Gyeongsang-do Travel Guide

Jeonju Hanok Village is located in the city of Jeonju and overlaps Pungnam-dong and Gyo-dong. There are over 800 traditional Korean 'hanok' houses. While the rest of city has been industrialized, Hanok Maeul retains its historical charms and traditions.Jeonju Hanok village is especially beautiful for its roof curves. The roof edges being slightly raised to the sky is unique. Hanok houses are generally divided into two sections, Anchae and Sarangchae. Anchae is also known as Gyusu room, and is furnished accordingly. Sarangchae is where the men dwell, and is referred to as the Seonbi room. Because men and women have to remain separate, Anchae is situated deep inside the house so that it is secretive and quiet.Another trait of Hanok is that all the houses are heated with the ondol system, a unique sub-flooring heating system. Since Koreans enjoy sitting, eating, and sleeping on the floor, it needs to remain heated. A part of Hanok has been set aside so that tourists can experience traditional Korean life, called Hanok Life Experience Hall. You can enter the Seonbi room and the Gyusu room to experience the warm floor first-hand. An advantage of this system is that it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.The food provided is very traditional, which adds to the traditional ambience. At Jeonju Hanok Village, visitors can enjoy traditional Korean life and traditional foods like bibimbap, the most well known dish from the Jeonju region. 

Hwangnam-style bread was first made by Choi Yeong-hwa in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju, in 1939. The Gyeongju Choi family has a rich history of baking and rice cakes with red bean, and has passed on the secrets of their trade from generation to generation. When it came time for Choi Yeong-hwa to learn the family recipe, he added his own special touch, creating the Hwangnam Bread Koreans know and love today. Hwangnam Bread is made using red beans grown in Korea, and is widely recognized across the nation. The handmade artisan bread is made without the use of any artificial sweeteners or preservatives, and boasts a rich flavor with just the right amount of natural sweetness.  

Gyeongju World Amusement is the largest themed park in the southern area. The park's most famous facility is X-Zone featuring exciting thrill rides including rollercoasters Phyton, Mega Drop, Tornado, and Grand Canyon as well as King Viking and Submarine Splash. People who don't enjoy roller coasters will still have fun at the park in Wizard Garden (kids zone), California Beach (summer only), and the large-scaled ice sledding site (winter only). The various rides, diverse convenient facilities, and restaurants will fulfill every visitors’ tastes.

Mammoth Bakery, serving fresh baked goods for the last 40 years, has been recommanded by Michelin Green Guide South Korea. The most popular items are seasonal pies (strawberry pies and blueberry pies), cream cheese bread, and citron pound cake. Macaroons, morning breads and cakes are also customer favorites.

Naejangsan is a famous mountain in the Jeolla-do province, and the best mountain in Korea for viewing autumn’s crimson leaves. The park is 76,032 sq. km. in size and became a National Park along with Baekyangsa District on Nov. 17th, 1971. The name Naejang means 'many secrets' in the mountain. Because of the bright crimson leaves that blanket Naejangsan Mountain’s fall scenery, the mountain is also referred to as "Geumgangsan of Honam."Inside the park, there are famous waterfalls, such as Dodeok Falls and Geumseon Falls, and temples such as Baekyangsa and Naejangsa temples. If you follow the valley left of the ticket booth, you can see the waters of Dodeok Falls, cascading down the cliff. If you go further along the valley you can see the waters Geumseon Falls where even the gods have supposedly bathed. Baekyangsa Temple is both majestic and serene, surrounded by Gulgeori trees that retain their lush green leaves even in winter, and also the Bija trees. Along with Baekyangsa Temple, the Naejangsa Temple is the place to visit during the fall for its lovely autumn leaves. Besides these, there are about 760 kinds of local plants, designated Natural Monuments, and various wild animals living inside Mt. Naejangsan Park.The Park is beautiful not only in the fall, but also in the spring when the azaleas and cherry blossoms bloom, in the summer when the green mountain turns greener, and the winter when the rock cliffs cover themselves with snow. All throughout the year, different kinds of wild flowers bloom here.

Named after Silla King Muyeol's daughter, Princess Yoseok, Yosokkoong serves traditional Korean food. The resturant is run by the Choi family, who settled on the site of Princess Yoseok's house in the Joseon Dynasty, and has passed on the restaurant and family recipes through 12 generations. All the foods served are made with organic ingredients, for a healthy taste that cannot be found anywhere else.

Pohang Jukdo Market first started as a small gathering of local vendors who sold their wares at the large fields of reeds in Pohang Inner Harbor. Now, over five decades later, the market has become one of the largest traditional markets in the Gyeongsangbuk-do area (on the east coast). Along with the Pohang Jukdo Market, visitors will also find the Jukdo Fish Market, only 500m away from Ogeori (the heart of Pohang). The largest open-run market in the east, the seafood wholesale market is made up of 200 raw fish stores, offering the area’s best catches. Nearby restaurants sell quality sashimi dishes at incredibly low prices and in the wintertime visitors can get a taste of Gwamegi, a local specialty of the Pohang area.

