Travel/Culture List

Nexon Computer Museum is a computer museum run by Nexon, an online game developing company. Visitors can learn about the history of games and computers, and imagine the future while walking through the museum. The keyboard-shaped waffles sold at the cafe in the museum are also well-known.

Bunjae Artpia first opened its doors at Jeju’s Bunjae Artpia in July of 1992, and is now the world’s largest botanical garden with a total landscape of approximately 39,700m². This garden is rich with maple trees, wisterias and pine trees that are between 30 to 300 years old. Roughly 100 rare species of trees can also be found in the garden. The garden possesses approximately 1,700 trees, and also boasts 100,000 of its Jeju wild flowers, orchids, and other various garden trees and plants which collectively form a unique scenic harmony, Bunjae Artpia is visited by approximately 300,000 people annually, and remains a popular tour site for world public figures such as China’s Head of State Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, Japan’s former Prime Minister Nakasone, and more.The rich variety of trees planted on the 39,700m² landscape represents 700 years of Korea’s botanical history. The 100-year-old indigenous Jeju Hwangpi elm tree and a 300-year-old yew tree are the main highlights of Bunjae Artpia. Jeju’s characteristic stonewalls and ponds along with stone bridges, and artificial waterfalls all add beautifully to the richness of Bunjae Artpia’s scenery.Subsidiary facilities include a large Korean restaurant, Yooyeon, which seats 202 persons and overlooks Bunjae Artpia. The restaurant is opened all year round from 11AM – 2PM, and offers a lunch buffet. The menu includes Jeju’s specialties such as braised mackerels (godeungeo-jorim), spicy pan-fried pork and vegetables (jeyuk-bokkeum), and numerous side dishes.

Herbnara Farm, opened in 1994, has almost 100 kinds of herbs covering a total area of 12 k㎡. It consists of seven theme gardens, ponds and galleries including the Herb Garden, Children Garden, Fragrance Garden, and Water Garden. The uniquely decorated buildings and signs make visitors feel as if they are living in a fairy tale. Inside the farm, there are several spots for taking photos alongside the herbs; descriptions and effects are posted at each herb patch.A restaurant and cafeteria provide some dishes and drinks made of herbs cultivated on the farm. Bibimbap, steamed chicken with jeon, and the popular, herb salad with freshly picked flowers, are just some of the items on the menu. Free herbal tea is given to people who eat at the restaurant. There is also an exhibition room, which displays and sells herb related products such as herbal tea, herbal oil, herbal soap, etc.The farm can best be enjoyed from June to August and takes approximately one hour to tour the entire premises. Visitors can also enjoy the refreshing waters that run through the Heungjeong Valley at the entrance of the farm in the summer season.

Busan Station opened on April 1, 1908 and expanded to include Korea Trail Express (KTX) services in 2004. With the opening of the 2nd Gyeongbu express railway, the station waiting room was expanded and a parking lot was added on the 2nd floor. The station is a major stop on all Gyeongbu line express trains (KTX) and general trains.

The Suwon Hyanggyo is one of the Confucian temple and school to teach local students in the Chosŏn Dynasty period (1392~ 1910).The Suwon Hyanggyo houses the memorial tables of Confucius, Mencius, and twenty-five notable historical Korean figures. The structure was originally built in the 22nd year of King Wonjong’s rule during the Goryeo era (918-1392) by Hwaseonggun, but was moved to its current location when Hwaseong Fortress was constructed.

Gochujang (고추장) is the famous traditional sauce/garnish used in almost every dish in Korea. The one prepared in the Sunchang region, is well-known in Korea for being especially tasty. The Sunchang Gochujang Village (순창 고추장마을) is located at the foot of Mt. Amisan in Sunchang City, Jeollabuk-do. The village has a population of just 149 people who live in 46 Hanoks (traditional Korean style houses). When you first walk into the village you will notice rows of traditional hang-a-ri (large clay jar) all lined up everywhere you go transporting you back into Korea’s past. Actually, it has not been long since Sunchang Gochujang Village was established. Gochujang-making artisans from all over Sunchang-gun (county) in one village came together and started up this village.Every year in early November the village hosts the Sunchang Gochujang Festival drawing many visitors to the place for the many attractions nearby. The places include the Hoemunsan Natural Forest, a lovely woody area and historical site; Gangcheonsan County Park; Baegyangsa temple, beautifully scenic in the snowy winter; Churyeong Jangseungchon, a village where visitors can see various forms of jangseung (Korean totem poles made of wood); Hyangga Yuwonji, a public park famous for being the place where scholars would come to boat and live a peaceful life in these inspiring surroundings; and Naejangsan, a mountain that turns into a vision of fiery autumnal shades in the fall. 

