By Honorary Reporter Dhanisa Kamila from Indonesia
Photos = Dhanisa Kamila

For the first time in my life, I joined a bird-watching tour on Nov. 26 hosted by a travel agency based near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) area of Cheorwon-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. The area is famous for its cranes, especially the endangered red-crowned variety that serves as a traditional symbol of longevity, purity and peace. 

Crane Ecology Observatory Deck is also known as Ice Cream Hill.

The tour started at 9 a.m. and the bus reached Cheorwon-gun in a little over an hour from Seoul. Because it was the DMZ, we needed to submit our foreign residence cards or passports for ID but everything went smoothly. Upon arrival, we headed to Crane Ecology Observation Deck, whose nickname is "Ice Cream Hill" because of its shape resembling an ice cream scoop. 

A family of rare white-naped cranes feed on fallen grain.

The cranes that migrate to this area can be seen from November until the end of February the next year. The guide mentioned that nearly half of cranes worldwide including rare species spend the winter in Cheorwon-gun, making it the best place on Earth to see these birds. 

Using binoculars, the tour group saw many birds like the white-naped crane, feeding around the area with fallen grain and water. The white-naped crane is a rare species of migratory bird seen only in Korea at this time of year. I was drawn to their elegant movements and bold red feathers around their eyes. And as a protected area, the DMZ offers clean water and a healthy habitat almost untouched by humans, making it great for migratory birds. 

Cheorwon DMZ Art House is a chic and modern art space.

As the weather grew windier and chillier, our tour proceeded to Cheorwon DMZ Art House, a chic and modern museum. While getting warm, we walked around the gallery and saw an exhibition of the cranes' migration in Cheorwon-gun. This showed the beauty and romantic stories of the birds as well as the dangers they face when flying to the county like getting caught in the large number of overhead electric power lines in the area.

After the tour ended, I felt a nearly surreal feeling to have observed the elegant and rare white-naped cranes from afar without disturbing them at the serene DMZ sanctuary of Cheorwon-gun. My visit raised my awareness of the importance of environmental preservation and fueled a newfound appreciation for migratory birds, especially the cranes. 

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.