Gangwon-do(Donghae-si)

Mureung Valley, which spans from Dutasan Mountain and Cheongoksan Mountain, refers to a four-kilometer stretch from Hoamso Pond – where, according to legend, a tiger drowned to death – to Yongchu Falls, located upstream.The waters of Mureung Valley flow over wide sheets of rock and into the cracks between them, forming a large and particularly nice pond along the path. Starting at Mureung Rock, a wide sheet of single rock on which hundreds can sit, the valley twists and turns around Samhwasa Temple, Haksodae Falls, Okryudong, and Seonnyeotang Ravine, all the way to Ssangpok and Yongchu Falls, providing breathtaking scenery along the way. Also known as Arcadia, scholars and poets frequented the valley in times past, and the 5,000 squar meters of Mureung Rock bears the inscribed names of some of these poets and their work. The valley offers a medley of curious-looking rocks and stones, and other odd scenery that attracts many tourists. 


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Hwanghakjeong Pavilion was built in 1898 by decree of King Gojong’s. It was originally set up close to the northern wall of Hoesangjeon in Gyeonghuigung Palace for archery practice. In 1922 when the Japanese colonial government sold buildings of Gyeonghuigung Palace to the public to build Gyeongseong Middle School in the location, the Hwanghakjeong Pavilion was bought and restored at the current location, which is an old site of Deunggwajeong Pavilion located to the North of Sajik Park. It is relatively large for a pavilion, but the structure is plain and simple. There is a well behind the pavilion to the southwest. A rock behind the well has an engraved poem about eight beautiful scenes of Hwanghakjeong. Located to the right of the pavilion building (northeast of the building) is Hancheongak Pavilion, which has unique roof. To the west of the pavilion is Sauhoegwan Hall that was built with reinforced concrete.


Gyeonggi-do(Yongin-si) , Yongin

Beomnyunsa Temple, located at the foot of the Munsusan Mountain in Yongin, Gyeoggi-do, consists of the Hall of Sakyamoni, the Hall of Paradise, the Hall of Kwan-yin, the Hall of Josa, Samsunggak Shrine, Beomjonggak Shrine, Yosachae, and a place of mediation for Buddhist nuns.The sizable 130-pyeong Hall of Sakyamoni was built in an open form of the Chinese character "亞" ("ah") in a Southern Buddhist style. The hall, made of indigenous red pine tree from Baekdusan Mountain, contains a 53-tonne stone Sakyamoni Statue (three times bigger in size than the Buddhist statue in Seokguram Grotto) and a 33-tonne stone Munsu Bohyeon Buddhist Saint Statue. On the left wall are 104 Sinjungnim (guardians of Buddhist law) as well as a Dongjin Boan Buddhist Saint Statue. There are also 1250 Buddhist saint statues, symbolizing the devotion of Buddhist followers.The temple also holds a three-story stone pagoda from the late Unified Silla Era, and is registered as Cultural Asset No. 145.As of March 2009, the temple also began offering a temple stay program.


Chungcheongbuk-do(Jincheon-gun)


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Bonghwangdae is an ancient tomb of Silla located in the tomb cluster of Nodong-dong. The tomb is an impressive 82 meters in diameter and 22 meters in x_height, making it look more like a hill than a tomb due to its humongous size. Though said to be the tomb of a king, this has not been verified since the tomb has never been excavated. The name “Bonghwang” (meaning “phoenix”) comes from the legend of Wanggeon and the geomancer. Wanggeon was waiting for the fall of the Silla Kingdom and decided to seek the help of a geomancer. The geomancer said that the kingdom of Silla was shaped like a ship and that this “ship” must sink in order for the kingdom to fall. After promising Wanggeon that he could sink the ship of Silla, the geomancer sought an audience with the king of Silla. The geomancer told the king that the land of Silla resembled the shape of the Bonghwang (phoenix) and that the bird was about to fly away, which would bring about the ruin of the kingdom. The king, who had been worrying about domestic affairs, believed the geomancer and asked him for a solution. The geomancer told the king that if he made a hill that looked like an egg at the capital city, the “bird” wouldn’t fly away, but would stay to protect her egg and the kingdom. As a result, the king made of lot of ancient tombs, one of which was the sizable Bonghwangdae Tomb. Legend has it that Silla truly was shaped like a ship, not a phoenix, and all these tombs symbolized the “overloading” of the ship, leading to the eventual ruin of the kingdom. After the fall of Silla, Wanggeon rose to power and later became the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty.


