Haesindang Park is located on a hillside in the fishing village of Sinnam on the eastern coast of South Korea. Unlike any other park in the world, Haesindang Park is particularly known for its “Male Genitalia Garden” which attracts tourists.
Due to its sensitive theme, the park is filled with a series of sculptures depicting male reproductive organs in various sizes. Some smaller sculptures are used as handrails for benches or railings, while larger ones, over 2 meters tall, feature humorous or lifelike facial carvings. Intricately carved wooden sculptures reach heights of up to 3 meters. The park’s highlights include a phallic structure that can grow and deflate and another one perfect for souvenir photos.
The origin of this park stems from a Korean legend. The story goes that a young man left his virgin fiancée on an island to gather seaweed. Unfortunately, the weather turned bad, and he couldn’t rescue the young woman who drowned in a storm. Since then, the villagers faced immense difficulties in their fishing endeavors, always returning with empty nets. Eventually, the villagers decided to carve phallic statues to appease the spirit of the unfortunate girl. Soon after, the fishing catch increased, and the villagers started carving larger and more lifelike phallic sculptures to please the ill-fated woman.
For hundreds of years, on the 15th day of the first lunar month and during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the villagers hold ceremonies and rituals to honor the spirit of the young girl. These rituals are believed to bring blessings to the community. Consequently, more people visit the park to pray and make wishes. Even today, the park serves as a place of worship, and every year, people seek divine protection for abundant fishing.
Currently, the city of Samcheok organizes an annual phallic sculpture festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Therefore, each year, new and impressive artworks are displayed in the park.
There are rumors that the park brings good fortune, attracting a large number of visitors every year. It is estimated that around 3,000 tourists visit Haesindang Park each day.
To visit Haesindang, travelers should plan for a considerable amount of time. The bus journey from Seoul to Samcheok takes about 3.5 hours. Upon arrival in Samcheok, local buses (numbers 20, 90, or 90-1) can be taken from the Haesindang Park Bus Terminal. After another 40 to 50 minutes, visitors will arrive at the park. The entrance fee is 3,000 KRW per person.
