Travel/Culture List

Jeonju has been a major producer of quality hanji paper for more than a thousand years. In keeping with this proud tradition, the Jeonju Traditional Hanji Center aims to preserve traditional paper-making techniques and become a mainstay in the hanji industry. More than 80 percent of the paper produced at the center is exported to Japan while the rest is used in Korea. The center produces, exhibits, and sells hanji used for calligraphy, Oriental paintings, and crafts, as well as special “yellow earth” wallpaper hanji and charcoal hanji, said to provide certain health benefits.

Seoul is enveloped by mountains, consisting of Bugaksan, Namsan, Naksan, and Inwangsan to name a few major peaks surrounding the city. Bugaksan, the mountain located to the north of Seoul, is the highest among these and is a southern offshoot of Bukhansan Mountain. It is also referred to as Baegaksan. Seoul Fortress Wall runs along the mountain ridge and Changuimun (also called Jahamun), one of the four small gates surrounding the castle town during the Joseon Dynasty, is on the west side of the mountain near Inwangsan Mountain. Running between Changuimun and Arirang Hill in Jeongreung, Bugak Skyway is a scenic road overlooking downtown Seoul; it also passes through a variety of attractions such as Changuimun and Bugak Pavilion. Another attraction is Samcheong Park at the southern foot of Bugaksan Mountain. Inwangsan Mountain (to the west of Bugaksan) and Naksan (to the east) were considered ideal locations, according to the philosophy of Feng Shui. Known for its rugged granite, Inwangsan Mountain was the site of many tigers attacks during the founding of the Joseon Dynasty. According to legend, the king entreated the mountain deity to send the tigers across the Yalu River. Even though the tigers were banished from Inwangsan, one female tiger bearing babies was allowed to remain on the mountain. The babies, subsequently multiplied and made Inwangsan a feared place, full of tigers. Inwang Skyway connects the east of Inwangsan to Bugaksan. The eastern side of Inwangsan was turned into a posh residential area while Guksadang (literally "National Shrine") was moved from Namsan to an area west of the mountain in the 1920s. Even today, shamans perform exorcisms at the shrine, as well as rituals honoring the mountain deities.

Opened on June 10, 1994, the Busan Marine Natural History Museum is the first and largest museum of its kind in Korea. The museum features some 25,000 marine specimens from over 100 countries around the world, including rare living species and those native to Korea. The museum opened a second exhibition hall in April 2003, and launched the Busan Fishing Village Folk Museum on February 23, 2007. Marine life on display in the museum The major exhibits of Busan Marine Natural History Musem include the largest existing man-eating clam, arapaima (the largest living freshwater fish), oarfish (a legendary fish that is said to live half of the month in the mountains and the rest in the sea), whale fish (the largest living of the fish species), jumbo squid (the largest of sthe quid species), a blade bone fossil of a dinosaur, piranha (an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers), sturgeon (toothless bony fish species, whose eggs are often eaten as caviar), water monitor (the second largest species of lizards), alligator snapping turtle (giant turtle with strong teeth and a violent temper), spur-thighed tortoise (the third largest turtle in the world) and more!

Located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum of Korea presents over 4,000 historical artifacts that were used in the daily lives of ordinary Korean people. Here you can fully immerse yourselves in previous domestic and agricultural lifestyles, and learn about Korea’s cultural beliefs. The National Folk Museum of Korea has three permanent and two special exhibitions as well as a library, souvenir shop, and other subsidiary facilities.

World Cup Park was built to commemorate the 17th FIFA World Cup, held in Korea. Opened May 1st, 2002, the park was once a 15-year-old landfill that held over 92 million tons of garbage. It took 6 years to stabilize the waste (measures were taken to prevent the garbage runoff from contaminating the environment) and an additional year to build the actual park itself. The park is located near Seoul World Cup Stadium, and is made up of five smaller parks including Pyeonghwa 'Peace' Park, Haneul 'Sky' Park, and Noeul 'Sunset' Park. The park takes up a 1.05 million-pyeong area and is usually crowded with in-line skaters. * Pyeonghwa Park: Closest to Seoul World Cup Stadium, it holds a pond, garden, children’s playground, and forest. It is often used as a picnic area and place for nature studies. * Nanjicheon Park: Nanjicheon Park was developed from the Nanji Stream, which flowed under Haneul Park. It was once overflowing with sewage runoff from the nearby landfill, but it has since been beautifully restored into a park with clear water. It contains an outdoor stage and various sports facilities. * Nanji Hangang Park: Nanji Hangang Park was developed on the banks of the Hangang River. It contains a campground, soccer field, basketball court, grass field, cruise ship port, and an area for nature studies. * Haneul Park : Of the 5 World Cup Parks, Haneul Park is at the highest elevation. Once a mountain of garbage, it is now a green hill with 22 lookout points offering breathtaking views of Seoul, Namsan, Bukhansan, and Gwanaksan Mountains. 5 wind-powered generators provide power to the park and the park’s maintenance office. During the Seoul Eulalia Festival, the park is open until late in the evening * Noeul Park: Noeul Park contains a 9-hole golf course and takes up a vast area of land that was once a landfill. The park was constructed as a grassland because too much development may have caused damage to the environment, due to the buried waste. It offers a scenic view of the Hangang River and its beautiful sunset.  * Operating hours [Pyeonghwa Park & Nanjicheon Park] Open all year round [Haneul Park & Noeul Park] Based on sunset time Park closing time: Jan 20:00 / Feb 20:30 / Mar 21:00 / Apr-May 21:30 / Jun-Aug22:00 / Sep 21:00 / Oct 20:30 / Nov-Dec 19:30 *Last admission 30 minute before park closing

