Travel/Culture List

Miryang Museum features cultural items and materials of the Nakdonggang River area. The purpose of the museum is to effectively preserve, exhibit, and acknowledge the history and culture of the area through collecting, researching, investigating and organizing the items on display. In addition, the museum was established to enhance cultural nostalgia and contribute to social education. The museum is comprised of several halls, including a permanent exhibition hall and a temporary exhibition hall, showing the history of the Miryang area during the Samhan era and the Joseon Dynasty. Collections include various cultural assets designated by Gyeongsangnam-do, as well as an exhibit-style storage of literary works, and folk and daily relics. Other attractions are located in the exhibition of fossils and Independence Hall. The fossil exhibition hall, located inside Miryang Museum, contains 244 items collected from throughout the world. At the Miryang Independence Hall, visitors can come to know the historical independence activists such as Kim Wonbong and Yun Seju, who are from Miryang. The hall exhibits the major movement that took place in Miryang in March 13, 1919, as well as the bombing incident of Paris-Jangseo Sogeon, which took place at Miryang Police Station. All the items on display here help visitors take in and appreciate the modern history of Miryang.

Unlike most streams on Jeju Island that can easily run dry, Gangjoencheon Stream, located to the east of Gangjeon Village in Seogwipo-si, flows with clear water all year round. The stream streches 16km in length and has 7 small tributaries, 6 bridges and 13 waterfalls. The old pine trees and unilquely formed rocks and stones on either side of the stream make for great natural sightseeing. The stream is home to sweetfish and groups of mandarin ducks, which are natural monument No. 327. During the summer vacation period, the stream is crowded with vacationers thanks to the clean water and relaxing environment.

Chungnam Asan’s Yeonginsan Natural Forest (영인산자연휴양림) is situated on Yeonginsan Mountain in Yeongin-myeon, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. The facilities include the Forest Cabin, a sled site, water play site, playground, an arboretum, trail course, and more. Visitors of all ages can enjoy spending time in the forest.

Hoeryongpo Village (회룡포) is surrounded by the winding Naeseongcheon River, a tributary of the Nakdonggang River. The village offers views of a beautiful landscape created by the twists and curves of the river, while the best views of the scenic nature are at Jangansa Temple or Hoeryongdae Hill on Mt. Biryongsan. This village is jar-shaped, surrounded by the river, its pristine waters and white sandy shores. The white sands give way to trees, and there is a well-developed farm further inland. There were almost 20 households in this village about 7-8 years ago, but now, only 9 households remain. It takes less than an hour to tour the entire village. The village is famous for ecological hands-on programs (a filming location of the mega-hit TV drama ‘Autumn in My Heart (2002)’).

Situated in Sanpo-ri (Uljin), Mangyangjeong is a beautiful pavilion near Mangyang Beach. King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty, upon seeing the paintings of the “Eight Scenic Sights in Eastern Korea,” picked the pavilion as the best one among them; he wrote Gwandongjeilru (the best pavilion in Eastern Korea) by himself and let it hang in the pavilion. While it was located in Hyeonjongsan (Mt. Hyeonjong), Mangyangjeong was moved to the current spot in 1858 and rebuilt in 1958. Surrounded by lush pine trees, the pavilion lets visitors overlook Mangyang Beach, Wangpicheon Stream and the sea. It has also been a renowned spot to see the sunrise and the moon. The name, Wangpicheon Stream, originates from the fact that the King found a refuge there or that he stayed there for summer vacation. Mangyang Beach has a shallow depth and narrow x_width, but it is relatively warm among beaches on the East Coast. Surrounded by pine trees, the beach is quiet year-round, making it a pleasant site to walk around. When the waves are calm, visitors can see Turtle Rock prostrating itself on the sea. The beach is a popular destination for summer travelers thanks to numerous nearby attractions including Seongryugul (Natural Monument No. 155) and Bulyeong Valley.

Daeijakdo Island is 44km away from Incheon, and 200m east of Soijakdo Island. Although it is a small island, it has beautiful scenic views, clear water, white sandy beaches, and a dense Haesong Forest (black pine forest). There are 4 beaches on the Daeijakdo Island: Keunpulan, Jageunpulan, Mokjanggol, Ddeneomeo (Gyenam). All are covered with fine sands, and have a gentle slope. Apart from swimming in the calm waters of Daeijakdo Island, visitors can also enjoy digging for clams.

Inje Hwangtae Village, with its excellent winter landscape, is known for its dried hwangtae (Pollack), which repeatedly melts and freezes with the fluctuations in the weather, giving it a delicious chewy taste. Covered with snow, the area is worthy visiting in the winter to enjoy all it has to offer. While walking around the site, visitors are able to listen to the story of its background, and how myeongtae becomes hwangtae (dried Pollack) after passing through the hand of thirty one people. Nearby is Maebawi Rock, which has a metal path perfect for beginners, and it is also visited by advanced climbers for ice climbing in the winter months.

Gwaneumgul Cave is thought to be the most beautiful cave in Korea. It has a reputation of being a must explore cave by not only Korean scientists but throughout cave academia around the world. The underground water flows from the entrance all the way to end all year long producing around 15,000 ㎥per day. The cave also has 4 waterfalls along the way with the largest being 9m high. The cave is full of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as straw soda, columns, flowstones, cave corals, aragonite crystals and more. The cave has total of 24 different types of living organisms, making a desirable cave for academic research.

Dopiansa Temple was built by the Buddhist Monk Doseon in 865, the 5th year of the reign of King Gyeongmun of the Unified Silla Period. Legend has it that Monk Doseon founded this temple because a 91 centimeter-tall seated iron Vairocana Buddha statue had disappeared while being carried to Anyangsa Temple in Cheorwon and was mysteriously found seated at the current site. The temple was named Dopiansa to indicate that the iron-made Buddha statue had reached “pian,” meaning an eternal place to rest. In addition to the legendary iron Variocana Buddha statue (National Treasure No. 63) made by Monk Doseon, the temple houses a 4.1 meter-tall three-story granite pagoda (Treasure No. 223).

Gwangjuho Lake is located at the base of the Mudeungsan Mountain, which creates a beautiful view. Many people come to the lake not only for the relaxing setting, but also for the great fishing. Near the upper stream of the lake there are beautiful arbors built during the Joseon Dynasty that display the traditional garden culture of that time. One of these arbors is the Sikyeongjeong Pavilion, a historic site written about by Jeong Cheol, a famous statesman and poet during Joseon Dynasty.