Eoruemgol (얼음골), or Ice Valley, is an interesting natural phenomenon. From under a pile of rocks nestled inside a small valley, cold air comes out all summer long. The area is designated a natural monument and is located in Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도) around the city of Miryang (밀양). Frequent buses to and from the valley make getting there easy.

Cold water stream

There is a shallow stream adjacent to the Ice Valley where many people were playing. A steady flow of water that comes down the side of the mountain and pours into the stream and a large rock from which people were jumping seemed to be the biggest attractions among the visitors there.

The coldest spot in Ice Valley

There is a small fee for accessing Ice Valley. Once you’ve paid that and entered, you will not find any restrooms or food vendors. Make sure you take care of those things before you pass through the gate. There is a convenience store with basic snacks and drinks near the park entrance.

Visitors beat the heat with natural air conditiong

So how cold is Ice Valley? I don’t know because I couldn’t find any signs with that information, however, I’m guessing the air coming from beneath the rocks is 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 C) or colder. The coldest air comes from a fenced in pile of rocks. Sitting in front of the fence feels like sitting in front of an air conditioner.

Nearly every rock occupied by visitors

Sitting in front of the fence was not the only way to enjoy the cool air. From the fenced area going downhill, about a hundred meters of the valley had several points where significantly cool air was coming out. Visitors sat in some of the most uncomfortable places in order to experience this natural phenomenon. There were a handful of flat areas to rest on, but you could only count on luck to claim one of them.

Seated Buddha Statue

Of course, the main attraction is the Ice Valley, but there are other attractions. There are two sets of water falls and a seated stone Buddha statue. The water falls weren’t very impressive to me, but the statue was.

Seated Buddha Statue

I also enjoyed looking at the Sanshin Taenghwa (산신탱화) mountain spirit painting. Rather than being a simple painting, it was actually inlaid plastic, giving it a three dimensional feel.

Inlaid Mountain Spirit Image

Sitting at my desk and looking back, I can recommend Ice Valley to people living nearby in Gyeongsang-do as a place to have a picnic and beat the heat in an unusual way during the sweltering Korean summers.

Resources
Ice Valley (Korea Tourism Organization)
Ice Valley (Wikipedia)

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