Marado is a small island situated at the southern end of Korea. It is about 11 km away to the south from Moseulpo Harbor in Daejeong-eup. Marado Island is 4.2 km long, but only 39 m at its widest, shaped like a sweet potato, and inhabitants fish and provide Minbak (homestay) for tourists for a living.Because there is no water on Marado Island, people get their water from gathering rain water, and they use solar cells to generate what electricity they have. In 1883, three families first came to the island and began living here. At first they lived off the food growing there, but once the food became scarce, they burned the mountain thick with trees to create field for farming. It was said that all the snakes and frogs died in that fire, and thus no snakes and frogs are found in Marado Island even until now. The island is famous for sea fishing. There is a ferry to Marado Island once or twice a day from Moseulpo Harbor.

Piagol Valley is located between Nogodan and Banya peak on Jirisan Mountain. It is named so because in the fall the leaves in the valley turn crimson red. It is also one of the ten most beautiful highlights of Jirisan Mountain. It is famous for its fall colors, but it is also a beautiful place to visit all year around. During the spring time, the royal azaleas cover the entire area, and in the summer the lush forest fills the valley. Its autumn leaves are famous enough to be used in promoting tourism in Korea, and during the winter, the snow-covered valley is also a majestic sight to behold.At the entrance to Piagol Valley, there is the largest temple in Jirisan Mountain, Yeongoksa temple, and other national level cultural treasures are found here. The valley is not steep and should be easy for anyone to reach. The path from the valley entrance to Samhongso is breathtaking. Samhong refers to three “hong”s (red) – Sanhong (mountain red), Suhong (water red), and Inhong (person red). Every year, the Piagol Autumn Leaves Festival is held here, and valley trail walk, local produce sales, and photo exhibitions, among other activities, are promoted during the festival. 

Hongwon Port, located near Chunjangdae Beach, is a popular place for enjoying sea fishing and delectable meals of fresh raw fish. In addition to its culinary appeal, the port offers the picturesque scene of long stretches of shoreline guarded by two beacons in red and white.Located only 10 minutes away by car is Maryang Port, which is one of the rare places where visitors can see both the sunrise and sunset. Maryang Port is the third most popular spot along the west coast after Anmyeondo Island and Daecheon Beach and is particularly loved by couples. Though Hongwon Port is perhaps not as scenic as Maryang Port, Hongwon is bigger and has more fishing boats (thanks to its small tidal range), resulting in a livelier atmosphere and cheaper sashimi prices.There is also a beautiful camellia hill, called ‘Dongbaekjeong’ located nearby. When the camellias are in full bloom, short-tentacled octopuses are in season at Hongwon Port. However, gizzard shad is by far the most popular seafood caught in the waters off the port. There are even old Korean sayings that stem from the popularity of the gizzard shad, which is said to be most abundant and delicious in the fall. According to the sayings “In the head of Gizzard Shad caught in autumn are three bags of sesame” (referring to the worth of the fish) and, “The smell of grilled gizzard shad brings the runaway daughter-in-law back home” (in reference to its taste).Hongwon Port (along with Gwangyang Port in Jeollanamdo) is the prime spot for gizzard shad. Each autumn the port holds the Gizzard Shad Festival, a festival that has plenty of events & delectable fish dises. While at the festival, visitors are also encouraged to check out the Seocheon Museum of Marine & Natural History and Dongbaekjeong. The stuffed specimens at the museum are worth the visit and the view of the Maryang Port from atop the museum is unbelievable.Representative festival of Hongwon Port: Gizzard Shad FestivalHongwon Harbor hosts the Jeoneo (gizzard shad) Festival every October. During the festival fresh gizzard shad is served up in a variety of ways (including salads mixed with spicy marinated Jeoneo, cucumbers, sesame leaves, and parsley) and the village comes alive with fish-catching activities, performances, and fireworks.Jeoneo is known as a good hangover food and a good diet food because it is low in fat and high in protein. Also said to be good for the skin, this tasty fish appeals to a wide audience (as evidenced by the diverse crowds that visit the festival each year).

Hantaek Botanical Garden, located in Oksan-ri, Baekam-myeon, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, is divided into an East Garden and West Garden. The East Garden is comprised of 25 uniquely-themed gardens that together measure 70,000 pyeong (about 231,420 square meters). The West Garden is a natural habitat for research and conservation purposes and is not open to the public.Hantaek Botanical Garden holds a wide range of festivals, events, educational training programs and other activities while nurturing 9,000 different species of flowers in a clean, natural environment. Inside the garden are Korean restaurants, a souvenir shop, and a plant shop.

