Travel/Culture List

Yeosu City is nestled on the Yeosu Peninsula and the areas of Yeosu-si, Yeoncheon-si and Yeocheon-gun, which all have the same first character ‘려(麗) (ryeo)’ were combined as one into Yeosu-si as of April, 1998. Located at the entrance of the breakwater of Odongdo Island, the park embraces Namhae Sea (south sea). Thousands of evergreen trees and flowering plants spread out over the wide flats when approaching the peak by the steep staircase. The park has a 15m-high Yi Sun-sin statue, built in 1967 to honor his birth along with Jinnamje Festival, Jasangak, Chunghontop (memorial tower) and a fair view with a refreshing sea breeze. In addition, Ilchuljeong, Sunrise Arbor which was constructed in 1998, is beloved as a resting spot by many visitors.

Samcheok Culture & Art Center is a cultural complex located in Seongnam-dong, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do Province. The center opened its doors to the public on June 4th, 1994 with such facilities in place as grand/small theaters, outdoor performance stages and exhibition chambers.

Byeokbong Korea Jewelry Museum is dedicated to displaying and promotiong the jewelry work by royalty during the Joseon dynasty. Visitors can learn about the various styles and the meanings behind the designs.

Iljasan Mountain is the tallest peak in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, providing the western boundary between Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Iljasan Mountain is one of the best spots in Seoul to watch the sunrise. Located on the mountain is the house of Master Lee Jip (pen-name Dunchon), providing a good getaway spot for local residents. Lee jip was a loyal government official during the reign of King Gongmin during the late Goryeo Dynasty. He was forced to move to a underground tunnel in the southwest side of Iljasan Mountain to avoid entrapment by Shin Don, a person of influence at the time. While living in hiding, he took the pen-name Dunchon (meaning drawing back to the countryside) to symbolize the hardships he was going through. The nearby area was named after him, being called Dunchon-dong.

Geumsusan Mountain (altitude: 1,1015m) is located in Jeokseong-myeon, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. The mountain is also known as Minyeobong (beauty peak) because the mountain range, when seen from afar, is said to resemble a beautiful woman lying on her side. The mountain was originally called Baegamsan, but the noted Joseon-period scholar Yi Hwang (pen name, Toegye) renamed the mountain Geumsusan (silk embroidery mountain) when he was the chief governor of Danyang County, saying its graceful features matched the fineness of silk embroidery. Geumsusan Mountain is considered as one of the “Eight Scenic Views of Danyang” with visitors flocking all year round to enjoy the scenic mountain landscapes carpeted with royal azalea blossoms in spring, greenery in summer, foliage in autumn, and snow in winter. In the vicinity is a seaside filming location of Korean historical dramas. The Geumsusan Mountain Gamgol Maple Festival is held in this area every October.

Hobakso Pond (호박소) sits on the hillside of the 885 meter-high Mt. Baekunsan (백운산) located in Milyang, Gyeongnam Province. The pond is located at the base of a 10-meter-high waterfall and is named after hobak, a grain-grinding tool. The circumference of the pond is around 30 meters and it is quite deep. In olden days, the pond was a spiritual place where people would pray for rain. Surrounded by white granite rocks, the area is a scenic place of natural beauty, free of any kind of pollution. Visitors can also look around nearby Baengnyeonsa Temple, Hyeongjeso Pond and Ocheonpyeong Rock. * Eoreumgol (Ice Valley) Eoreumgol (얼음골), or the Ice Valley, refers to the 30,000 m² valley area that stretches from the 600-meter level to 750-meter level on the northern side of Mt Jaeyak (also known as Mt Cheonhwang). In this mysterious valley, water freezes during the peak of summer and begins to melt around the end of the summer season, but never freezes during the wintertime. Designated as Natural Monument No.224, Eoreumgol is under the official protection of the government.