Gyeonggi-do(Siheung-si)

Siheung Gaetgol Eco Park in Gyeonggi-do features the nation's only inland beach along the shores of a river that ebbs and flows with the ocean tide. The park offers the chance to learn about the traditional salt-making techniques, as well as the many unique flora that grow here. The park was designated as a national marine & wetland protected area in February 2012.


Jeju-do(Seogwipo-si) , Seogwipo

Sanbangsan Mountain is the result of violent volcanic activity some 700,000 to 800,000 years ago and is in fact a huge body of lava. The cliffs on the southern side of the lava dome are marked with a rich variety of curious formations such as weathering pits and talus scree slopes, some of which are as high as 200m. As its name ‘sanbang’ – literally meaning ‘a cave inside a mountain’ – suggests, this mountain contains a cave, which is located about 150m above sea level and has a spectacular view out over the ocean. Due to its close location to the sea and its high elevation, the peak is often ringed with clouds. The upper slopes of the mountain have their own distinct climatic conditions and are protected for their value for botanical research.The Sanbangsa Temple and also the Bomunsa Temple, which holds the relics of Buddha, are also located on the mountain. Walk along the stone-steps between the two temples and you will find the Sanbanggulsa Grotto. A signal beacon called ‘Yeondae’ in Korean stands at the roadside in front of the mountain, which, in the past, used to fire and smoke to relay urgent messages. Regarding function, it is similar to the more well-known ‘Bongsudae’ signal beacons; but ‘Yeondae’ beacons were built around hilly or coastal areas while ‘Bongsudae’ beacons were built on mountain tops. During the daytime, smoke was used to send warning signals, while fire was used at night.*x_height above sea level: 395.2m/ x_height above ground-level: 345m/ Circumference: 3,780m / Area: 988,332㎡/ Diameter 1,314m


Jeju-do(Jeju-si) , Jungmun Resort

Jeju Starlight World Park and Planetarium is a theme park that was established in 2009 for advancing research and studies in astronomy. Today, it is also used as a center for public astronomy education.The Park features a main observatory with a 600㎜ Cassegrain's reflecting telescope, and a subsidiary observatory with one 80㎜ refracting telescope, one 157㎜ refracting telescope, five 200㎜ reflecting telesctopes, and one 200㎜ catadioptric telescope. Additionally, it has 4D theater, a planetarium, a two-story exhibition hall showcasing outer space journey, as well as several meeting/conference facilities. There is also a sundial and two observation binoculars on the outdoor square.


Jeollanam-do(Yeosu-si)


Gyeonggi-do(Pocheon-si) , Pocheon

Bears Town Resort lies on the outskirts of Seoul. The ski slopes of this large leisure resort have been officially approved by the International Ski Federation. Bears Town Resort is a great destination for beginners; ski lessons are available, there are broad beginner slopes, and the comprehensive rental system allows you to rent all the equipment you need. Those skiers who are more experienced, however, will be able to enjoy the FIS approved 88 Challenger Slope. Bears Town Resort has a total of ten ski slopes and eight ski lifts, which can transport up to 15,200 skiers per hour. The resort also has numerous sledding hills.Getting to Bears Town Resort from Seoul couldn’t be easier, as the resort provides a free shuttle bus (reservations required). For more information, please visit the resort’s homepage.