Cheomseongdae is the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia. Constructed during the reign of Queen Seon-deok (632-647), it was used for observing the stars in order to forecast the weather. This stone structure is a beautiful combination of straight lines and curves, and was designated as National Treasure No.31 on December 20th, 1962. Cheomseongdae was built in a cylinder shape with stones 30cm in diameter. 362 stones were piled up to make 27 levels. Roughly 4.16m up from the bottom there is a 1㎡ square entrance and a space to hang a ladder under it. The inside is filled with soil up to the 12th level, and the 19th, 20th, 25th, and 26th levels all have long rocks hanging on two areas, shaped as the Chinese letter '井' (jeong). It stands 9.17m high and the base stone on each side measures 5.35m. The Vernal Equinox, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice and the 24 solar terms (also known as the astronomical solar year) were determined by the observation of stars. The pavilion stone is believed to have been used as a standard of deciding directions, north, south, east and west. The 362 stones used to build Cheomseongdae represented the 362 days in a lunar year.

Jindo Island is the third largest island in Korea, next to Jejudo and Geojedo Island. It is made up of 250 smaller islands, and it is famous for the appearance of a dry road in the middle of the sea, near the end of February and mid June of the lunar calendar. As it resembles a passage in the Old Testament in the Book of Exodus, the event is called “The Miracle of Moses”. When the water recedes, a road about 30-40 meter wide and 2.8 km long appears, which stays for about an hour before being submerged again.Jindo Island has some legends which are still popular today, especially that of “Old Woman Bbyong of Hoedongri”. A long time ago, there were many tigers on Jindo Island. When tigers began appearing frequently in the village, the people fled to Modo Island. In the process, only the old woman Bbyong ended up remaining on the island, so the lady prayed everyday to Yongwang, the god of the ocean, to let her see her family again. Around February, Yongwang appeared to her in her dream and said, “I will send a rainbow to the sea tomorrow; ride it and cross the ocean”. The next day old woman Bbyong went out to the sea and prayed again, and the seawater parted as the rainbow road appeared. Through this road, her family and the other villagers came back to the island. Therefore when the sea parts, the people celebrate this phenomenon by holding the Yeongdeung Festival to remember the Old Woman Bbyong. During the Festival, original folk plays of Jindo Island are performed and draws many tourists into Jindo Island. 

According to the historical records of Samguk-sagi, Wolji Pond was built during the 14th year of King Munmu (r. 661-681 AD) of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-935 AD). Small mountains were created inside the palace walls, beautiful flowers were planted, and rare animals were brought in to create an exquisitely exotic garden fit for royalty. The pond was originally built in Wolseung Fortress (built in 101 AD during the Silla period), but the fortress was destroyed and now lies in ruins.In 1974, an excavation project revealed large spherical shapes (measuring 200 meters in diameter and 180 meters in x_height) which indicated that 3 islands had been located in the pond. Thanks to these important findings and existing historical records, Wolji Pond has been restored to nearly its former glory.ImhaejeonjiAs one of the detached palaces of the Silla royal family’s main palace, this structure was used as the crown prince’s palace. Imhaejeon is historically the most important building on the property and records often refer to the whole area as ‘Imhaejin.’An excavation resulted in the discovery of several buildings: Hoerang (corridor area) and five towers in the western part of the area. Some sites have been restored while others have been left in their natural state with only the cornerstones poking out from beneath the ground.

Seonunsa Temple was built during the Baekje Dynasty (18 BC-678 AD). It was originally a very large temple, but much was lost during the Jeongyujaeran (the 2nd Japanese Invasion in 1597). Seonunsa Temple includes the treasured relics of Daeungbojeon, Manseru, Yeongsanjeon, and Myeongbujeon Pavilions, together with four additional Buddhist grottos that include Dosoram.Soenunsa Temple is famous for its camellia flowers. On the low hill behind the Daeungbojeon Pavilion, there are numerous camellia trees. In the spring, the brilliant camellias shower Seonunsa Temple in vibrant colors. These flowers, which frequently appear in literature as well, are designated as Natural Monuments. Seonunsa temple is also known for its beautiful surroundings throughout the year. In the spring, cherry blossoms, and in the summer sangsa flowers decorate the road to the Dosoram area, and fall leaves and winter sceneries are beautiful as well.The Budo Field, a gathering place for monks' relic is another must-see spot at Seonunsa Temple. There are Budo fields at other larger temples, but those in Seonunsa Temple are located in a lush grove with several small Budo towers that blend beautifully with the surrounding trees. You can also see Jinheung Cave and the huge Maaebul (rock-carved Buddha) when you visit the Dosoram area.

