OEDO ISLAND, KOREA

Oedo Island (외도)

Oedo-Botania is a marine botanical garden located in Hallyeo Maritime National Park, which has a beautiful view of the crystal blue South Sea and surrounding landscape. It is 4 kilometers away from Geojedo Island. About 20 minutes by ship from Gujora Port, past Naedo Island lies the European-like Oedo Island. In 1969, Lee Chang-ho first came to this island to escape from the wind and waves as he was fishing. He and his wife created this breathtaking landscape with all the care for 30 years. 

At just 14.5 hectares, Oedo (pronounced way-do) is a tiny island located beside South Korea’s fourth-largest isle, Oedo Island was made famous by the blockbuster television drama, Winter Sonata. The island’s owners – Lee Chang-ho and his wife Choi Ho-suk – sculpted Oedo into terraced gardens featuring an impressive array of subtropical plants. Resembling formal European gardens instead of traditional Asian ones, the Versailles-inspired Venus Garden features a zig-zag camellia hedge and 12 white marble ladies along with a modest white cottage.