Travel/Culture List

According to historic records, ceramics have been developed here since the early days of the Joseon Dynasty, as the nation’s best materials for making ceramics, such as clay, white clay, and Kaolin, were produced around Mount Ssari in Bungnae-myeon. Mid-standing artists here study the process of making traditional ceramics as well as more novel works that utilize unconventional methods. In addition to the ceramic art complex, there are many cultural relics such as the Silleuksa Temple Resort, the royal tomb Yeongneung, and the ruins of Godalsa Temple.

Ttangkkeut Village in Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do is at the southernmost and the furthest point away from Seoul. Ttangkkeut Village's official regional name is Galdu-ri, Songji-myeon, Haenam-gun. Visitors can see the sunrise and sunset from the village, and the village hosts a sunrise festival every year. When descending 500 m from a beacon mound of Galdusan Mountain's observatory, visitors will see the triangular stone statue.

Bijindo’s shape is often compared to that of a barbell because of the thin strip of land connecting the two ends of the island together. White sand and calm waves can be found along the island’s west coast while on the east coast, bigger waves break against a bed of pebbles on the beach. Thanks to the shape of the island, one can watch the sun rise and set from the same location.Bijindo Island is located just off the coast of Tongyeong in Hansan-myeon. The sandy beach, fresh seafood and the peaceful scenery make this a great weekend getaway. Aside from the beach, there are also hiking trails and fishing sites. As Bijindo is part of Hallyeohaesang National Marine Park, one can also find other beautiful islands nearby.

Guryong Falls (구룡폭포) refers to the group of nine waterfalls, varying in size, located over a three-kilometer stretch of Sogeumgang River (소금강), Cheonghak-dong (청학동), Odaesan National Park (오대산). ‘Guryong’ means nine dragons and legend has it that each of the waterfalls was occupied by a dragon. The 6th waterfall is particularly attractive. It is simultaneously the most magnificent and serene of the falls, which is why it is also known as the ‘Gentleman’s Waterfall.’ Two kilometers away from the 6th waterfall, is a curious-looking piece of rock called ‘Manmulsang.’ The name literally means ‘tens of thousands of different looks.’ Some of these looks have earned it to other names such as ‘Giant Rock,’ ‘Phantom-Face Rock,’ ‘Iworam,’ and ‘Candlestick Rock’.

The Latin American Cultural Center - Museum was established by former Ambassador Yi Bok-Hyeong, who served as a diplomat in Latin America for approximately 30 years, and his wife, Hong Gap-Pyo, in an effort to raise awareness and understanding of the Latin American region among Korean people. The center has a museum, an art gallery and a sculpture park: the museum showcases Latin American artifacts made of soil, stone and wood, masks and other folk art crafts of the Maya, Inca and Aztec; the art gallery features contemporary artwork pieces including paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists, and holds art exhibitions on a regular basis; and the sculpture park displays masterpieces of artists mostly from Latin America (Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Peru, El Salvador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Portugal), along with indigenas (artifacts from India) and promenades of Coyoacán (the historic borough in Mexico City).

Guam Farm Stay Village is located near the city so it is easy to find and is well-equipped with cultural facilities. Nine rocks in the area resemble the back of a turtle so it is referred to as “Guam”. (‘Gu(龜)’ means turtle (geobuk) and ‘Am (岩)’ means rock (bawi)) Farming experiences start from the time when cherry blossom are about to be in full bloom along the road surrounding the foot of Palgongsan Mountain. Visitors can take part in planting various vegetable seeds, thinning out the apple trees, rice reaping, and pulling out beans. The village is abounding in fruits, including apples, grapes, peaches, and chestnuts. Among the many hands-on programs, picking apples and chestnuts has already became famous activities for nearby kindergarten students. To facilitate the farm stay program, Nonghyup operates a weekend farm, where one can grow and taste vegetables such as lettuce and chili.

Damyang Changpyeong Samjinae Village was the first Korean place designated as a slow city in 2007. Compared with the fast-changing city life, the village seeks a slow life, experiencing regional cultures and food, surrounded by nature. Visitors can make Korean traditional sweets & cookies such as Hangwa and Ssalyeot here.

Sacheon Airport is located in Sacheon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, and is also referred to as “Jinju Airport,” serving the city of Jinju as well. Nearby attractions include Jirisan Mountain and Hallyeohaesang National Park. The airport serves 165,000 aircrafts and over 1,000,000 passengers yearly, and is able to hold 300 cars at the parking lot.

Typhoon Observatory was built on December 3, 1991 by Invincible Typhoon Korean Army. The observatory is situated on the highest peak, Suribong Peak, in Bikkisan Mountain. It is located 65km and 140 km from Seoul and Pyeongyang respectively. It is famous in that the location is the closest to the Military Demarcation Line, being only 800m and 1,600m away from the MDL and North Korean checkpoint respectively. The observatory houses a christian church, catholic church, statue of the Virgin Mary, buddhist sanctum, belfry and other facilities where soldiers are able to participate in religious ceremonies. Also, Manghyangbi Monument for displaced person, Monument for Korean War, and Boy’s Tank Corps Memorial can be seen in the area. The Exhibition Hall presents daily necessities collected from Pilseunggyo Bridge of Imjingang in North Korea and some detection equipment that armed espionage agents used when they did infiltration after the ceasefire.  

Cheorwon Peace Observatory offers a panoramic view of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea) in the central forward area of Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do. From this observatory, one can see the Cheorwon plain, areas of the DMZ, and even North Korea. Photos of the 2nd Infiltration Tunnel, military barracks, checkpoints, and the DMZ are exhibited here. Visitors can easily get to the observatory using the 50-person monorail, see the remains of the ancient Taebongguk (nation), and even see the faces of North Korean soldiers through binoculars.