Damyangho Lake is an enormous man-made lake that has a 46 meter high embankment and extends over 316 meters, holding 66.7 million tons of water. It is amidst the picturesque view of Mt. Chuwolsan and Mt. Geumseongsan, and its crystal clear water is the habitat of many different fish species including pond smelt, catfish, snakehead, carp and leather carp. With Damyangho Lake at the center, the area is surrounded by the Mt. Chuwolsan Tourism Area, Gamagol Youth Camping Grounds and the Geumseong Mountain Fortress. The mountain’s lakeside road, which passes through a tunnel at the mid-section of the mountain, is a popular scenic driving road.

This fortress was completed in 1675, the first year of the reign of King Sukjong (1674-1720) of the Joseon Kingdom. It was intended that in time of war or other emergency, the portrait of King Taejo enshrined in Gyeonggijeon Hall and the spirit tablet of the Yi Clan founder, kept at Jogyeongmyo Shrine, both in Jeonju, would be brought to the fortress for safekeeping. In fact, they were brought to the safety of the fortress when Jeonju was occupied by the Donghak peasant army in 1894. The original wall was 4m to 5m high, 3m wide and 16km long and had three main gates (East, West, and North) and eight smaller ones. Of the three covered gates of the fortress, only the stone archway of the west gate remains together with part of the stone wall. Inside the fortress are Wibongsa Temple and Wibong Falls, one of the 8 Beauties of Jeonju.

Once you reach the Hantijae Peak of Mt. Palgongsan, the Gunwi Buddha Triad Grotto (known as ‘the 2nd Seokgulam Grotto’, 군위삼존석굴) stands to welcome you. This grotto, designated as National Treasure No. 109, is a natural cave on a sheer cliff. Here, you can see the beautiful Amitabul Buddha, the Bodhisattva of Power and the Bodhisattva of Compassion. This 4.25m-wide and 4.3m-long cave is located 20m above the ground. This grotto is the progenitor of the Gyeongju Seokgulam Grotto, preceding the construction of Seokgulam grotto by 100 years. It has been designated as a world cultural heritage. The square-shaped ceiling is highest in the middle of the chamber. The Amitabul Buddha sits in the center with the Bodhisattva of Power and the Bodhisattva of Compassion flanking its left and right sides. The main Buddha is very refined and graceful with short hair and a divine smile on its face, sitting with crossed legs in a full-lotus posture.

The site stretches from North to South on a basin in the Haneuljae mountain pass, which connects Chungcheongbuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do provinces. It is said that Mauitaeja, the last prince of the Silla Kingdom, had dream one night as he was traveling to Geumgangsan Mountain where the Goddess Gwanseeumbosal instructed him to erect a statue Buddha. As a result, he built a temple to honor the goddess’ wishes at the current site of Mireuk-ri. Though the temple site has been invaded multiple times, the statue of Buddha has remained intact for over 1,000 years.

The Ansan Reed Marsh Park is an environmental treatment facility and Korea’s first large-scale artificial wetland, using reeds and other aquatic plants to improve the water quality of branch streams (the Banwol, Donghwa and Samhwa) flowing into Sihwaho Lake. It is an ecological park where people can rest amid nature and where the interested can observe and learn about the park’s ecosystem.

The Gongju Folk Drama Museum is a special museum in which a variety of Korean folk arts can be experienced. The dolls, masks and musical instruments that are used in folk dramas, shamanism-related resources and conventional farming implements are on display, nestled in a small, cozy pine grove (9,398㎡). On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors can participate in a mask making program or watch a puppet show. In spring (before and after mid-March, lunar calendar), the Gyeryongsan Sansinje Ritual is practiced near Mt. Gyeryongsan. During the ritual, local festivals are also held. In fall (the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every October), the Asian Monodrama Festival is held at a museum theater and outdoor performance stage. During this festival, visitors can watch historic and contemporary Asian monodramas.

Opened on May 4, 2001, Midongsan Arboretum in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do is a provincial arboretum, built to develop and propagate forestry techniques and found ecological education environments. Covering an area of 3,114,049.60㎡ (942,000 pyeong), the arboretum houses almost 873 species of plants and 652,000 plants in 11 exhibition halls including an Oak tree hall, a Maple tree hall, and a genetics hall, which presents plant genetic resources like Jeongipumsong hugyemok (succession of pine tree). In addition to the 11 themed arboretum halls, Midongsan Arboretum also has a forestry educational hall, plant seed bank, research center for wild plants, nature experience camp, and more.

Yecheon Hot Spring (예천온천) is one of the top three hot springs of Gyeongsangbuk-do along with Punggi Hot Spring (풍기온천) and Mungyeong Hot Spring (문경온천). From Yecheon, you can also visit nearby attractions in Yeongju and Bonghwa. Yecheon Hot Spring opened on March 24, 2000 and is proud of its clean and gentle waters, which make skin soft and smooth by removing built-up cells. The nutrients in the water also have anti-aging properties. The facility completed renovations on both the men's and women's saunas on September 28, 2012, adding outdoor hot tubs that are roughly 100㎡ in size to accommodate more people wishing to enjoy the Korean spa experience.

Bonghwang Natural Forest is located on Ulgungsan Mountain (398m) in Chungju. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, Bonghwang Natural Forest offers cool, yet cozy environment. The forest is comprised mainly of oaks, pines, larches, and chestnuts trees. Its gentle slopes offer an easy hike, suitable for family visitors with small children. A small stream winds through the valley at the forest entrance, and there is also an auto camping site. There are many attractions nearby including Wolaksan National Park, Chungjuho Lake, Suanbo Spa, Neungam Spa, and Tangeumdae Pavilion, which makes it a great place for family or group visitors.Facilities inside Bonghwang Natural Forest include a water pool for children and a survival game ground. Visitors can learn to distinguish quality chestnuts at the 5ha of chestnut tree forest near the lodging building for group visitors. The nearby Chungju Goguryeo Astronomical Phenomena Exploratorium provides a memorable opportunity to observe the stars on clear nights.

Namwon Recreational Forest (남원자연휴양림) is located at the base of Chonbuk Namwon <Cheonhwangsan Mountain>. Since there are over 3558300ft²of Korean pine trees that are about twenty to thirty years old, one will breathe the pure, fresh air while following the 4km mountain path. Within this recreation forest there are promenades, a swimming pool, ancient traditional sweating rooms, sport massage rooms, a golf range, restaurants, traditional teahouses, and other subsidiary facilities such as lodging condos. Reservation and/or inquiries can be made by phone or via the homepage.