The Old Stones of Hwasun
- mellinegalani
- Sep 23, 2025
- 4 min read
I’ve always been fascinated by ancient civilizations, their lives, their stories, and the traces they left behind. Every time I’d visit historic ruins, my imagination would run wild, creating stories about the people who once lived there.
The place that I wanted to see the most while I was living in Europe was Stonehenge, probably the world’s most famous prehistoric monument, precisely because my country does not have megalithic monuments just some bizarrely shaped rocks in the Carpathians mountains and mysterious stone giants, which some historians have claimed that people gave them shapes and they turned into places of prayer but without any official evidence. It was only after I moved to Korea that I got the chance to visit one of this ancient site with real megalithic structures.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t until I moved to Korea that I finally got the chance to see real megalithic structures up close. Have you ever heard of dolmens? These ancient stone monuments are scattered all around the world, yet their origin and purpose still hold so much mystery.
What are they and why were they built?Have you visited any of these sites around the world?
Dolmens are found in places as far apart as Russia, Ukraine, England, France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, India, Korea, China, Japan, and even North Africa.
Many archaeologists believe they served as tombs or burial places, since human bones have been discovered inside some of them. Others think they held religious or spiritual meaning. Folklore across different cultures often connects them to giants, fairies, or other mystical beings, which only adds to their intrigue.
The mystery still surrounds these places nowadays.
Here in Korea, dolmens are especially significant. In fact, according to Britannica, more than 30,000 dolmens are located in Korea alone, about two-fifths of the world’s total! In 2000, three major sites, Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa, were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Dolmens are megalithic funerary monuments, which figured prominently in Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures across the world during the 2nd and 1st millennium BCE indicating that the Ancient builders had knowledge of architecture, astronomy, mathematics and geography.
One of my favorite places to visit is the Hwasun Dolmen Site in Jeolla Province. It’s home to nearly 600 dolmens spread out across a natural park covering about 5 kilometers.
This dolmen site has megalith tombs made with gigantic rocks, many of them weighting over 100 tons, that exhibits the mortuary practices. According to Hwasun County, the dolmens are distributed by districts as follows: Goebawee District (47 dolmens), Gwancheongbawee District (190 dolmens) ens), Dalbawee District (40 dolmens), Pingmaebawee District (133 dolmens), Gamtaebawee Quarry (140 dolmens), Daeshinri Excavation site (46 dolmens).
The area can be crossed by car or by foot with five different courses to choose from, with the shortest one taking up to 20 minutes and the longest one up to one hour. During the weekdays the area is not populated so one can enjoy the beauty of the nature at its best.
The quiet of the nature, the slack of visitors and the stones spread all over the place give an eerie feeling of solitude, mystery and magic. It is one of my favorite places that I visit every year and every time I need to find some solace from the buzzling and stressful life of the city.
Among the most famous is the Goebawi dolmen, located at the highest point of its district. Its capstone is shaped like an animal, and local folklore says it was meant to ward off rats. In 2024 a cat statue was even added nearby to honor that legend!
Every year after mid April the Hwasun County organizes the “Hwasun Goindol Festival” which lasts around 10 days.
The entity gets animated with music, food trucks, visitors, booths with snacks, desserts and local food.
The Hwasun County has been putting a lot of effort in expanding and making the area a tourist attraction and the festival is a celebration of these efforts, of old and new, of history and modernity, all in one and better every year.
In 2024, the festival offered something for everyone: vibrant flower arrangements, an interactive prehistoric village for children, and an energetic atmosphere filled with busking and remixed music. Guests enjoyed local delicacies and explored diverse activity booths. As the festival grows annually, it is well on its way to becoming an event of national interest.
Even outside the festival season, the park has picnic areas where you can relax on a warm summer day. And since nearby attractions like Unjusa Temple, the “Temple of a Thousand Stone Buddhas”, are just around the corner, a trip to this region makes for an unforgettable cultural experience.
One thing is for sure, that dolmens (or goindol in Korean) although were built thousands of years ago, still capture the imagination of people today.
Explore the mystery of Dolmens-the old stones of Hwasun. Discover their history and significance at the Hwasun Dolmen Site today.
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