Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

The Gana Art Gallery is located on Mt. Bukhansan. This gallery has the largest floor space in the country. Designed by world-renowned architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, it reflects the best of modern, Western design. As Jean-Michel Wilmotte is the architect responsible for the design of the Incheon International Airport, the Gana Art Gallery should be considered an artwork itself. The interior has been built optimally for displaying art exhibits.The hidden lighting from the ceiling is luxurious and clean. The art center consists of three exhibit halls on two floors. The versatility of the exhibit halls allows many exhibits or events to be held. The first exhibit hall acts as a memorial of late artists, and displays their work. The second and third event halls are used for planned events. They are quite cozy despite their size. Plus they have a cutting-edge sound system and can hold classical or large musical performances and events with famous performers. The outdoor performance stage is also a noticeable feature of the Gana Art Center. With a capacity of about 300, it features many diverse events like musical concerts, dance, plays, and much more. The best part is that it is open to the public.The Gana Art Gallery has been built in the hills on the outskirts of Mt. Bukhansan, in order to display traditional Korean art in a beautiful setting. It shows how important the harmony of nature and art is to this place. Pyeongchang-dong, the district where it is located, is mostly a residential area, almost devoid of skyscrapers and business buildings. After looking around the gallery, taking a tour around town will help greatly in understanding the traditional culture of Korea.


Gyeonggi-do(Yongin-si) , Yongin

Wawoojongsa Temple was established in 1970 by Kim Hae-Geun, a monk who was displaced by the Korean War. The temple is not only a reflection of the monk’s sincere hope for the reunification of the North and South, but is also the birthplace of the Korean Buddhist Nirvana Order.There are over 3,000 Buddhist statues on the temple grounds, the most famous of which are the Buldu (Buddha heads) placed at the entrance and the Wabul (reclining Buddha statue) stationed in the middle of the mountain. The 8m-high Buldu is the largest of its kind and the Wabul, which is made from a juniper tree from Indonesia, is 3m in x_height and 12m in length. As the world’s biggest wooden Buddhist sculpture, the Buldu has been registered in the Guinness Book of Records.The temple is also home to a 5-Dhyani Buddha made of 30 tons of brass (taking decades to complete) as well as the 12-ton Bell of Unification (struck during the Seoul Olympics in 1988). Other attractions include a bronze statue of Buddha sitting with his legs half-crossed (the largest of its kind in the nation) and the nation’s only Sakyamuni Bulgohangsang statue.One of the other unique things about the temple is the Pagoda of Unification, located besides the stairs of the Hall of Nirvana. The pagoda is comprised of stones brought by visitors from various holy sites all over the world. Hence, the construction of the Pagoda is a never-ending progress. As a symbol of the pervading hope for world peace, a wide range of Buddhist statues from many countries including India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and Thailand are on display around the temple, allowing visitors to learn about Buddhist cultures from all over the world.


Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

Woljeongsa Temple, located on Odaesan Mountain in Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, offers temple stay programs for experiencing Buddhist culture. Activities include walking through the fir tree forest, touring the temple, trekking by Odaecheon Stream, and visiting the Buddhist hermitage on Odaesan Mountain.


Busan(Dong-gu)

This is the fastest way to go downhill from Sanbok road to Busan port. The stairs is known to be as tall as a 6-storey building, and there used to be 3 wells located at the bottom of the stairs. The flight of stairs has exactly 168 steps. Currently, there is only 1 well with drinking water, and on days when there is insufficient water, you may see locals waiting in line to draw water.


Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju-si)

The Jeonju World Cup Stadium was built just before the 2002 FIFA World Cup games. Its unique design comes from the Korean traditional fan, known as Hapjukseon in Korean. This fan (as seen in the picture below) represents the beauty of traditional Korean design. The stadium grounds cover an area of 562,929 m2, with 1 above ground level and 6 underground levels. This structure seats up to 42,477 people. The design of the stadium gives visitors a dramatic feeling as the rows of the stadium seems to blend effortlessly into the field.


Gyeonggi-do(Yongin-si) , Yongin

Ieyoung Contemporary Art Museum is a personal collection of art that features valuable works centered on humanitarianism. Entering the eco-friendly exhibition space, you will be met by works of contemporary masters, ranging from sculptures to Oriental and Western paintings. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery also holds hands-on art programs for children.The gallery is home to the largest collection of works by Park Sang-Gwang, a patriotic painter. In 2004, to mark the 100th anniversary of Park’s birth, the gallery created a foundation with the dual purpose of studying Park and his works and indentifying undiscovered traditional artists in Korea. Ever since the establishment of the foundation, the gallery had increased in both collection size and quantity year after year.


Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

Located on the highlands of Pyeongchang County where the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held, Uiyaji Baram Maeul (Uiyaji Wind Village) is a mountain village situated on top of Daegwallyeong. At Uiyaji Wind Village, one can enjoy various types of activities such as making cheese or ice cream as well as enjoying the beautiful sight of wind-mills standing high above the frozen plain. Also, visitors can try various food including memil-mandu (buckwheat dumpling), ongsimi-kalguksu (handmade knife-cut noodles with sweet rice dough soup), gamja-jeon (potatoes pancakes), memil-kalguksu (buckwheat knife-cue noodles), sanchae-bibimbap (seasoned wild vegetables bibimbap), and more.


Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju-si)

The city of Jeonju prides itself on its rich local culture and history of tradition. Residents are passionate about their heritage, especially when it comes to the arts. The Sori Arts Center of Jeollabuk-do exemplifies and celebrates these community values by regularly offering a full program of visual arts shows. An excellent venue for leisure activities, events, and gatherings, the building itself boasts a stunning architectural style that underscores the institution’s desire to increase art appreciation worldwide. * Foundation: September 21, 2001


Daejeon(Jung-gu)

Daejeon Modern History Hall opened to the public on October 1, 2013 at the former main building of Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Government, Daejeon (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 18). Visitors can see various scenes of history and the development of Daejeon over the past 100 years from the early 20th century to current times. Daejeon operates a planned exhibition hall, special exhibition showcasing history, architecture, design, folk style and other varied fields as well as a rotation exhibition. Also, touring the main building of Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Goverment, music concerts and various cultural education programs are available in this cultural complex. * Former Main Building of Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Government, Daejeon (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 18) * Filming site of movie "The Attorney (2013)"


Gangwon-do(Sokcho-si)

Biseondae is about a 300-meter walk along the mountain stream from Waseondae Rock. The view is quite beautiful, and after rainfall water cascades down large boulders. The name ‘Biseondae’ derives from the legend of a fairy who flew up into the heavens while admiring the area’s beautiful scenery. The grand scenery of rocks and cliffs seem like they are touching the heavens, and Biseondae has inspired many poets and scholars through the ages. Some of their writings have been engraved on the rocks and are preserved to this day. The trail from Sogongwon to Biseondae is an easy 3 kilometers and takes approximately 50 minutes.