Haepungbuwongu Yun Taek-yeong Daek Jaesil is a house built by the father-in-law of King Sunjong of Joseon Dynasty. He built this house in 1906 when his daughter was proclaimed the crowned princess of Joseon and entered Changdeokgung Palace to later become Queen Sunjeong. Red pine trees salvaged from the demolition of Gyeongungung Palace were used to construct the house. It was originally located at 224 Jegi-dong Dongdaemun-gu, but was later restored and moved to its present location. The shrine of the house that was destroyed in 1960 was also restored. Additionally, a stone stair of two steps on which flowers were planted was added in front of the shrine. Atop of the house is a tiled, triangle-shaped hip-and-gable roof. Sarangche (men’s quarter) has double-layered eaves, while other eaves are single-layered. Haengrangche (servant’s quarters) has a gabled roof supported with three beams. Because the house is more of a shrine rather than residential living quarters, it has many unique features. For example, unlike other houses, it has Anche (women’s quarters) located across from Sarangbang (men’s quarters) with Daecheong (living room) positioned between them.

The ‘V’ in V-Train stands for "valley," as it travels through the remote mountainous areas of Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. It is also referred to as the "Baby Baekho (white tiger) Train" due to the white tiger motif on the train's exterior as it runs through the Baekdudaegan mountain range. The train moves at the speed of 30km per hour, but excluding the Cheoram Route where train normally slows down to 27.7 km per hour, allowing passengers to have a time to enjoy the view outside. To provide clear views of the cliffs and valleys along the ride, a large portion of the train walls, excluding the ceiling, have been made into glass windows. Passengers can open and close the windows as they please to let in fresh mountain air.

Constructed in the eighth year of King Gyeongdeok of the Shilla Dynasty (749), Mihwangsa Temple is located on the west side of Mt. Dalmasan (489m), the Mt.Geumgangsan of Southern Sea, and is situated the furthest south of all temples in the Korean peninsula. The beautiful sunset and the view of the graceful Mt. Dalmasan from the temple attracts numerous tourists. The foot of the mountain found behind the temple blends well with the suitable-sized temple and the appearance of Daeungbojeon gives out an aura of comfort and tranquility. The cornerstone of Daeungbojeon is carved with sea creatures, such as turtles and crabs that cannot be observed elsewhere. Moreover, you can enjoy observing various stone and statues, such as Gwebul (national treasure no. 1342), where people pray for rain during the dry season. Other attractions include 18th century murals on the walls of Daeungbojeon and Unginjeon, and Buddhist statues such as bosal, nahan, dongja and shinjangsang.

Yongjusa Temple is 5-minutes walk away from Yungneung (the joint tomb of King Jangjo and Queen Heongyeong) and Geolleung (the joint tomb of King Jeongjo, the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, and Queen Hyoui). The temple was built by King Jeongjo to protect Hyeollyungwon (현륭원), the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado.This site was originally the location of Garyangsa Temple, which was constructed in AD854, the 16th year of King Munseong of the Silla Kingdom. The temple was very famous as it was surrounded by beautiful mountains and crystal clear waters. However, the temple was destroyed by fire during the Byungjahoran (the second Manchu invasion of Korea). During the Joseon Dynasty, King Jeongjo moved the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado (or posthumously designated King Jangjo), to this spot, and built Yongjusa Temple here to pray for the repose of his father’s soul. It is said that one night before the temple was completed, King Jeongjo dreamed of a dragon ascending to the sky holding a magic ball in its mouth. He therefore named the temple “Yongjusa”, which means the temple of a dragon with a magic ball in Korean.The courtyard of the temple contains Beomjong (the Sacred Bell of Yongjusa Temple, National Treasure No. 120), a stupa (stone pagoda), Daeungbojeon (the main hall) and Cheonboru Pavilion. Visitors to Yongjusa Temple can also find the “Bumoeunjunggyeong (부모은중경)” books, which were written by King Jeongjo on the subject of filial affection and respect for one’s parents. These days Yongjusa temple and the Yungneung and Geolleung tombs are highly valued for their cultural heritage.