Gwangju Culture & Art Center is located in the northeast of Gwangju-si and includes a range of representative cultural pieces from ancient times to the modern era. The Art Center is affiliated with several museums nearby including the Gwangju National Museum, Jungoe Park, the Municipal Folk Museum, and the Gwangju Museum of Art.
The 4,145-pyeong / 13,700 square-meter center consists of a main stage for performance art, 10 practice rooms, 8 electrical rooms, an auditorium with 1,792 seats and over 600 pyeongs / 1,983 square meters of lobby space. The center, as a performance art hall complex, supports all types of art including opera, ballet, modern dance, theater, and Korean traditional opera. It is set amidst the beautiful Unamsan Mountain area and serves as a soothing getaway for urbanites.
Seongjubong Recreational Forest offers basic facilities for recreation and relaxation, including seven forest cabins, the Hanbang Forest Rest Facility with 11 rooms, 76 camping sites and five tent sites.
It also has seminar halls, a group training center, a forest education center, pavilions, a water playground, and more.
Janggyeongsa Temple was designated as Gyeonggi-do Cultural Property Material No. 15 in 1983. Originally 9 temples were located in Namhansanseong Fortress but only the four temples of Janggyeongsa Temple, Gaewonsa Temple, Gukcheongsa Temple remain today. Janggyeongsa Temple is situated 2km north from the East Gate of Namhansanseong Fortress. It has a tranquil ambience even though the temple is close to Seoul so visitors can feel the peaceful mood of a mountain temple.
When construction began on Namhansanseong Fortress in 1624 (2nd year of King Injo's reign), the king made a Buddhist military group from the eight provinces to participate in fatigue duty in assisting to build temples in the 3rd year of the king. Including Mangwolsa Temple and Okjeongsa Temple, previously existing accommodations of Buddhist military, Gaewonsa Temple, Hanheungsa Temple, Gukcheongsa Temple, Cheonjusa Temple and other new temples were built in 1638 (King Injo, 16th year). Janggyeongsa Temple is the only remaining temple which was established at that time.
Located in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Changwon Marine Park celebrates the nation’s marine history and culture. Major facilities at the park include the Naval Battle History Hall, the Warship Exhibition Hall, and the Marine Life Theme Park.
Exhibit Hall Information
Naval Battle History Hall (2-stories/1,880 square meters):
- 1F: hands-on exhibition rooms about naval battles of the East and the West
- 2F: themed exhibitions “Marine Force and Naval Force” and “Jinhae, the Advanced Marine Base.”
Warship Exhibition Hall:
- Highlights: US naval destroyer used during Korean War (size: 119m by 35m/weight: 2,500 tons), 321-ton warship, 110-ton high-speed vessel, exhibit of daily life of naval personnel, exhibit of ship interior (engine room, captain’s cabin, strategy room, etc.), warship gun “experience”
Marine Life Theme Park (3 stories/shell-shaped building):
- Highlights: hands-on experience room, video room, and special exhibition room about marine ecosystems
Muan Tidal Wetland Research in Muan, Jeollanam-do was established in an effort to raise awareness of the ecology and importance of natural wetlands. It is the nation’s largest educational center for natural ecology. The center consists of a three-story indoor exhibition hall as well as a wetland ecology park spanning 48,100㎡. Inside the exhibition hall is a multi-purpose theater that plays 3D educational videos. A tour of diverse facilities including the wetland eco-center and the tidal wetland exploration center is also available inside the hall. Outside the exhibition hall is a wetland ecology park and experience zone, where visitors may observe various ocean creatures and salt water plants.
Hansan Mosi (Ramie Fabric) Museum, where you can experience Hansan ramie fabric and Hansan Sogokju
The Hansan Mosi (Ramie Fabric) Museum opened in August 1993 to preserve and promote the tradition and techniques of weaving ramie fabric. The 85,000 m2 area consists of Mosigak (a shrine), workshops, an education center, the Hansan Sogokju brewery, the Folklore Exhibition Hall, etc.
In the exhibition hall inside the education center are books about the history of ramie fabric, looms, tools for weaving ramie fabric, ramie fabric items, etc. The workshops demonstrate the process of making ramie cloth including making raw ramie thread called 'taemosi,' splitting thick raw ramie thread, connecting and aligning split ramie thread, starching it, and weaving it on a traditional loom. About 250 local cultural artifacts displayed in the exhibition hall show what the life of Koreans was like in the past. Every year, the exhibition hall displays new Hansan ramie clothes designed in modern styles. There is a shop that sells various ramie fabric products including ramie cloth. You can enjoy the Hansan Ramie Fabric Festival in May or June every year.
Dosun Dawon Tea Plantation is Korea's first tea plantation to build and operate a modern tea-manufacturing factory. The plantation is an eco-tourism destination that aims to contribute in reducing carbon dioxide and improve the local economy through green tea production. Despite the large field that covers an area of approx. 264,400 ㎡, Dosun Dawon Tea Plantation is not very well known among tourists. However, the plantation is frequented by photographers who visit to take snapshots of the vast field against the backdrop of Hallasan Mountain or Jeju's beautiful ocean.
Gangneung Green City transformed a coal yard into an example green city as a representation of the natural resources available in Gangneung. The site uses only natural energy gathered through solar panals and geothermal heat pumps. The Gangneung Green City Experience Center provides a space for visitors to spend the night while they take part in various experience programs to learn more about clean energy, including the science and usability of clean energy in daily life.
Sokcho Culture Center is a cultural facility located in Yeongrang-dong, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do Province. The center was formerly known as Ilbok Cultural Center, and first opened its doors to the public in 1977 with a 342-seat capacity. The cultural center currently consists of a main building and an annex building. The main building houses a grand theatre with fully-equipped lighting and sound systems, and practice rooms. The annex building has a small conference room, exhibition chamber, cultural room and administrative office.