Gwangju Culture Night (광주문화재야행) - Area information - Korea travel information

Gwangju Culture Night (광주문화재야행)

Gwangju Culture Night (광주문화재야행)

522.8042937296008m    0     2023-11-22

38 Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-229-3070

Experience the history of Gwangju under the moonlight at Gwangju Culture Night. This cutural tourism festival offers a range of programs in the eight themes of nightscape, history tour, experience, exhibition, performance, food, marketplace, and accommodation.

Yangnim-dong Missionary Cemetery (양림동 선교사 묘지)

Yangnim-dong Missionary Cemetery (양림동 선교사 묘지)

556.6512926648298m    14519     2021-05-28

77, Jejung-ro, Nam-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-607-2333

The Yangnim-dong Missionary Cemetery is the final resting place of 23 missionaries who brought Christianity to Gwangju and led the movement to free the nation from under Japanese colonial rule. Yangnim-dong in Gwangju Metropolitan City was the main area in which Priest Bae Yu-ji and Dr. Clement Owen carried out their work as the first missionaries to Jeollanam-do.


Located nearby is a monument dedicated to Priest Bae Yu-ji and the Owen Memorial Building, built in honor of Dr. Owen and his grandfather. Both memorials are cultural assets and particularly prized by locals of the Christian faith.

May 18 Democratic Uprising Archives (5•18민주화운동 기록관)

May 18 Democratic Uprising Archives (5•18민주화운동 기록관)

568.462687876726m    0     2024-01-03

221 Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju

The May 18 Democratization Movement was a righteous uprising by citizens that took place in Gwangju for ten days from May 18 to 27 in 1980. The May 18 Democratic Uprising Archives was established in 2015 at the former Gwangju Catholic Center, a historical site of May 1980, to systematically collect and preserve the May 18 Democratization Movement's heritage that led to the democracy in Korea today. Through the efforts of Gwangju citizens, visitors can see the original records of the May 18 Democratization Movement, inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World in 2011. Visitors can also view the records with a guide or through online exhibitions. The May 18 Democratic Uprising Archives is a place that preserves the history of all Korean citizens.

Gwangju Chungjang World Festival of Memories (광주 추억의 충장축제)

Gwangju Chungjang World Festival of Memories (광주 추억의 충장축제)

608.9519759515152m    0     2022-10-14

41, Geumnamno 1(il)-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-62-233-1007

This audition festival takes place in the city of culture and art, Gwangju, and has a grand prize of 1 million won. For approximately ten days, the festival is hosted in the areas of 5.18 Democracy Square and Asia Culture Center. There are also free zone stages all throughout Gwangju for street performances.

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street (양림동 펭귄마을공예거리)

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street (양림동 펭귄마을공예거리)

622.534501233822m    17     2023-11-28

20-13 Ogiwon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street is a narrow alleyway located behind the Yangrim-dong Community Center. The village, named because of the way the elderly residents appear to waddle like penguins, has become an exhibition space of life in the 70s and 80s. Villagers cleaned up empty houses that had been burnt down and left unattended in the past, brought discarded items, and began displaying them on the village walls. "Let's be thankful for living at that time" was engraved on the village wall. It also has historical culture, such as the House of Choe Seunghyo, the House of Missionary Uilsa, and Owen Memorial Hall. The Penguin Jumak in the middle of the village was the residents' gathering place, selling small but necessary items. Various workshops, such as leather workshops, textile workshops, and carpentry workshops, are located on Craft Street, so you can purchase pretty crafts or experience upcycling crafts with a retro vibe in which the historical and the modern coexist.

Penguin Village

Penguin Village

642.338943894437m    0     2023-11-22

7 , Cheonbyeonjwa-ro 446beon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

BTS mural and penguin bread
Since the 1970s and 1980s, 4 to 5 elderly people who lived in old villages started to decorate with scrap metal works, and it turned into a craft street and reached what it is today. There are two murals of j-Hope, whose hometown is Gwangju, and they are the only murals in the village that depict a specific person. It was produced with the support of Chinese fans in commemoration of his birthday in 2020. There is a mural near the village cooperative society cafe, so buying penguin bread at the cafe after viewing the mural is popular.

May 18 Democracy Square (5.18 민주광장)

May 18 Democracy Square (5.18 민주광장)

664.639278274252m    10078     2020-06-09

38, Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-613-2082

Stretching from the former Jeollanam-do Provincial Government Office to the Geumnam-ro area, this famous plaza is where the landmark May 18th Democratic Uprising took place. In May 1980, the Jeollanam-do Provincial Government office building was the headquarters of the civil resistance movement and the scene of a number of rallies. The plaza has been officially known as the May 18 Democracy Square since 1996.

Gwangju Art Street (광주 예술의 거리)

Gwangju Art Street (광주 예술의 거리)

685.7306720890538m    32132     2020-06-19

24, Yesul-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-942-6160

Gwangju Art Street is aimed at developing Gwangju’s traditional art scene through exhibition of local work. The street is 300m long and located behind Jungang Elementary School, nearby Gwangju Dongbu Police Station. Items commonly found here include Korean fine art such as paintings, ceramics, writings, and industrial art.

Every Saturday, an art flea market famous for its unique pieces is held here. People from all over the nation gather to display items that include old calligraphy materials, collector coins, stone hairbrushes, Chinaware, wooden sculptures, folk drawings, classic books, ink, and incense burners. Part of the attraction is the stories the collectors share with each part of their collection. Enjoy the many shows and exhibitions that draw regular crowds to this famous road.

The Mudeung art exhibit operates according to districts, and functions as a cultural festival as well. The outdoor exhibition was built in February 1995, and is open throughout the day. The large exhibition space has 32 booths and regularly holds special exhibits. Many regional cultural treasures are also on display here. Every Saturday, the Street of Fine Arts is blocked from traffic, and people gather to share and enjoy art culture. Gwangju Summer Universiade will be held this summer, 2015.

Asia Culture Center (국립아시아문화전당)

697.1627477631794m    4909     2023-01-03

38, Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-1899-5566

The Asia Culture Center (ACC) is an international arts and cultural exchange organization aimed to promote Gwangju as Asia's central hub through the integration of past and present-day cultural arts as well as the development of futuristic and progressive arts. The center consists of ACC Culture Exchange, ACC Children, ACC Archive & Research, ACC Theater, and other facilities to support and foster innovation.

Jeil Banjeom (제일반점)

Jeil Banjeom (제일반점)

709.2159163636361m    23537     2024-03-20

174 Guseong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
062-224-6670

Located on Chungjang-ro Street in Gwangju, Jeil Banjeom has been a culinary staple since the 1960s. Operated by a Chinese immigrant, it has garnered popularity for its traditional dishes. The signature yennal jjajang is a classic take on black bean sauce noodles, featuring stir-fried black bean paste, a mix of vegetables, potatoes, and specially selected cuts of pork. Another highlight is the tangsuyuk, a dish of deep-fried pork sirloin coated in a sweet and sour sauce. A local favorite, the restaurant is known for being particularly bustling during lunch hours.