Gimpo. Seoul was reclaimed on the 28th, after 2 weeks of intense battling. But, Seoul was no longer the city it used be. Even last inch of the city was ravaged and war-stricken. The North Korean soldiers had ruthlessly killed all those who stood in their way. Although a short tour, it is a great and efficient way of seeing a bit of Incheon during your layover. After the tour, you are transferred back to the airport in time for your flight.