Wawoojongsa Temple was established in 1970 by Kim Hae-Geun, a monk who was displaced by the Korean War. The temple is not only a reflection of the monk’s sincere hope for the reunification of the North and South, but is also the birthplace of the Korean Buddhist Nirvana Order.There are over 3,000 Buddhist statues on the temple grounds, the most famous of which are the Buldu (Buddha heads) placed at the entrance and the Wabul (reclining Buddha statue) stationed in the middle of the mountain. The 8m-high Buldu is the largest of its kind and the Wabul, which is made from a juniper tree from Indonesia, is 3m in x_height and 12m in length. As the world’s biggest wooden Buddhist sculpture, the Buldu has been registered in the Guinness Book of Records.The temple is also home to a 5-Dhyani Buddha made of 30 tons of brass (taking decades to complete) as well as the 12-ton Bell of Unification (struck during the Seoul Olympics in 1988). Other attractions include a bronze statue of Buddha sitting with his legs half-crossed (the largest of its kind in the nation) and the nation’s only Sakyamuni Bulgohangsang statue.One of the other unique things about the temple is the Pagoda of Unification, located besides the stairs of the Hall of Nirvana. The pagoda is comprised of stones brought by visitors from various holy sites all over the world. Hence, the construction of the Pagoda is a never-ending progress. As a symbol of the pervading hope for world peace, a wide range of Buddhist statues from many countries including India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and Thailand are on display around the temple, allowing visitors to learn about Buddhist cultures from all over the world.

Gimnyeong Maze Park (김녕미로공원) is located between the two major tourist destinations of Manjanggul Cave and Gimnyeongsagul Cave. It was designed by the world famous company Adrian Fisher Minotaur Maze Designs and funded by the life-time savings of an American Professor at Cheju National University, Frederic H. Dustin, whose love for Jeju has kept him on the island for 27 years. This unique maze park contains foliages from all over Asia and has been personally maintained by Dr Dunstan since 1987.Gimnyeong Maze Park contains a maze that has seven images incorporated in it. The maze is in the shape of the Jeju Island, and its images that can be clearly seen from above include the following: a serpent, which was an object of worship on the island until the mid-70s; native horses of Jeju Island, which were brought there by Mongolians as far back as 1276; the ship, the Sparrowhawk, that was shipwrecked on the island in 1653 bringing Hendrick Hamel and his company of Dutch sailors to the Joseon Kingdom; and dolmens that are relics from the Bronze Age. All of these images are famous symbols or landmarks of Jeju Island.There are three skywalks called ‘gureum dari’ and an observatory, which are popular photo sites for tourists. They offer panoramic views of the entire maze. There are four ways to get through the maze from the entrance. If you use a map, it will take only 5 minutes, but without a map it’s a bit more difficult and can take up to 20 minutes. Some visitors have been known to spend up to 50 minutes lost in the maze before giving up and calling for help!

Bukchon, literally translated to northern village, refers to the neighborhood located north of Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno. The southern land of Jongno, which is present day Namsan, was referred as Namchon, meaning southern village. Bukchon Village was resided mostly by relatives of royal families and powerful authorities while Namchon Village was settled by middle class government officials during the Joseon period. Now referred to as the Bukchon Hanok Village, the neighborhood has become one of Korea's most representative tourist attractions that provide various photo ops. Visitors can take in the outlook of Seoul together with traditional hanok buildings by following the course for the Eight Scenic Views of Bukchon. [Eight Scenic Views of Bukchon] Scenic View 1 - View of Chengdeokgung Palace over the stonewall. Scenic View 2 - View of Wonseo-dong Handicraft Road Scenic View 3 - View of hanok at Gahoe-dong 11-bunji area Scenic View 4 - View of Gahoe-dong 31-bunji from the hilltop Scenic View 5 - View of Gahoe-dong alley (downhill) Scenic View 6 - View of Gahoe-dong alley (uphill) Scenic View 7 - View of Gahoe-dong 31-bunji alleyway Scenic View 8 - View from the Samcheong-dong stone stairway

Cheongpung Lake Monorail will take tourists along the slope to the top of famous Bibongsan Mountain (531m). The monorail first started operating to carry equipment for people who wanted to go paragliding on the middle of Bibongsan Mountain. The monorail now operates on a 2.9 round-trip track.