Gwangju(Buk-gu)

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.


Gwangju(Buk-gu)

Gwangju Family Land is an amusement park equipped with dozens of exciting rides as well as recreational facilities such as a swimming pool, an ice rink, and a sledge park. Spanning 290 acres of land, it is the largest urban amusement park in all of Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do Provinces. The amusement park also offers entertainment courses designed for couples, families and children.


Gwangju(Nam-gu)

Saji Park is well landscaped with various trees and flower beds. Around April 15th every year, cherry blossoms are in full bloom creating a splendid scene. During this time, the municipality of Gwangju installs lighting in the trees for citizens to enjoy the blossoms late into the night. The park has become established as a favorite rest area for Gwangju citizens.The park houses several attractions including a memorial for national heroes, the Gwangju Broadcast Station (KBS), the Memorial Tower for Policemen, Yeonpajeong Pavilion, the Gwandeokjeong shooting range, and the Palgakjeong Pavilion overlooking downtown Gwangju. The various trees, shrubs, and flowers offer an inviting atmosphere for an outing.


Gwangju(Dong-gu)

A Window of Asian Culture Facing the World The Asia Culture Center (ACC) is an international arts and cultural exchange organization that produces new, future-oriented results through the convergence of Asia’s past and present arts and culture with innovative ideas and beliefs. Having the context of artistically sublimating the significance of the May 18th Democratic Movement’s human rights and peace as its point of departure, the ACC, which opened in November 2015, is a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism–affiliated institution established for the advancement of mutual understanding and cooperative growth with different Asian countries through exchange, education, research, and other efforts with regard to Asian culture. The ACC plays the role of an integrated platform for participants from Asia and the rest of the world to freely unite and exchange their ideas while transcending boundaries in carrying out the steps of research, creation, and production. At the ACC, diverse and dynamic programs (exhibitions, performances, education, festivals, and other events) using collected research data, resources, etc., are held year-round with the creative output of experts from various fields who have exchanged their creativity and ingenuity with one another.  


Gwangju(Dong-gu)

Gwangju Folk Museum opened in 1987 as the largest museum operated by a city government in Korea. It was established for the purpose of preserving valuable Korean folk relics and putting them on exhibit to increase the public's cultural awareness of them. The museum displays the rich and colorful lifestyles and folk culture of Korea's southwestern regions including Gwangju and Jeollanam-do. The first floor of the museum displays food, clothing, housing, livelihood, and handicrafts while the second floor showcases folk games, traditional customs and folk religions. The museum also utilizes miniature and diorama displays to recreate scenes from the past.  A total eight videotech systems in the museum allow people to enjoy vivid demonstrations of the region's nine intangible cultural relics.


Gwangju(Buk-gu)

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.


Gwangju(Gwangsan-gu)

The major gateway to the Honam area, Gwangju Airport is located about 5.8 kilometers to the west of Gwangju City Hall. The Gwangju Airfield was built in Hak-dong, Gwangju on November 16, 1948, and the first private aircraft (a DC-3) was operated there on February 10, 1949. The airport was moved to its current location on January 10, 1964, after which passenger services like the passenger terminal and taxiway were constructed. Since the 1990s, the airport has been operated by the Korea Airports Corporation and now consists of a passenger terminal, a freight terminal, a runway, a taxiway, a parking ramp, and parking facilities with space for up to 933 cars.


Gwangju(Nam-gu)

Designated the ‘No. 1 Gwangju Metropolitan City Folk Material’ on March 20, 1989, the House of Lee Jang-woo is an upper-class, tile-roofed house with a gate, storeroom, servants’ quarters, detached building, and main building. Estimated to have been constructed in 1899, the house was originally owned by Jeong Byeong-ho, but has been primarily known as the House of Lee Jang-woo, the house’s current owner, since 1965.The L-shaped main hall of the historic building is rather large and consists of (left to right) a wooden verandah, a small room, a hall, the main room, a kitchen, and another small room. Doors that lead to ondol rooms (those heated by traditional Korean floor heating) are double doors with a sliding door on the inside and a hinged door on the outside. The hall has partitions that can be hung up as necessary. Overall, the house is a sturdy example of Korean architecture and remains well-preserved in its original state.


Gwangju(Nam-gu)

The Yangnim-dong Missionary Cemetery is the final resting place of 23 missionaries who brought Christianity to Gwangju and led the movement to free the nation from under Japanese colonial rule. Yangnim-dong in Gwangju Metropolitan City was the main area in which Priest Bae Yu-ji and Dr. Clement Owen carried out their work as the first missionaries to Jeollanam-do Province. As part of his outreach, Priest Bae Yoo-ji established the Jennie Speer Memorial School for Girls. Clement Owen dedicated himself to serving the church and providing medical care along with his wife, who was a nurse. Nearby is a monument dedicated to Priest Bae Yoo-ji and the Owen Memorial Building, built in honor of Dr. Clement Owen and his grandfather. Both memorials are cultural assets and particularly prized by locals of the Christian faith.


Gwangju(Dong-gu)

Located on the western foothills of Mudeungsan Mountain, Jeungsimsa Temple is a representative temple of Gwangju. First founded by Buddhist monk Cheolgamseonsa Do Yun in 517 (Silla Kingdom), the temple was remodeled by Buddhist monk Hyesoguksa in 1094 (Goryeo Dynasty) and again by Kim Bang in 1443 (Joseon Dynasty). The temple was burned down during the Imjin Waeran War (Japanese Invasion, 1592-1598) and was reconstructed in 1609 by three Buddhist monks: Seokgyeong, Sujang, and Dogwang. It underwent several additional restorations before being destroyed again by fire during the Korean War (1950-1953). Most of the existing buildings, including Daeungjeon (main temple building), were rebuilt in the 1970s.Jeungsimsa Temple is home to a large number of valuable cultural assets: Obaekjeon (hall of 500 Arhats); Cheoljo Birojanabul Jwasang (seated metal Buddha statue, Treasure No. 131) enshrined in Birojeon (Saseongjeon) Hall; a three-story stone pagoda from the latter Silla Kingdom (Gwangju Tangible Cultural Property No. 1); Beomjonggak Pavilion; Beomja Seven-story Stone Pagoda engraved with Beomja (ancient Sanskrit); and more.