Daecheongho Obaengni (500-ri) Road is a 220km walking path passing through the Daejong (Dong-gu, Daedeok-gu) and Chungcheongbuk-do (Cheongwon, Okcheon, Boeun) areas. The road passes Daecheongho Lake, small streams, trekking roads, a forest trail, an old path, and much more. The "obaengni" (500-ri) from the name of the road comes from the distance from Seoul or Busan to Daecheongho Lake, which is 500-ri. Several mountains at an altitude of 200-300m and lots of greenery surround Daecheongho Lake. The area also has a date course, a meditation course, a trekking course, a family trip course to experience rural culture and cultural exploration, a bike course and other themed courses. The road was awarded an Asian Townscape Award by the UN-Habitat Program. Near the road are tourism attractions like the Daecheong Dam Water Culture Center, Daecheongho Sculture Park, Daecheongho Art Museum, Daecheongho Natural Ecology Center and others. In addition, there are historic cultural tourism spots like Cheongwon Cheongnamdae, Munui Cultural Properities Site, Boeun Songnisan Mountain, Okcheon Dujunbong Peak, and the birthplace of Jeong Jiyong and Yuk Yeongsu.

Nadeul-gil means a leisurely outing (nadeuri) road. Comprised of 19 courses in total, the Ganghwa Nadeul-gil Trail offers a variety of historical assets and cultural sites to see. Each Nadeul-gil course connects Ganghwa Fortress outposts that are located every 1.3 km on high ground along the walking paths. The trails are on the island of Ganghwa which holds many Goryeo Dynasty remains that are important to Korean history. Fortresses that stood against Mongolian invasions are still standing and many of the Goryeo Kingdom’s palaces and royal tomb sites are also found in Ganghwa region. Exploring the major cultural heritage sites dispersed throughout the town can be just as fun as exploring Ganghwa’s natural beauty. The sunset on the Seohae (West coast), expansive open mud flats, views from Marisan and Goryeosan Mountains and the peaceful farming villages are just a handful of the sights along this walking trail. The establishment of Ganghwa Nadeul-gil’s begins with the ancient scholar Go Jae-hyeong (pen name Hwanam), who left his hometown Ganghwa on a spring day in 1906 when the peach trees were in full bloom. He walked through more than 100 villages around the whole island. Back home, he composed poems about his journey and published them under the title of “Simdo Gihaeng (Simdo Travels),” Simdo being another name for Ganghwa. During his travels, he sang songs of his home Ganghwa. Thanks to his work, people can now follow in the footsteps of Hwanam and his appreciation of the beautiful scenery and great people of Ganghwa Island.

Soyangho Lake (소양호), one of the biggest manmade lakes in Korea, along with Chungjuho Lake (충주호), was created in 1973 when the world’s fourth largest dam, Soyang Dam, standing 123 meters high, was constructed. The 60-kilometer watercourse connecting Chuncheon and Inje is a route along which you can enjoy the beautiful hills and streams of Naeseorak. In the Inje section, upstream of the lake, there are various species of fish such as carp, crusian, leather carp, mandarin fish and pond smelt, attracting many tourists and fisherman. Fishing spots are found in areas such as Gunchukgyo Bridge, Bupyeong, Gwandae-ri, and Sangsunaeri Fishing Pier. Also, from December and March when a portion of the lake near Gunchukgyo Bridge freezes, you can bore holes through the ice sheet and enjoy ice-fishing for pond smelt.  

Originally built in Geumseong to the north of Sunheungbu administrative district in Yeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Sunheunghyanggyo Confucian School moved to Wiya-dong to the east of the district in 1718 and moved once again in 1750 to its current location. Facing southward, this ancient Confucian school is located at the foot of a mountain with river flowing in the foreground. It can be reached by crossing the Jukgye Jaewolgyo Bridge from Geumseongdan Altar and taking the path on the left before turning left at Cheongdari Village Hall to walk a little further up the road. Currently housed within Sunheunghyanggyo are valuable materials related to Confucian schools.