Sightseeing - Korea travel and tourism information

Gochang Seonunsa Temple (선운사 (고창))

34794 2020-09-24

250, Seonunsa-ro, Asan-myeon, Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do
+82-63-561-1422

Seonunsa Temple is known to have been built in year 577, the 24th year of King Wideok of the Baekje dynasty. It is the second head temple of Jogye Order in Jeollabuk-do. According to the temple's historical records, it was originally a very large temple with 87 hermitages and 3,000 monks. Today, only four hermitages remain: Dosolam, Chamdangam, Dongunam, and Seoksangam. In addition, the temple is home to 25 prestigious heritages, namely the Forest of Common Camellias, which is designated as Natural Monument No. 184. A festival dedicated to this forest is held every April.

Anmok Beach (안목해변)

16394 2020-09-24

20-1, Changhae-ro 14beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-660-3887

Anmok Beach spans over 500 meters in length and covers an area of 20,000 square meters. The beach is often packed with families on vacation. Right in front of the beach is Anmok Port, where around 23 fishing boats can be moored to unload their catch of seaweed in the spring; flatfish, squid, octopus in the summer; and sailfin sandfish, and pollack in the fall and winter. The place has also become more popular since the main street along the beach earned the reputation as "coffee street."

Birthplace of Nongae (논개생가)

7640 2020-09-24

558, Uiam-ro, Jangsu-gun, Jeollabuk-do
+82-63-350-1636

Nongae was born in Juchon Village, Daegok-ri, Janggye-myeon in the 7th year of King Seonjo (September 3, 1575). A clever and beautiful lady, Nongae voluntarily registered as a gisaeng (female entertainer) at the age of 19 when the nation at risk of invasion during the Imjin War. While entertaining one evening, she led Japanese general Keyamura Rokusuke to the edge of a cliff and flung her arms around him, casting both herself and the general into the Jinju Namgang River to their deaths.

To commemorate her faithfulness and allegiance to her country, a project to restore her place of birth was completed in September 2000, drawing many visitors. Nearby Nongae’s birthplace are many tourist attractions, including the Deogyusan Mountain and Odongje and a hiking trail that connects Jangansan Mountain County Park, Jiji Valley, and Donghwa Dam.

Kim You-jeong House of Literature (김유정 문학촌)

26118 2020-09-24

1430-14, Gimyujeong-ro, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-261-4650

Known as one of Korea’s leading short story novelists, Kim You-jeong (1908-1937) was born in Sille Village in Chuncheon. A restoration of his birth house, Kim You-jeong House of Literature is part of an effort to turn the whole village into a literature village in honor of the novelist. The house has an exhibition hall, a walking path, and a hiking trail.

Kim You-jeong spent a great deal of his life in Seoul and returned to his hometown in 1931 at the age of 23. He published his first novel Sangol Nageune (The Wanderer) followed by numerous rural-based novels such as Dongbaekkkot (The Camellias) and Bom bom (Spring).

Inside the exhibition hall, his birth home and even a treadmill are reproduced in their original form. A variety of programs reproducing his works are on display.

Namsangol Hanok Village (남산골한옥마을)

526558 2020-09-24

28, Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2261-0500

Namsangol Hanok Village opened in 1998 on the northern side of Namsan Mountain in the center of the capital. This village has five restored hanok (traditional Korean house) premises, a pavilion, traditional garden, performance arts stage and a time capsule plaza, making it a perfect spot for both locals and tourists to take a leisure walk. Upon entering from the front gate, visitors will get a taste of Korea's traditional life while escaping from the bustling city life of modern times. The traditional garden with its pavilion and old houses creates a peaceful ambiance before the forested Namsan Mountain. A time capsule commemorating Seoul’s 600th anniversary was buried in 1994 at the highest point of the village and is scheduled to be reopened 400 hundred years later in 2394.

The five hanok premises at Namsangol Hanok Village once belonged to aristocrats and government officials of the Joseon dynasty. Each house was originally located in different neighborhoods, but they were all moved to this area and restored to their original form. The houses were rebuilt using their original materials, except for one house, which the materials were too old and deteriorated to be reused. The premises were carefully restored and replicated according to their original form to depict the owners’ social class and personality. These buildings are now used as an exhibit to portray the living environment during the Joseon dynasty as well as a venue for educational and cultural programs for children and tourists.

Some of the noteworthy programs and activities to participate in include wearing hanbok, folding hanji (traditional Korean paper), writing in Korean, traditional tea ceremony, traditional etiquette school and herbal medicine experience. There are also taekwondo demonstrations and other various performances held around the village. Visitors can also try traditional games such as yunnori (traditional board game), or understand more about the area through a tour guide.

Masan Agujjim Street (마산 오동동 아구찜거리)

4755 2020-09-24

20, Agujjim-gil, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
+82-2-1330

Masan, located on the southern coast of Gyeongsangnam-do, is famous for agu jjim (steamed monkfish). The dish is both spicy and refreshing, pairing the sweet and mild monkfish with strong and spicy broth. Monkfish is known to be full of vitamin A, have low fat, and good for the skin. The vegetables mixed into the broth contain vitamin C, making this spicy dish a very nutritious meal.

