Travel/Culture List

The Currency Museum of Korea is the first museum in Korea to be dedicated solely to modern and ancient currencies. The museum (est. 1988) is operated by the Mint Corporation of Korea as part of its non-profit public services and is open to visitors free of charge with a view of increasing public knowledge of the nation’s currency. The museum features a total of 120,000 pieces including: coins currently in use both in Korea and overseas; coins from modern times (from the Late Joseon Dynasty until today); 80 types of commemorative coins; 88 types of ‘special money’; postage stamps, and other materials.Exhibition Room 1 presents a wide selection of coins from both ancient eras and modern times, with many of the coins dating back to the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. Coins on display in this room include Geonwonjungbo (996), the first coin ever minted in Korea; Haedongwonbo (1097); and Sangpyeongtongbo, the most widely used coin during the Joseon Dynasty. Other displays include commemorative coins from past Olympics, special coins, charms, amulets and Lydian currency, the world’s first-ever alloy coin minted around 670 BC.Exhibition Room 2 (Exhibition of Bills) displays a wide variety of bills by era as well as information detailing the production process of a banknote (from the manufacturing of the paper used to the finished product). Exhibition Room 3 shows how authorities spot counterfeit money while Exhibition Room 4 has a wide selection of stamps, medals, and currencies from over 120 different countries around the world including Russia and North Korea.

Standing almost 1.2㎞ and bordering five different cities and districts of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Palgongsan Mountain is one of the major mountains in the southern region. Palgongsan Cable Car runs a distance of 1.2㎞ from the base of Palgongsan Mountain to an elevation of 800m.

The Coreana Art & Culture Complex is the largest museum in Korea that is exclusively for cosmetics and was created to preserve and to promote beauty items and the make-up culture of Korea.Centered around the 53,000 beauty items collected by Dr. Yu Sank-Ok, one of the executive directors of Coreana Cosmetics, three cosmetic museums were created: one in Seocho-dong in 2001 (known as the 2nd center), one in Sinsa-dong in November 2003 (Space *C, the Main Center), and one in Cheonan in June, 2004 (Songpa Tech Institute, the 3rd center). The Main Center, opened in November 20th 2003, within a cultural center named Space *C, drew much attention from the public. The museum sits right next to the Coreana Art Museum that features and curates modern art. The Coreana Art & Culture Complex contributes to the education and research of the nation’s cosmetic culture by presenting the history of women in Korea, including the exhibition of traditional make-up tools. In 2006, in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of ties between Korea and France, the museum held a special exhibition titled “Nature-like Beauty, Cosmetic Culture of Korea”, which attracted much attention and applause at the Center Culturel Coreen in Paris, France. 

The Café Rainbow is the first of the nine lookout cafés along the Hangang River to be opened to the public. The 76.4㎡ café occupies the third and fourth floor of a four-story building (1st and 2nd floor to be used as a common space for an elevator and stairways). The Café Rainbow consists of a café, an outlook and an exhibition hall, all of which are centered around the theme of biking.The 3rd floor, which is used for theme promotion and marketing, is decorated with bike-related items and designed in accordance with the overall biking theme. Moreover, the café distributes information for free about Hangang River events and festivals while supporting programs and events related to bicycling. From the 4th floor, visitors can enjoy a picturesque view of the Hannam Bridge, and Namsan Mt., and at night, indoor lights will be lowered to provide the best lighting for the fantastic night view. The café's interior has many comfy chairs, and equipment for visitors to take a rest. The menu reflects the idea of overall health with a selection of healthy foods and beverages, the perfect match to a day of bike riding.

Samsung Innovation Museum is a business hall as well as the largest sized industrial electronics museum in Korea, displaying the growing steps of Samsung Electronics Corporation at a glance. It is located inside of Suwon Digital City where Samsung Electronics Corporation was initially established 47 year ago. Starting from the time when electronics were first produced to the current trend of cutting-edge smart devices, the electronic industry has become more and more innovative. This history of innovation and the future of electronics are reflected in the museum while looking at the various exhibition halls, comprised of History of Samsung, Seeds of Innovation, Core of Innovation and Inspiring Innovation. The halls of Samsung Innovation Museum give a meaningful experience to figure out what innovation really means.

