Travel/Culture List

Urban regeneration centered along Sanbokdo-ro road, this road was designated to be the province of renaissance. An archive center where stories of local residents in Sanbokdo-ro road can be found, and a new planned exhibition is held every two months. Personal collection, as well as the history of locals living in this district are well preserved, and such variety of cultural contents is served as a warehouse of resources for the future. * Opening Date: March 6, 2013

The hometown of Wangin Baksa (Wangin, the Great Scholar) is located at the foot of Munpilbong Peak to the east of Gurim village. Due to Wangin’s importance and contributions to Korean history, this historical attraction is preserved and maintained in honor of his memory and achievements.Seonggidong is the official birthplace of Dr. Wangin (marked by the Yuheobi memorial monument) and is also home to Seongcheon; the well Wangin is believed to have drunk from. Halfway up Mt. Wolchulsan are Chaekgul, Munsanjae and Yangsajae where Wangin is said to have studied as well as nurtured local pupils. To commemorate the significance of these areas, a memorial is held every March at Munsanjae and Yansanjae.In front of Chaekgul is a statue of Dr. Wangin which is said to symbolize his benevolent character. Just west of Seonggidong is Doljeonggogae, a hill from which it is believed Dr. Wangin made a sorrowful look back at his countrymen before leaving for Japan.Wangin departed for Japan from Sangdaepo, which at the time was an international trading port. The renowned Baekje scholar was beginning his journey at the request of Japanese Emperor Eungshin. He took with him ten books on the Analects of Confucius and a book of Cheonjamun, a text of one thousand Chinese characters. Over time, he earned the trust of the emperor and became instructor to the crown prince. Wangin is well-known for his part in the development of Japanese culture and his name appears often in Japanese history. Wangin educated beyond textbooks and made great contributions to the development of arts, crafts and music and is revered as the originator of Japan’s Asuka culture.This historic site was originally reconstructed from 1985 to 1987 and is continually receiving improvements to improve accessibility for visitors. 

Geumsan is home to 1,500 years of Korean ginseng cultivation. More than 80% of Korean ginseng is cultivated here. To spread the excellence of Korean (Geumsan) ginseng across the nation and the world, ginseng cultivation implements and models, efficacy, foods, and other products containing ginseng are on display in this museum. Visitors can also watch ginseng-related videos to gain a better understanding of Korean ginseng.

Gapyeong Station began operation upon the opening of the Gyeongchun Line on July 25, 1939. The station was damaged during the Korean War and restored on June 12, 1957.The double-tracked Gyeongchun Line was opened on December 21, 2010. The ITX-Cheongchun Train, which includes Gapyeong Station as one of its stops, began operation on February 28, 2012 and travels along the Gyeongchun Line.Gapyeong's name (嘉平 in classical Chinese) was given by King Gyeongdeok of the Unified Silla Period to describe the region's natural beauty. Today, the Chinese characters 加平 are used to represent the name for the sake of convenience.Gapyeong and its tourist attractions, Namiseom Island in particular, grew in popularity after being featured in the Korean drama Winter Sonata.

Dahiyeon Garden (formerly known as Gyeongdeokwon) is a major tea farm on Jeju Island, which has the best conditions for growing great tea. The Evergreen Luce outdoor garden was built inside the cave formed naturally. It has ponds, bridges, indigenous trees and flowers. The Eve hall can be only reached after passing through a tunnel-like cave. The two cafes, located on top of Dahiyeong (Green Luce Garden) and the entrance (Eve Hall), serve naturally fermented green tea bread, cookies, green tea latte and green tea juice.

Udo Sanho Beach, all referred to as Seobinbaeksa Beach, is a white sand beach. The ocean here varies in colors from bright emerald to deep sapphire according to its depth. The view is so unique, it cannot be compared to the Mediterranean Sea, South Pacific Sea, or any other ocean view.

