Travel/Culture List

Deokhangsan Mountain (1,071m) is located between Singi-myeon and Hanjang-myeon in Samcheok-si. Hwanseongul Cave, Daeigul Gave and the neighboring area of Deokhangsan Mountain have been designated as Natural Monument No. 178 (Samcheok Daei-ri Cave area). In addition, the surrounding area of the cave is designated as a country park as well as National Important Folk Data No. 221,222 and 223.

The Gyeongsangbuk-do Arboretum was founded in September 17, 2001. The arboretum exhibits local plants from Ulleungdo, an island off Korea’s eastern coast that is home to a special ecosystem that includes rare trees and wildflowers. The arboretum has a total of 24 gardens, including the Alpine Botanical Garden, Ulleungdo Native Plant Garden and Needle-leaf Tree Garden.

Gangjin has many scenic landscapes with Wolchulsan Mountain to the north and the sea of Gugangpo dotted with numerous islets and wetlands to the south. It is also home to beautiful mountains, rivers, and plains that add to its scenic beauty and natural features. The Baengnyeonsa Temple and Dasan Chodang to the west of Gangjinman Bay, and the reeds along the coastline are a beautiful sight to behold. Also, the National Highway No. 23 that runs along the eastern border of the Gangjinman Bay, past the town of Gangjin-eup to Maryang, is famous for its many spectacular sights. Above all, it is highly recommended to hike up the Cheonilgak Pavilion in front of the Dasan Chodong Dongam (east hermitage) for a panoramic view of Gugangpo’s coastal waters. The hiking trail that traverses Mandeoksan Mountain leads to Baengnyeonsa, which is a temple with breathtaking ocean view.

Yeonhosa Temple is located in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. With its back to Gayaseong Fortress, the temple faces Hwanggang River. The view of the gently flowing river from the pavilion is relaxing, but the view of the moon reflecting perfectly off the water is a sight not to be missed. The temple was built in 643 A.D., during the Three Kingdoms period by Buddhist Master Wawoo to comfort the spirits of Kim Chun-chu's daughter, Gotasorang, her husband Kim Pum-seok (Juk-juk), and the 2,000 Silla soldiers who died during a battle with Baekje in the previous year.  

Okjeongho Lake (옥정호), in Imsil, Jeollabuk-do, was once a popular place for fishing. But since it was designated as a water supply source protected area, fishing has been prohibited. The picturesque lake is large in scale with a total volume of water amounting to 430 million tons. The Okjeongho Dam blocks the upstream of Seomjingang River, which flows through the Noryeong Mountains in Imsil-gun (county), and supplies the Jeongeup on the other side. There are the Unam Bridge and Byeorakbawi (boulder) in the area. The early morning view of the thick fog lingering above the still water is especially breathtaking to see in autumn.

The Wando Fishery and Folklore Museum, opened in May 2002 as the nation’s first fishing village museum, showcases the lifestyle of fishing villages and families, fishing know-how, facts about aquaculture, timeline of vessel developments, etc. The museum was built for people to also learn about marine folklore, and as an addition to Wando's tourist attractions.

A short, hour-long ferry ride from Tongyeong Port will take you to the best attraction of Hallyeo Maritime National Park, Somaemuldo Island. Located at the end of the Korean Peninsula, the island is well known for its oddly shaped rocks of the coast cliffs, the clear and blue sea, the beautiful Deungdaesum Island, which is often shown in movies and commercials.Passing through the 500~600-year-old camelli woods for 30 min from the pier at Somaemuldo Island, you will get to Mangtaebong Peak, the top of the island. The peak is a natural observatory to enjoy the many islands of Tongyeong and Geoje Haeguemgang River. The view of Deungdaesum Island is indescribably beautiful. Somaemuldo Island is also one of the best tourist sites toward the end of the year because of the magnificent view of the sunset and sunrise.The highlight of Somaemuldo Island is Deungdaesum Island, also called 'Haegeumdo.' This island is so small that it takes only 20 min to walk around. The white lighthouse on the hill and green grass make for romantic scenery. The lighthouse, which is the only facility on the island, was bulit by Japan during the Japanese Colonial Period (1910-1945). The 150-meter waterway from Somaemuldo Island to Deungdaesum Island is where the miracle of Moses takes place. Two islands are connected with a gravel road twice a day when the tides ebb. Deungdaesum Island, covered with wild camomiles from late October to early November, is especially fantastic.

Nojeokbong Peak is marked by a large boulder on Yudalsan Mountain overlooking Mokpo. This peak was used during the Imjin War (1592-1598) by Admiral Yi Sun-shin to win a victory without fighting. Men made of straw were placed throughout the mountain to create the appearance of a larger force, causing the invading Japanese navy to flee.

Seomjingang River flows through the canyon gathering people to form a village. The field is where the new life springs as rice and barley grows. Pyeongsari field is one of the largest field boasting a size of 2,743,801 ㎡.

Each Sinnobong Peak and Gungmangbong Peak is located at Eastside and Westside of Gungmangbong Recreational Forest. Within the recreation forest there are around 170 kinds of plants including nut pine trees, pine trees, and others. Visitors can enjoy with cool valley in summer and the beautiful snowy landscape of the mountains in winter.