Situated in Yeouido, the heart of politics, media, banking and finance, Yeouido Hangang Park is easily accessible via public transportation. As one of the most popular parks along Hangang River, the park attracts many visitors, residents, and office workers. The park offers exciting events year-round: the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival in the spring, the World Fireworks Festival in the fall, as well as concerts, and marathons. Well-preserved natural areas such as Bamseom and Yeouido Saetgang Tributary provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about nature and ecology. In addition, thanks to the Hangang Renaissance Project, the park is full of new attractions: the Water Light Square, Waterside Fountains, the Waterside Stage, Festival Land, the Piano Waterway, Waterfalls of Light, the Yacht Marina, and more. Facilities for the Handicapped: Free wheelchair rental services

Jamwon Hangang Park is located on the southern side of the river stretching from Yeongdong Bridge to Dongho, Hannam and Banpo Bridge. The total length is 5.4 km adjacent to Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu where the hottest places in Gangnam area such as Apgujeong-dong, Sinsa-dong and Jamwon-dong are located.The riverside area of the park has sports facilities including athletic tracks, soccer field, volleyball court, swimming pool, tennis court and a gym. Plus, there is a perfect bike land along the river side where you may enjoy the beautiful secenery of Hangang River while biking.Moreover, there are natural experience field for silkworms, flowers and butterflies. In the summer, people often visit here to enjoy exciting summer water sports like swimming, windsurfing, motorboat riding and more.

The Korean Embroidery Museum, which was founded in 1976, is privately funded by Heo Dong-Hwa, and is a place where you can view the artistry of women from the Joseon Period. Embroidery is a picture drawn on leather or cloth using needle and thread. Displayed in this museum are about 1000 works of embroidery by women from the Joseon Period (1392-1910). You can see Buddhist embroideries, cloth wrappers, various cloths, and pleated sheets featuring traditional Korean patterns and colors. Starting with the '500 Years of Traditional Korean Embroidery' exhibition at the National Museum of Korea, the Korean Embroidery Museum has had 20 different exhibitions in many prestigious museums in Japan, the U.S, and other countries, that have garnered much praise. It has been at the forefront of running exhibits outside the country and of letting the world learn about the beauty of traditional Korean embroidery. It also publishes books about traditional embroidering methods. The museum is highly recommended for all who want to experience the beauty of traditional Korean embroidery.

Regarded as the capital of Korea’s fashion industry, Dongdaemun Fashion Town is a fashion town that never sleeps. Reports state that 45% of Seoul’s foreign tourists have also visited Dongdaemun Fashion Town.The Dongdaemun Fashion Town Special Tourist Zone consists of both wholesale and retail markets. The town started as a traditional market for wholesale, but the advent of modern shopping buildings now allows shoppers to purchase either in wholesale or retail. Dondaemun appeals to many travelers as it is easily accessible by public transportation. The fashion town is conveniently located near Dongdaemun Station (Seoul Subway Line 1 & 4) and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Seoul Subway Line 2).Dongdaemun Fashion Town is more than just a place for selling clothes; the entire process, from planning to production also takes place here. The setting is preferred by young designers who are looking to challenge themselves. The surrounding area has also been revitalized through the positive ripple effects brought about by events and performances organized by the shops and malls in the town.The name of the town came from Dongdaemun Gate, originally called Heunginjimun Gate. The gate was built during the Joseon Dynasty and is located in the vicinity of Dongdaemun Fashion Town.[Dongdaemun Fashion Town Special Tourist Zone]Areas included: Areas around Dongdaemun Design Plaza, newly established and traditional MarketsArea size: 585,709 ㎡Tourist attractions: Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Chungmu Art Hall, shopping malls (Doota, Migliore, etc.), wholesale clothing mall and traditional market.

Dosan Ahn Changho Memorial Hall was established for the purpose of sharing the mind and spirit of Ahn Changho. It opened in November 1998 to mark the 120th anniversary of the patriot’s birth and the 60th anniversary since he lost his life serving his country. On the first floor of the building is Dosan Hall, which is used as an exhibition hall, multimedia room and reference room. One floor below is Daeseong Hall, which houses the secretariat and Dosan ideology research association. The floor below that is Jeomjin Hall, which is used as an auditorium. The memorial hall holds collections such as Dosan’s personal belongings and related materials and also hosts experience-oriented programs for students of all ages to educate them on the dedication Dosan had for his country, his people and for humanity. * Ahn Changho (Pen name: Dosan), who dedicated all sixty years of his life to both modernizing his country and to Korea’s independence movement, was a great leader and mentor to the Korean people. The Dosan Ahn Changho Memorial Hall was built to express the strenuous efforts, loyalty and bravery he demonstrated during his life in hopes for a better future. This memorial hall hopes to inspire patrons with the same direction and passion in life that Dosan had for Korea and humanity.