Travel/Culture List

Located in Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, The Buk Seoul Museum of Art covers a total ground area of 17,113㎡. The museum has three basement levels and three above-ground levels. The museum holds permanent exhibitions and offers a variety of educational programs, and culture and art-related activities for visitors to take part in.

Gyeryongsan National Park stretches across Daejeon, Gongju, and Nonsan. This spectacular mountain is 845.1m above sea level and was made a national park in 1968. The origin of the word Gyeryong ('Gye' meaning 'chicken,' and 'Yong' meaning 'dragon') comes from the fact that the ridgeline looks like a dragon wearing a chicken's crest on its head. The topographical features are what make this mountain stand out and its mysterious folklore is what makes it so interesting. There are 15 summits on this mountain, of which Cheonhwangbong (845.1m) is the main. Several others include the peaks of Sambulbong, Sinseongbong, and Gwaneumbong. This mountain is famous for its many interesting sites, with its fantastic rock structures, on the west side the Yongmun Waterfall, to the east Eunseon Waterfall, and to the south Amyongchu and Sutyongchu Waterfalls.In the spring, cherry blossoms bloom on Donghaksa Mountain trail, and during the summer the lush green of the Donghaksa Valley is very beautiful. During the fall, the maple trees reveal their crimson colored leaves around Gapsa Temple and Yongmun Waterfall. And the snowcapped peaks of Sambulbong in the winter are simply breathtaking.Gyeryongsan is full of rare animals and plants, beautiful waterfalls and a rich history with mysterious legends and cultural treasures. To the east is Donghaksa Temple; northwest, Gapsa Temple; southwest, Sinwonsa Temple; and southeast, Yonghwasa Temple. Its valleys are full of ponds and falls that blend together perfectly with the surroundings.

Ieyoung Contemporary Art Museum is a personal collection of art that features valuable works centered on humanitarianism. Entering the eco-friendly exhibition space, you will be met by works of contemporary masters, ranging from sculptures to Oriental and Western paintings. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery also holds hands-on art programs for children.The gallery is home to the largest collection of works by Park Sang-Gwang, a patriotic painter. In 2004, to mark the 100th anniversary of Park’s birth, the gallery created a foundation with the dual purpose of studying Park and his works and indentifying undiscovered traditional artists in Korea. Ever since the establishment of the foundation, the gallery had increased in both collection size and quantity year after year.

Taking over 5 years to complete, Jeju Mini Mini Land is a spacious park featuring miniature versions of famous attractions from around the world. Over 116 architectural wonders and UNESCO World Heritage sites from 50 different countries are represented in the park. To name a few, the park offers miniature Bulguksa Temple, the Statue of Liberty, the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and so on. The original works are reproduced at 1/15 or 1/30 of their original size. As the first miniature park in Korea, it has become one of the most popular attractions on Jeju Island.Some great attractions are located nearby the park, such as Manjanggul Cave, Bijarim Forest, Jeju Stone Museum, Sangumburi Crater, Myeongdoam Tourist Ranch, Brazil Folk Performance Hall, Jeolmul Natural Recreation Forest, and the Seongeup Folk Village. 

Seoul Science Park opened in July 2004 to function as a science education and training facility for students and teachers, as well as a cultural place for Seoul citizens. Admission to the park is free for all.

Biyangdo Island can be seen directly from Hyeopjae Beach, which is located northwest of Hanrim Port. The word Biyang means to fly over, and indeed, legend has it that Biyangdo Island actually flew over from China more than 1000 years ago. The tiny island, accompanied by Hallim Park, Hyeopjae Beach, and Hallim Port, create a truly picturesque landscape. At the peak in the middle of the island are two craters that form a basin, which is home to a colony of Villbrunea frutescens, the only natural colony in Korea. The island is also home to over 80 fish and various marine plants.Biyangdo Island is a popular destination for both summer fishing and as a place for a light hike. Although Biyang Peak is not high (only 114m above sea level) it still offers visitors an opportunity to overlook the breathtaking landscape from Mt. Halla to various volcanic mountains (called Oreum in Jeju dialect), dazzling coastal lines, and the glittering waters of Hyeopjae Beach. There are a small number of houses scattered around a quay at the foot of Biyang Peak, as well as an old unmanned lighthouse, adding flavor to the island.Visitors can get to the island by passenger boat departing from Hallim Port and operating two times a day at 9:00 a.m. and 15:00 p.m. Please note, however that during holidays and weekends, it operates only once a day, at noon. It takes approximately 15 minutes from Hallim Port to Biyangdo.* Hallim Port: +82-64-796-7552 

Seosan Bus Terminal is managed by Dongmun-dong in Seosan-si. Buses leaving the terminal go all across Korea including Chungcheongnam-do, Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Gangwon-do every day. Also, the bus terminal operates local buses to Seosan and Taean.

Anmok Beach spans over 150 km in length and covers an area of 20,000㎡. The beach is often packed with families on a 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 gotten more popular because of the coffee geori (coffee street) that sells coffee at reasonable prices.

Dream Forest Art Center, located in Gangbuk, Seoul, is operated by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Composed of two performance venues (Performance Hall and Concert Hall), alongside with Sang Sang Tok Tok Art Gallery and Dream Gallery, there are also a Chinese restaurant, cafe and an observatory deck available for all visitors to enjoy.  

Hwagyesa Temple, which falls under the Chogye Order of Korean Buddhism, is located at the foot of Mt. Samgaksan in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul. Although it is located in the city of Seoul, the beautiful surrounding mountains and landscapes create a serene atmosphere to escape urban life.It was built in 1522 AD (the seventeenth year of the reign of King Jungjong of the Joseon Dynasty) by monk Shinwol, but was destroyed in a fire in 1618. In 1866 (the third year of the reign of King Gojong), it was rebuilt through financial support from his royal elders.The temple was built in an early architectural style and has Daeungjeon, a main sanctuary (Tangible Cultural Asset No. 65), Myeongbujeon shrine, Samseonggak pavilion, Cheonbulobaekseongjeon shrine, a temple bell pavilion, Bohwaru tower, and Hakseoru tower.A small water spring, named Oktakcheon and located in the valley (Hwagyegol) beside Hwagyesa Temple, is famous for supernatural healing powers of skin and stomach diseases. The legend says this spring was formed from crows pecking away at the rocks.