Teddy bear picnic

When we said to the cab driver “teddy bear” he knew which way to go. As much as the mountains or the ocean, the Teddy Bear Farm is a main attraction of Sokcho. The first bears to greet you upon entering are at the cornerstones of teddy life: a birthday, a wedding, and Christmas.

Walk past that and you’ll find teddies in costumes from all around the world. Next, teddies dressed up to story-tell, Le Petit Prince and Peter Pan. Teddy bears on motorcycles, in early 1900s accessories, teddy angels flying from the roof.

Through the legs of a giant teddy bear visitors walk toward teddies in camo print guarding the South Korean border. They hold their guns and do their work so other teddies can relax and frolic on the beach.

There are teddy bears picking autumn apples and others skiing on vacation. A teddy western and a pack of bears beating on Korean drums. A teddy camp out and a quiet night at home.

We make our rounds with a thousand-clicks, peering into glass boxes covered in junior fingerprints. Swing outside to see the teddy statues reading teddy history books and playing in the pond. Walk through the exit towards the bus stop and let the teddy bears wait for darkness, when they truly come to life.