Hantangang River Geopark

Gamaso Valley of Gyodong is a place where lava flowed backward along Geonji River, the stream of Hantan River was cooled and hardened and the origin of the name varies.

1. It is named as Gamaso Valley of Gyodong because big columnar joint of Gamaso Valley of Gyodong was cut by erosion and weathering of the river and it looks like putting cauldron upside down.

2. There are large and small waterfalls and ponds in Gamaso Valley of Gyodong and among them, the pond shape in the upstream looks like a round cauldron so it is named as Gamaso.

3. Finally, it contains a sad legend and once upon a time, an old bachelor lived in this town. One day, this old bachelor got married and was following a new bride riding in a sedan chair happily. But then, a sedan chair bearer lost his footing and the sedan chair and new bride fell into water and the groom jumped in the water to save the new bride. Unfortunately, however, both bride and groom died by drowning and from then on, villagers began to call this place as Gamaso (sedan chair pond).

Which story do you think is right?^^

Lava gas tube observed in basalt

The geological and topographical feature of Gamaso Valley of Gyodong is lava gas tube. Just think a gas tube as the passage where gas in the lava went out to the outside of lava when lava is cooled. You can see so many gas tubes in basalt of Gamaso Valley of Gyodong. Also, you can see there is odd shaped lave on the inside and gas pores not escaping are left on the outside in one lava lump. Geographically, you can see basalt eroded surface telling the direction of flow of the river. This allows us to infer in which direction the river has flowed from the past.

Lava gas tube observed in basalt