Mokpo Marine Cable Car (목포 해상케이블카)

1726 2020-09-23

240, Haeyangdaehak-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do
+82-61-244-2600

Mokpo Marine Cable Car offers visitors an amazing view of the old downtown of Mokpo, and the surrounding natural scenery, including Yudalsan Mountain and the southern sea. Crossing a length of 3.23 kilometers at a x_height of 155 meters, it is the longest and highest cable car in Korea, and was established to become the main attraction that represents Mokpo's cultural tourism.

Sandglass Park (모래시계공원)

7432 2020-09-23

990-1, Heonhwa-ro, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-640-4535

Sandglass Park is surrounded by the East Sea, mountains and Jeongdongjin 2-ri Village. Sandglass Park has pine trees, benches facing the sea, and access to Jeongdongjin Beach. At the center of the park is a giant sandglass that is set to measure one year. Sandglass Park was established in 1999 by the city of Gangneung and Samsung Electronics Co. to commemorate the upcoming millennium. Part of this commemoration was the building of the giant sandglass at the park. The sandglass has a diameter of 8.06 meters, x_width of 3.2 meters, weight of 40 tons and holds 8 tons of sand, making it one of the biggest sandglasses in the world. It takes a whole year for sand to trickle to the bottom and then the sandglass restarts again on New Year’s Day each year at midnight.

Mongolia Culture Town (몽골문화촌)

12743 2020-09-23

1635, Biryong-ro, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
+82-31-559-8018

Established upon the signing of a friendship pact between the city of Namyangju and the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongol Cultural Village is a unique place in Korea where visitors can experience the traditional culture of Mongolia.
Inside the exhibition hall, about 800 items from Mongolia including traditional clothes, instrument and household goods are on display. Also, there is a performance hall with 320 seats where visitors can enjoy various cultural arts shows. While residing in the village, the 19 members of the Mongolian cultural arts performance group put on traditional music and dance performances and rope circuses. Performances are held twice on a regular day, and three times a day on national holidays and from July through August.

Mongsanpo Beach (몽산포해수욕장)

8915 2020-09-23

Sinjang-ri, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
+82-41-670-2691

Mongsanpo Beach, part of Taean Coast National Park, stretches 18 kilometers southwest of Seosan, 9 kilometers south of Taean and along the west coast of the Nammyeon Peninsula. Mongsanpo's white sand beach is around 3-kilometers long and has a 5 degree tilt. The water is 1~2 meters deep with an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.

The beach is surrounded by a dense forest of pine trees. The pine tree forest along the beach serves as a good auto-camping location to enjoy some fresh air and the natural beauty of the surroundings. During low tide, the muddy sediments deposited by the tide provide a place mudflat where people come to catch clams and mud crabs or as a field trip for children to learn the mudflat ecosystem.

A 1-kilometer drive towards the western direction while passing through the spectacular pine tree tunnel brings visitors to Mongdaepogu Port where a number of fishing boats are docked. Near the port, there are a number of small seafood eateries to enjoy some freshly sliced raw fish at reasonable prices.

Sono Belle Vivaldi Park (소노벨 비발디파크)

115589 2020-09-23

262, Hanchigol-gil, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-1588-4888

Vivaldi Park is located in Vivaldi Park on the slopes of Palbongsan Mountain in the Hongcheon region of Gangwon-do. Vivaldi Park is internationally renowned for its ski facilities, but they are not the only attraction in the resort; Vivaldi Park's Ocean World Park is also very popular. Ocean World is designed to look like an oasis in the middle of the Egyptian desert, in order to give visitors the experience of a cool, refreshing swim under the bright sun. Ocean World even features a large Sphinx and pyramid.

Ocean World is divided into an indoor pool area, outdoor pool area and a lake park. It also has many thrilling and exciting rides, namely the 300-meter Extreme River, which has fast-flowing currents; an indoor wave pool; Family Raft Slide, Speed Slide, Spa Village, and Angel's Pool.

Gapgotdon Watchtower (갑곶돈대)

6653 2020-09-23

18, Haeandong-ro 1366beon-gil, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
+82-32-930-7077

Gapgotdon Watchtower was built to protect the Ganghwa Straits from invasion when the Goryeo Kingdom moved their capital to Ganghwado Island. The fortified area served as a highly strategic location for the Goryeo Kingdom, and had endured multiple invasions by the Mongolian troops between 1232 and 1270.

The watchtower was fortified in the Joseon dynasty by King Sukjong in 1679 and had once fallen during the French campaign against Korea in 1866. In 1977, the site was restored to its original form. The cannons exhibited at the current site were made during the Joseon dynasty to attack outside invaders from sea.

Sightseeing - Korea travel information