Travel/Culture List

Bangudae Cliff is a serene, idyllic region which evidently has been a popular destination for a very long time. For instance, the 285th National Treasure, a prehistoric rock painting, along with other traces of early human life as well as ancestral tablets can be found in the region. Also, many Silla Kingdom artists sought peace of mind and body in Bangudae, as the late Goryeo Dynasty poet Jeong Mongju composed many of his masterpieces here. The name of Bangudae comes from the notion that the mountain slopes and valleys adorned with oddly shaped rocks look like a turtle lying face down.  

Located in Omi-ri, Toji-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, the Unjoru Pavilion was designated an Important Folklore Cultural Property on November 25, 1986. It was built in 1776, by Ryu, I-Ju who was high government official of the Sam-su Department, but only 63 of the 78 rooms remained today. The name 'Unjoru' refers to 'the lurking place like a bird in the clouds', which was inspired from an old poem 'GwiGeoraesa (歸去來辭)' written by poet Tao Yuan Ming (陶淵明).

Created near the Juam Lake of Songgwang-myeon, Goindol Park (고인돌공원) is a relocation site for prehistoric excavations saving them from flooding when construction of the Juam Reservoir (주암저수지, 1984-1991) started. The park covers a land area of 18,000 pyeong. It’s a gathering place for all the dolmens and serves as an educational and leisure area. Some 140 pieces of dolmens are on display, along with prehistoric huts, homes from the Paleolithic age, dolmen models, sotdae (wooden poles) and menhirs, all exhibited outdoors. There is also an exhibition hall that displays the prehistoric relics excavated around the dolmen sites. Another exhibition hall on memorial services has a screening room and shows the evolution of memorial practices in the Jeollanam-do region. The entire area of the park is designated cultural asset material No.154 of Jeollanam-do.

Hwaseokjeong Pavilion was built in honor of Gil Jae, a Goryeo Dynasty Confucian scholar who had resigned from his government post to train young scholars. Overlooking Imjingang River that flows from North Korea down to South Korea, the pavilion provides a good resting area dotted with zelkova trees.

Nestled at the foot of Cheontaesan Mountain, which has an altitude of 714.7m, in the southernmost part of Chungcheongbuk-do, as well as at the boundary with Chungcheongnam-do, Yeongguksa Temple is located in the area of Yeongdong-gun.In the southern part of Cheontaesan Mountain, Local Road No. 68, stretching from west to east, connects Jewon-myeon, Geumsan-gun and Gagok-ri, Yeongdong-gun. The scenery along the road is quite beautiful as well. The road meets Local Road No. 501 where Hotancheon Stream meets Geumgang River. Along this road, you will find a sign for Yeongguksa Temple and Cheontaesan Mountain. The parking lot can be seen at the base of Cheontaesan Mountain after making a left turn at this sign. From the parking lot, visitors can start trekking along the valley in order to reach the mountain.Streams through the valleys such as Jinju Falls, Samdan Falls (previously, Yongchu Falls), Samsinbawi Rock flow through rocks and cliffs and create picturesque scenery. Also, carved poems and writings can be found on the cliffs. While going up along the trekking path, a wide basin will unfold, where Yeongguksa Temple is situated with beautiful surroundings. Samdan Falls, meaning three layered waterfall, was made by the water flowing out of two valleys, and can be seen at the edge of this basin.If going up along the valley, one can see the road to Yeongguksa Temple, which is located in a broad plain amidst the deep forest of the mountain.The time of construction is not clearly known but it is said to have been built around the late Silla period, during the time of King Seonjong. The temple prospered when the State Preceptor Wongak, who completed the Cheontae, one of Buddhist orders from Daegak Guksa Uicheon, came to the temple in the middle of the Goryeo Period. It continued to flourish until the early Joseon era and then took a dive due to the rule of anti-Buddhism. Despite the situation at the time, the temple's reputation as one of the noted temples remained.However, the situation much worse in the early twentith century, so much so that it was almost closed. The temple was reconstructed by Jubongjosa Monk in 1934. As of now, the temple contains various treasures including the Stele for State Preceptor Wongak, Stupa of Yeongguksa Temple, Three-story Stone Pagoda of Yeongguksa Temple, Three-story Stone Pagoda at Mangtapbong Peak of Yeongguksa Temple. In addition, Bell-shaped Stupa and Round-shaped Stupa, regional tangible cultural assets, are situated in the temple site. Standing structures are Daeungjeon Hall (main temple), yosa (a temple dormitory for Buddhist monks), sansingak shrine and pavilions, as well as Gyewolam Temple, a small attached temple.