Yongin Agricultural Theme Park spans an area of 120,000㎡ to offer a special venue for people living in the city to experience the farming life and a pleasant refreshing area for family groups alike to help them raise the quality and conditions of life.It is comprised of wild flower gardens, a crop educational center, garden of flowers and winds, a flowering tree garden, acupressure path, nut pine path, and herb gardens that give nostalgia of the faming ambience. Also, a two-story building of farming culture exhibition hall is available with an area of 1,426㎡ that showcases the farming industry of past, present and future. Visitors can try their hand at using old farming machines at the permanent hands-on program site as well as visit the insect exhibition hall and zoo.

The Gwangju Museum of Art was established on August 1st, 1992 and has been under the management of the Gwangju Biennale Committee ever since the opening of the Biennale Hall in 1995 and the incorporation of the Biennale Support Headquarters in 1996.On display at the museum are 560 pieces of artwork ranging from those by classic Korean artists like Heo Baekryeon, O Jiho, Yang Sua, and Im Jiksun to works by modern artists. As part of its efforts to revitalize the region’s art industry, the Gwangju Museum of Art regularly holds various exhibitions and cultural and educational programs.The Gwangju Museum is divided into 3 sections: the Main Hall, the Education Promotion Center, and the Biennale Hall. There are 18 galleries and 2 visitor lounges. Other facilities include a bookstore, which sells books and magazines on art, and an art information center about domestic and overseas exhibitions.

Wolhwawon Garden at the west point of Hyowon Park, located in Paldang-gu of Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, is known for unqiue style resembling Chinese elements. With a concept heavily influenced from ancient Guangdong Province of China, visitors can easily experience a Chinese culture from this grandeur establishement without having to travel far. The story of how the Chinese garden came to the Korean soil begun with a special memorandom of agreement (MOU) made between the provicial governments of Gyeonggi-do (Korea) and that of Guangdong (China) in October 2003. In appreciation of each other's cultural heritages and the friendship, both parties agreed to build traditional gardens of the counterpart, in each city. Following the agreement was the construction of Wolhwawon on June 15, 2005 and thereafter the opening to the public as of April 17, 2006. In a detailed note, this replica is similar to those largely found from Yeongnam region of China. The grand site not only inspires visitors to this garden, but also offers enjoyable views of the man-made mountain and lake located outside, visible through the building's windows. The artificial fountain in particular, was built with a pavilion modeled after a ship. Following the traditional architectural style of buildings in Guangdong province, Chinese poems and words are also found in multiple places written in white, over blue bricks and wood. Roofs were made of bricks, wood and lime combined.   About 80 Chinese laborers came to Korea in June 2005 to build this garden of 6,026㎡ (1,820 pyeong), costing about 3.4 billion won in completion, and the incurred fee was beared by the Guangdong province. Consequently, based on the MOU, Gyeonggi-do on the other hand constructed a 'Gyeonggi Garden' in Yuexiu Park in Guangzhou province, China, which became open to the public in December 2005. The garden was remodeled after Soswaewon Garden, a traditional Korean garden currently located in Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do.  

The Kim Koo Museum & Library was built to show and express the life and thoughts of Kim Koo (1876-1949), also known by his pen name Baekbeom, who was a great teacher to the people of Korea. He dedicated his life to establishing an independent, democratic, and unified homeland with an developed culture.

Founded in 1999, the 105 square-kilometer Korea Botanical Garden grows approximately 1,300 Korean native plants. The Garden is composed of the Indoor Exhibition Hall, Herb Garden, Cultivation Area, Ecosystem Garden, Singal Mountain Path, and Theme Garden. On display are potted plants in the Indoor Exhibition Hall, fragrant herbs such as wild chrysanthemum and chamomile in the Herb Garden, gregarious plants like iris and aster koraiensis in the Cultivation Area, naturally mixed plants in the Ecosystem Garden, and plants with human or animal names, such as the pasque flower, in the Theme Garden. The two kilometer-long Singal Mountain Path, where Mongolian oak trees mingle with azaleas and rhododendron, is a very popular walking course.The Korea Botanical Garden distributes flower seeds to all visitors when they buy tickets, and all types of native flowers can be purchased at the store. Also in the Garden are convenience facilities such as Cafe Bian, serving tea and ice cream, as well as rest rooms and benches. The best season for visiting Korea Botanical Garden is from June to August.