Travel/Culture List

Located in Icheon City, Gyeonggi-do, the Pig Museum is the first of its kind in Asia. Village chief and an expert of pig artificial insemination Lee Jong-yeong founded the museum in November 14, 2011. Some 5,000 pig-related articles from 18 different countries are on exhibit. Visitors can also enjoy pig performances and participate in hands-on experience programs such as making sausage.

The Baeksu Coastal Road is National Highway 77 and Provincial Highway 14. It is one of the best drives in Jeollanam-do Province. Driving on this road, one encounters dynamically changing landscapes, including splendid rocks on along the coastal cliffs. The road is 16.5 kilometers long and gives a beautiful view of the Chilsan Sea. During sunset, beautiful colors along the west coast draw crowds of visitors all year round.

Ujeon Beach stretches 4 km in length on the southwestern coast of the island of Jeungdo-myeon, the biggest natural salt producer in Korea. The silvery white sand as well as the view of the sealine dotted with over 90 deserted islands make Ujeon Beach one of the most attractive seaside destinations. Visitors to Jeungdo Island can explore the sites of salt production and Haetae (a type of seaweed) farming, or go fising at nearby islands, including Naegaldo and Oegaldo Island, Myeongdeokseom Island, Daeseom Island, Bunamdo Island and Myeongseom Island.

Yeosu Seonso Historic Site is located in Sijeon-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do. This shipyard houses the Turtle Ship designed by Admiral Yi Sun-sin and Na Dae-yong, who were renowned for their shipbuilding skills during the Japanese Invasion of Korea. The shipyard site remains a gulgang (small stream to dock ships), a stone moorage for anchoring ships, a dolbeoksu (stone pole), and a Segeomjeong site.

Jainsa Temple in Pocheon (Gyeonggi-do) lies deep within the rugged cliffs of Myeongseongsan Mountain. Located nearby Sanjeong Lake, the two sites are often enjoyed together by visitors to this majestic area.The path leading to the temple is lined with an impressive array of towering pine trees. Just inside the temple grounds is a Buddhist statue resembling Maitreya, or a ‘future Buddha’ surrounded by an elaborate Buddhist sanctuary known as Geuknakbojeon. Behind the sanctuary is a valley with steep cliffs from which visitors can look down upon beautiful Sanjeong Lake. The temple is also home to a variety of stone pagodas, a statue resembling Avalokitesvara (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), and a water spring, the latter of which attracts visitors for its rumored medicinal powers.Nearby tourist attractions include Myeongseongsan Mountain, Sanjeong Lake, Hantangang River, Hwajeokyeon, Sambuyeon Falls, Sundam Valley, and Geumsu Jeongji.

Established and run by the Goeun Foundation, the Goeun Museum of Photography and the Goeun Contemporary Photo Museum are located in Haeundae, Busan and are the first photography museums founded outside of the capital city of Seoul. The museums aim to offer more cultural opportunities to visitors by collecting real and valuable works representing both Korean and international artists. The venue also acts in the discovery and support of new and up-and-coming artists. Goeun Museum of Photography has an exhibit room on the 2nd floor, as well as a seminar room and a photo library on the 1st floor. Goeun Contemporary Photo Museum has 3 different spaces for exhibitions, mainly concentrated on contemporary photo works.

Geumdang Valley (금당계곡), located upstream of the Pyeongchanggang River, is a gorge between three different districts of Bongpyeong-myeon, Yongpyeong-myeon and Daehwa-myeon, just west of Geumdangsan Mountain (1,173 m). Geumdang Valley is an impressive site with sections of both gentle and fast flowing valley waters. From late March through April full-blown azalea covers the mountainsides and valleys providing visitors with a refreshing spring scent . To reach Geumdang Valley, travel down along the Pyeongchanggang River from Jangpyeong or, you trek up the valley from Anmi elementary school. Coming down to Pyeongchang-eup from Daehwa-myeon area, visitors will encounter an intersection called, “Saechugeori”. The intersection has two parts: Sanganmi and Haanmiri and a sign indicating the Geumdang Valley entrance. Across the valley, odd-shaped rock formations and cliffs appear one after another along the river. The area is a native habitat for a spcies of otter (Natural Treasure No. 330) and a favorite spot for catching catfish.

Jungsangangil Road stretches 14 km, and has a calm ambience. Old stone walls and dense trees line either side of the road. The road also leads to Seaside Ranch road (Bada Mokjang-gil (livestock ranch) which is open to pedestrians. The road is a unique location on Jeju, with expansive green fields located next to the ocean. * 'Olle' means an extremely cramped alley coming to the main gate of a home from street in the Jeju Island Dialect.

Gayasan Mountain (가야산) in Gyeongsangbuk-do was designated as a national park in 1972. Chilbulbong Peak towers at 1,433 meters. It borders Seongju-gun, Hapcheon-gun and Geochang-gun. In particular, Suryun-myeon, Seongju-gun is famous for its scenic nature. Furthermore, the beautiful Gayasan Drive, which extends from Suryun-myeon to Gayasan Mountain, highlights the splendor and grandeur of the precipitous crimson cliffs. The drive also offers the humble beauty of the rolling mountain, while the beautiful trails along the valley and nearby waterfall are fascinating as well. In Baegundong area, you will encounter Beopjusa Temple. This temple was built during the Silla period and is said to have been a huge temple consisting of approximately 100 chambers. Now, only a stupa, cornerstones, and flagpole supports remain. Yonggigol Valley offers a scenic mountain trail along which you can enjoy the stunning beauty of Gayasan Mountain.