Travel/Culture List

Gyeokpo Beach, located in Gyeokpo-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun in Jeollabuk-do Province, is part of Byeonsanbando National Park. From the beach, visitors can get a close-up look at the rock formations of Chaeseokgang Cliffs. Known for its clear waters, the beach offers a panoramic view of the west coast from the top of the cliffs and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches on the west coast along with Daecheon and Mallipo beaches.

Daecheon is located along the westcoast of Chungcheongnam-do. Daecheon ("dae" means big and "cheon" means stream) was so called because of the large amount of water from the region that flows into the nearby sea. Daecheon is home to Daecheon Beach, the only shell-powder sand beach in Asia. It is also known for cosmetics made from the beach mud, fresh seafood, and tourist attractions such as Wonsando Island Beach, the Coal Museum, and Seongjusaji Temple Site. The station moved to its current location on December 21, 2007. The building's sailboat-shaped structure is symbolic of the region's history and reputation.

Sinbulsan Mountain (1,209 meters) was designated as a county park, which includes the neighboring Ganwolsan Mountain, by the county of Ulju-gun on November 3, 1983. These mountains stretch around the village of Eonyang and form cliffs on the east with oddly-shaped rocks rising from them. The scenery is beautiful throughout all four seasons and the majestic mountain looks like it is reaching toward the sky high above the clouds. Thus it is often referred to as the Yeongnam Alps. Near the peak of Sinbulsan sits a fortress with breathtaking views of silver grass. It is called Danjiseong or Danjoseong because it is shaped like a jar. Below Wangbong Peak is Hongnyu Falls, which cascades down into Jakgwaecheon Stream. The Ganwolsaji Temple Site and the Ganwolsaji Seated Stone Buddha can be found inside Jakcheonjeong Pavilion.

Archaeological Site in Seokjang-ri, Gongju is located approximately 6km out of the city of Gongju, on the northern banks of the Geumgang River. The site is one of Korea's representative relic sites of the Old Stone Age, and is designated Historic Site No. 334. The site was excavated 10 times between 1964 and 1974 by teams from Yonsei University Museum. The excavation of 27 layers of stratum produced relics proving people lived in the area through 11 cultural eras. The area was excavated again in 1990 and 1993, producing even more cultural artifacts and helping to create a clearer image of the people living in that time.

The Hotel Miranda is known as the greatest landmark in the Icheon province, presenting over 8,000 pyeongs (approx. 26,400 ㎡) of hotel luxury consisting of a basement floor, 10-story building for its main complex, and a 3-story annex, along with an astonishing 10,000-pyeong (approx. 33,000 ㎡) SpaPlus spa complex. This enormous spa facility consists of an indoor swimming pool, a kiddie pool, event spas, a tube ride, and more for the entire family to enjoy. Other forms of family fun also include a variety of wave pools and Korea’s longest water slide to indulge visitors in thrills and chills.

Seogwipo Natural Recreation Forest is found along the east of 1100 Road which stretches across west of Hallasan Mountain, connecting Jeju-si and Seogwipo-si’s Jeju Jungmun Resort. Forests composed of various plant species fill the reserve along while serving as a habitat for rare animals such as pheasants, roe deer, etc. Modern and convenient forest lodgings, water activities, and walking trails are available for visitors to enjoy. There is also an observatory deck that offers a bird’s-eye view of Jeju World Cup Stadium, Jeju Convention Center, and Gwanghan Jungmun Tour Resort that stretches over 3.5 million ㎡.

Ssangyonggul Cave, a designated Natural Monument, is one of the representative lava tubes of Jeju Island along with Hwanggeumgul, Socheongul, and Manjanggul caves. The cave measures approximately 400m in length, 6m in x_width, and 3m in x_height. It is thought to have been created by lava that erupted from Hallasan Mountain some 25 million years ago.One of the unique features of this particular cave is that it has features of both a lava tube and a limestone cave. The entire area surrounding the cave is a huge stratum of seashells and sand, while the interior is a mystical mix of stalactites and stalagmites. Lime covers the cave walls in series of natural swirls and streaks, bringing to mind the strokes of an abstract painting. Since the cave stays at a constant 17-18℃ throughout the year, it’s a welcome escape from the heat in the summer and a great place to warm up in the winter.The cave gets its name from its two branches, which are said to look like the paths of two dragons (‘Ssangyong’ meaning ‘two dragons’ in Korean). It is thought that Ssangyonggul Cave and Hyeopjaegul Cave were once one cave since the second entrance of Ssangyonggul Cave is so close to the end of Hyeopjaegul Cave.

Just north of Cheonhwangsan Mountain (Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do), Eoreumgol Valley (Ice Valley) sits at an elevation between 600 and 750m and covers an area of 29,752m². Designated as Natural Monument No.224, the valley is unusual in that it begins to freeze in March when the weather becomes warm and thaws in the fall when the weather becomes cold. In the winter, the valley generates warm breezes and the water rarely freezes. Because of these unique attributes, the valley is considered one of the Four Mysteries in Miryang and attracts visitors from early summer through fall.Other notable ice valleys in Korea include Binggye Gyegok in Uiseong (Gyeongsangbuk-do), Punghyeol Naengcheon in Yanghwa Village (Jinan, Jeollabuk-do), and Aircongul in Nari Plain (Ulleungdo Island). 

The Traditional Korean Food Culture Experience Center was established in order to preserve, research, distribute and promote the values and merits of traditional Korean food culture in the world. There are various hands-on facilities for traditional food culture such as an exhibition hall, cooking room, and a fermentation room, covering an area of 10,000 pyeong (33057.85㎡) in Baegokpo-ri, Yongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do. Particularly, it is the a great place for anyone who wants to learn more and take part in various aspects of traditional Korean food culture.

Junam Reservoir features a large migratory bird sanctuary spread throughout three reservoirs (Sannam, Junam, and Dongpan), and is one of Korea’s top nature-watching areas for visitors. It operates Ramsar Culture Center, ecology educational hall, bird-watching site and Junam Environment School free of charge and a guide tour is available to explore the reservoir with ecological explanations. In addition, a lotus field and flower road can be visited in the reservoir.