Yeongneung (영릉) is the joint tomb of the 4th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejong (1397-1450, reign 1418-1450) and his wife Queen Soheon (1395-1446). This was the first joint royal tomb of the Joseon Dynasty.King Sejong was the third son of the 3rd ruler, King Taejong, and his wife Queen Wongyeong. He came to the throne at the age of 22. During his 32-year reign, he was very influential in the development of Korean culture. For example, King Sejong created the Korean alphabet, which he called Hunmin Jeongeum, and set up the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon, 집현전), an association of the kingdom’s brightest scholars. He also used Confucian principles to administer state affairs. Under the reign of King Sejong, therefore, many sectors including politics, economy, society and culture flourished. In fact, King Sejong the Great is regarded as making some of the most brilliant achievements in Korean history.Yeongneung is currently located in Neungseo-myeon in Yeoju-si in Gyeonggi-do, but the tomb was originally located in Seogang, Gwangju. When it was constructed following Queen Soheon’s death in 1446, it was decided it should be a double tomb, and the space on the right side was reserved for King Sejong. In 1450 when King Sejong died, he was buried together with the dead queen. Later, the tomb was moved to its current place, as it was thought that the original location was not an auspicious place according to geomantic traditions.Various items that were originally buried in the tomb were excavated in 1973 and now are exhibited in the King Sejong the Great Memorial Hall (세종대왕 기념관), which is located in Cheongnyangni, Seoul.Nyeongneung (녕릉/영릉) is the royal tomb of the 17th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, King Hyojong (1619-1659, reign 1649-1659), and of his wife Queen Inseon (1618-1674).The tomb was originally located to the west of Geonwolleung (건원릉, the tomb of King Taejo, the 1st ruler of the Joseon Dynasty), but in 1673 cracks appeared on the tomb’s “Byeongpungseok” (stone border), and it was moved to its current location, which is to the east of Yeongneung (영릉, the tomb of King Sejong).King Hyojong was the second son of King Injo, Joseon Dynasty’s 16th ruler, and Queen Illyeol. Upon ascending to the throne, he devised a plan to conquer the Northern region of Asia, including the Qing Dynasty (part of China). As part of the plan, he reformed the military system and strengthened the army and military enforcements. King Hyojong had spent time in northern China when he was taken hostage by the Manchus. During that time he became exposed to many different cultures and technological advancements. When a group of Dutch sailors were shipwrecked on the Korean shore, King Hyojong ordered them to build the Korean army’s first muskets.King Hyojong also implemented “Daedongbeop (대동법)”, a tax system under which people had to pay taxes with rice, and circulated “Sangpyeongtongbo (상평통보)”, the coinage of the Joseon Dynasty.

Taeanhaean National Park (태안해안국립공원) consists of about 130 islands around Anmyeondo Island (안면도) and Taean Peninsula (태안반도). Taean Peninsula (태안반도) has a picturesque landscape with beautiful beaches, rock formations, mountain peaks and sea cliffs. The area (328.99㎢) was designated as a national park in October, 1978, and at present, nearly 250 different species of plants grow within its boundaries.* Cultural HeritageOkpa Lee Jong-il Birthplace (Chunghongak), Rock-carved Buddha Triad in Taean, Heungjusa Temple (Heungjusa Three-story stone pagoda), Baekhwasanseong Fortress, Anheungseong, Seated Stone Seokgayeorae Statue in Mongsan-ri, Five-story stone pagoda in Nammun-ri* Sightseeing and cultural festivalsSinduri Coastal Sand Dune (Natural Monument), Cheollipo Arboretum, Hwangdobunggi Pungeoje Festival, Jumbo Shrimp Festival, Cheonsuman Migratory Bird Habitat, Anmyeon-do International Flower Exhibition* Spring wild flower blooming season and locationGaenmetkkot / Blooming: Late April / Location: the area of costal dune

The Ecological Culture Exploration Site on Oido Island (오이도) in Siheung City is abundant in natural resources and historic relics dating back to the prehistoric era. Shell mounds are scatted across the island, the scale of the shell mounds is the largest along the west coast and they are the only relics that give any information about exchanges between Korea’s neolithic populations. They show evidence of exchanges between the northern and southern populations that inhabited the peninsula and continent, and how the coastal environment along the west coast changed during the Neolithic Age.

Mangusan Mountain spans across Mangu-dong and Myeonmok-dong of Seoul, and Guri-si of Gyeonggi-do. It is 281.7 meters above sea level. Located on the mountain is Mangu Cemetery, which was designated as public cemetery in 1933. Since its designation, many popular people have been buried here including children’s literature author Bang Jeong-hwan (penname: Sopa), independence activists Oh Se-chang and Han Yong-un, and Ji Seok-young who pioneered the use of the smallpox vaccination in Korea and was also a Korean linguist. In addition, tombstones bearing chronological listings of seven popular poets and one educator were installed at the park, making the cemetery a venue for historical education. The poets includes Park In-hwan, Mun Il-pyeong, Seo Byeong-ho, Seo Ong-il, Oh Jae-young, Seo Gwang-jo, and Yu Sang-gyu and the educator is O Geung-seon. The park also has Sin Gyeong-jin Sindobi, a cultural asset designated as Seoul Tangible Cultural Property No. 95. It is a monument of Sin Gyeong-jin, an official scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. Also in the park is a 5.2km long circular road. It was named the “Thinking path”. The name was selected as a public competition held in May 1998. There are other facilities including the urban environment and nature observation road, a wooden gazebo, and a mineral-water spring. Thanks to the well managed trees and clean air, the park is visited by many citizens who are seeking for place to rest in a natural park.