Donghae (Korean: 동해시?, 東海市?) is a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The two major ports are Donghae Port and Mukho Bay Port. The Yongdong railway line and the Donghae highway pass through the city.

History
In ancient times, the Silchkhik tribal union was located on the site of Donghe. In the era of the Joseon Dynasty, in 1631, the village of Pakkonni appears in the chronicles, which was part of the district (now the city) of Samcheok. The mention of the village of Mansanni, which was part of the district (now the city) of Gangneung, dates back to 1648. Over time, these two villages grew into two fairly large and urbanized settlements, Bukpyeongmyeong and Mansanmyeong, respectively. In 1979, a decree was issued to create the city of Donghae on the basis of these two administrative units. The ordinance entered into force on April 1, 1980.

Geography
The city is located in the southeastern part of Gangwon Province, on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan (Tonghe Bay). The landscape is predominantly mountainous, along the coast stretches a strip of sandy beaches. It borders Jeongseon County to the west, Samcheok City to the south, and Gangneung City to the north. The landscape is predominantly mountainous, with large deposits of limestone.

Tourism and attractions
Natural:
The long stretch of beaches makes Donghae a popular seaside resort. During the season, tens of thousands of tourists rest here.
The Donghae Mountains are located in the western part of the city. Mountain tourism and mountain biking are popular. There are several routes in the surrounding mountains. The most popular places for mountain tourism are Mount Tutkhasan and the Muryn Valley with waterfalls.
There are many caves in the vicinity of the city, some of which, such as Cheongok cave, are open to tourists.

Historical:
Donghae is home to one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in Korea, Samhwasa, built in the 7th century.
Haeamjeong Cottage was the residence of the nobility during the Goryeo Dynasty.
Tutkhasanson Fortress – located on Mount Tutkhasan.

Festivals:
Every year in October, the Muryn Folklore Festival is held. Demonstrated traditional Korean art, performances of folklore groups.
The Squid Festival is held annually in the summer. Culinary exhibitions and fights are held, as well as competitions for catching squid with bare hands.
Sunrise Festival – takes place on New Year’s Eve. Legend has it that the first sunrise in year brings happiness, so every year on January 1, the public gathers on the shores of the Sea of ​​​​Japan in order to meet the first sunrise.

Symbols
Like most cities in South Korea, Donghae has a number of symbols:
Tree: maidenhair – symbolizes adherence to traditions.
Flower: the color of apricot – symbolizes purity and purity.
Bird: seagull – symbolizes opposition to adversity.