Miryang Station opened on January 1, 1905 in conjunction with the opening of Gyeongbuseon Line, one of the oldest and the most important railway lines in Korea. The current station features element of hanok (traditional Korean house) architecture, with its traditional tiled roof constructed on Dec. 28, 1982 after the old building was destroyed by fire. Located by Sanseongsan Mountain and Yongdumok Recreational Forest, Miryang Station offers a fine view. The station has two floors above ground and one below and its traditional tiled roof style goes well with the image of Miryang, a city that values loyalty and filial piety. The open expanse of the station square provides a pleasant rest place to the citizens of Miryang, as well as travelers. Miryang Station is the only station in the Gyeongsangnam-do besides Busan Station that serves as a stop for KTX express trains. As such, it serves as a key transportation hub for passengers traveling to other cities in the Gyeongnam region including Masan, Changwon, and Changnyeong.

Hongdo Island is located 115 km southwest of Mokpo Harbor. It is composed of about 20 islands, and because it has an usual reddish-brown color about it, it is called Hongdo (Red Island). When the sun sets over the island, the whole area takes on a reddish hue.The seashore is bordered by towering sea cliffs with diverse shapes of rocks. With the blue sea and green forest, it remains the most spectacular sight in the Southern Sea. Hongdo Island has 33 officially designated beautiful sceneries, but the most famous of them all is the Hongdosipkyeong. Along with Nammun Rock and Seokhwagul Cave, Hongdosipkyeong shows off the beauty of Hongdo Island, and if you take a ferry to the island, you can see almost all of Hongdosipkyeong. It takes about 2 hours to go around the island, and you can explore the mysterious nature and its beauty. On the island, there are about 270 kinds of evergreens and 170 types of animals. As the government wanted to preserve the natural state of the island, it was designated as a Natural Preserved Area in 1965, and since 1981, has became part of Dadohae Marine National Park. With forests of pine trees and chestnut trees, it is also the native home of the very rare daeyeoppung reed.Because the entire island of Hongdo has been declared a Natural Monument, people are not allowed to enter areas other than the villages and designated tourist areas. Because of this, you cannot bring out even one stone or a pocket of grass from the island. Visitors that break the rules will be fined. 

Located in Mount Dobisan in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, Buseoksa Temple was built in the Silla Era. The temple, which is also known as Seosan Buseoksa, is not as well known as Yeongju Buseoksa Temple in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province because of its size and lack of extensive historical documentation. The temple was built by the Great Monk Uisang in 677, the 17th year of King Munmu of Silla, and was later rebuilt by Great Monk Muhak during the Joseon Dynasty. The beautiful Geumdonggwaneumbosaljwasang, or seated gilt-bronze Buddha statue, which was housed in the Buseoksa Temple in 1330, is now located in a temple on Tsushima Island in Japan. The only remaining buildings of Buseoksa are the large Geungnakjeon Hall, Mongnyongjang (the monks' living quarters), Simgeomdang, and Anyangnu. Walking up from the main hall, visitors will find the Sansingak building, and a stone pagoda close to the entrance of the Mount Dobisan hiking trail. From the summit of Mount Dobisan, one can get an amazing view of the Seohae Sea beyond Ganwoldo and Anmyeondo islands, as well as Mount Gayasan. For this reason, the temple draws a large crowd of visitors despite its relatively small size.

Eunhaesa Temple, located on Palgongsan mountain in Youngcheon city, Gyeongsangbuk-do province, is one of two major temples on the mountain along with Donghwasa Temple. It was built by monk Hyecheol in the first year of King Heondeok’s reign during the Silla Kingdom (AD 809), but was moved to the current site in the Joseon Dynasty in 1546 (the first year of King Myeongjong). At the time, it was named Eunhaesa temple and King Injong of the Joseon Dynasty was commemorated with a lecture hall and monument built where his umbilical cord was buried. The temple houses the main shrine, Bohwaru pavilion, Seolseondan Hall, Shimgeondang Hall, eight small hermitages, as well as Baegeungam Temple, Jungangam Temple, and a professional Buddhist education institution: ‘Eunhaesa Buddhist University.’ Eunhaesa Temple is home to national treasure No. 14, Geojoamyongsanjeon hall, and treasure number 790, Baekheungamgeukrakjeon Hall. It also contains treasure No. 486, the Sunidan Buddha Platform; treasure No. 514, the Wunbuamcheongdongbosal Seated Buddha Statue; and treasure No. 1270, the Eunhaesa Temple Gwaebultaeng hanging Buddha picture. The area is also close to the Seongbu Museum, which exhibits cultural assets from Eunhaesa Temple and the neighboring areas, as well as popular tourist attractions such as Geukrakgul grotto of Jungangam temple (Hwaeomgul Grotto), Geondeul Rock, Manyeonsong Pine Tree, Ganggunsu Waters, and Anheung Falls of Gigiam Temple.