Mireuksa was the largest Buddhist temple of the ancient Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-660 AD). According to Samgukyusa (historical records published in 1281), King Mu (30th king of Baekje, in power 600-641 AD) and his wife Queen Seonhwa were said to have seen a vision of Mireuksamjon (the three Sanskrit) emerging from a large pond. At the time of their revelation, the king and queen were on their way to visit a Buddhist monk in Sajasa Temple on Yonghwasan Mountain (now known as Mireuksan Mountain). In response to their vision, the king drained the nearby pond and established Mireuksa Temple. The temple is believed to have shown the most advanced architectural and cultural skills of Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo (the three main kingdoms at that time). Records indicate that King Jinpyeong of Silla even sent his craftsmen over to assist with the temple construction.The two main features of the Mireuksa Temple Site are the stone pagoda (Mireuksaji Seoktap) and the flagpole supports (Mireuksaji Dangganjiju). The 14.24-meter-high west stone pagoda (National Treasure No. 11) is the oldest and largest Korean stone pagoda in existence. The west pagoda currently has only six tiers, but is estimated to have originally had nine. The nine-story east stone pagoda (27.67m in x_height) was restored to its original stature in 1993 based on historical records. Other surviving landmarks include the flagpole supports (Treasure No. 236) to the south of the stone pagodas. The 395 centimeter-tall poles are estimated to have been created during the Unified Silla period (676-935 AD) and are set 90 meters apart from east to west.

Daehan Dawon Tourist Plantation is an area located in Boseong, and its main specialty is green tea which originated from the mountain valleys south of Boseong. Boseong has been a tea plantation area since the days of the Japanese occupation, and with its long history comes large plantations, their traditions, and highly skilled workers. The most famous of these is the Daehan Dawon Plantation. The site has gained popularity as a film making destination after a huge success of the commercial for a telecommunication company. It also host ‘Dahyangje Tea Festvial’ each year in May.The road leading to Daehan Dawon Plantation is very beautiful, full of green tea fields and cedar trees, which has been  There are several country roads in Korea known for their beauty, and one of them is the Boseong Cedar Road. Trees 20 meters in x_height are planted and lined evenly along both sides of the road. About 300 meters down the road you can see a market selling local products. If you go further along the road past the market, you come to a small pond on the right. Go around the pond, and you will come to the administrative office building, coffee shops and restaurants. Pass these buildings and you will finally arrive at the Daehan Dawon Tea Plantation. Go passed the buildings and on the left side you will see the cedar road again. On the other side of the road, in the middle of the tea field, there are stairs where you can climb to a big tree at the top of a hill. You can see the whole tea plantation from here.

The name of Samangeum signifies the breakwaters that enlarge and freshen the Mangyeong•Gimje Plains, famous for their fertile soil.

The Jeonju National Museum was established in 1990 as an institute for the research, preservation, and exhibition of Jeollabuk-do’s most prized cultural treasures. The museum houses over 30,000 artifacts, a majority of which were excavated from the Jeollabuk-do area, and has on exhibit over 1,300 pieces spread throughout 5 exhibition halls and 1 outdoor exhibition hall. The museum also serves as a venue for numerous cultural activities and educational programs, providing visitors with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Korea’s proud history.

[Steam Engine Train]A steam engine train was built to be an exact replica as the one that used to run in the region. The train runs 10km between the old Gokseong Station (Seomjingang River Train Village) and Gajeong Station. Passengers can enjoy the scenic view of lush greenery along the Seomjingang River and flowers alongside the roads at springtime.* The train runs 3 times a day on weekdays and 5 times a day on weekends and holidays. (3 times during winter) (The number of train rides per day is subject to change)* Ticketing: Online reservation and ticketing on the site[Rail Bike]1) Seomjingang River Rail BikeThe rail bike runs alongside the Seomjingang River from Chimgok Station to Gajeong Station.* Online reservation available2) Train Village Rail BikeCircular rail bike runs inside Seomjingang River Train Village* Bike rides available in the order of ticketing at the site

Hahoe Mask Museum is located in Andong Hahoe Village, which is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Important Folklore Material No. 122. Hahoe Village is a representative traditional Korean folk town and is the home of the Hahoe Mask (National Treasure No. 121) and the Byeolsin Gut Mask Dance (Important Intangible Cultural Properties No. 69). The museum not only displays Hahoe masks, but also other traditional masks from all over the world. The museum consists of a 1-story main building, a two-story annex building, an outdoor event garden, and a research room. The research room houses a wide range of books, documents, and video-audio materials related to masks. At the museum, you’ll encounter time-honored Korean masks that have long since been used in a variety of traditional mask dances. Masks include Bongsan, Gangnyeong, and Eunnyul masks from Hwanghae-do province; Sandaenori masks (Yeongju Byeolsandae and Songpa Sandaenori) from Seoul; Yaryu (Dongrae Yaryu, and Suyeong Yaryu masks) and Ogwangdae (Goseong Ogwangdae, Gasan Ogwangdae, Tongyeong Ogwangdae masks) from the Yeongnam region; Hahoe masks from Andong; Yeonghae Byeolsin Gut masks; Yeonggwang Nongakjapsaek masks; Yecheon Cheongdan Noreum masks; the Gangneung Gwanno Mask of the Gangneung Dano Festival; the Deotboegi mask of Namsadang nori; and Cheoyong, Bangsangssi ceremonial masks.