Gwangju(Buk-gu)

Gwangju Design Biennale is hosting with the theme of ‘Design x Shin Myeong’ for 30 consecutive days. This year’s festival aims to find new designs for the future and suggest ways to interpret futuristic designs. Visitors will be able to learn how the design changes the daily life through various exhibitions.


Chungcheongnam-do(Taean-gun)

Mongsanpo Beach, part of Taean Coast National Park, stretches 18km southwest of Seosan, 9km south of Taean and along the west coast of the Nammyeon Peninsula. Mongsanpo's white sand beach is around 3-km long and has a 5-degree tilt. The water is 1~2m deep with an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.The beach is surrounded by a dense forest of pine trees. The  pine tree forest along the beach serves as a good autocamp location to enjoy some fresh air and the natural beauty of the surroundings. During low tide, the muddy sediments deposited by the tide provide a place for children to learn about the world of creatures living on, in, and under the mudflats while catching clams and mud crabs at the same time.A 1km drive towards the western direction while passing throug the spectacular tree tunnel created by pine trees brings one to Mongdaepogu Port (몽대포구) where a number of fishing boats are docked. Near the port, one can find a number of small seafood eateries to enjoy some freshly sliced raw fish at reasonable prices.


Gyeongsangnam-do(Geoje-si)

Travelling from Hakdong Pebble Beach to Hammok Beach, one can glimpse the quaint village of Dojangpo Maeul. This quiet fishing village is comprised of charming little houses as well as a small ferry port. The strong ocean winds can be felt from the top of the hill overlooking Dojangpo Maeul. This hill is referred to by locals as “The Hill of Wind” or “Mangneungjandi Park,” but has yet to take on an official name. This spot is one of Geojedo’s best kept secrets. The green grass spreading across the hillside is spotted with wild flowers in the springtime and has a dreamy quality to it. Little goats can even be seen taking a rest along parts of this picturesque hillside. Visitors can sit on one of the benches overlooking the magnificent vistas. “Hoejeon-mongma” (meaning Carrousel in English) is just one of the many television shows that has been filmed here. Even though this spot has attracted many fans of TV shows shot here, it is still considered one of the hidden treasures on the island of Geojedo. The spring weather of April through June is the perfect time to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy this scenic hillside. ​


Gyeongsangnam-do(Tongyeong-si)

Chungnyeolsa Temple was built by 7th Admiralty Commander Lee Un-nyong in 1606 upon the order of King Seonjo during his 39th year of rule in 1606. The temple, which was meant to commemorate Admiral Lee Sun-sin's loyalty and brilliant exploits, houses the memorial tablet of Admiral Lee. The temple has five gates: Naesammun, Jungmun, Oesammun, Jeongmun, and Hongsalmun. There are other significant structures inside the temple as well. Dongjae and Seojae, the place where food for ancestral rituals were prepared can be found inside Jungmun Gate. Located inside Oesammun Gate are Sungmudang (administrative office) and Gyeongchungjae (lecture hall). On both sides of the gate are six pavilions housing memorial tablets, including the tablet of Admiral Lee. Outside the gate are Ganghallu Pavilion and the exhibition hall. The sign with the words "忠烈祠" hanging on Jeongchim and Oesammun was written by Munjeonggong Song Sun-gil and bestowed by King Hyunjong. Total area: 9,067.8m², Building area: 727m² Exhibition hall: 115.7m²


Gangwon-do(Gangneung-si)

The waters of Guramy spa come from hot springs located 500 meters underground. The hot spring waters are perfect for children and old-aged patients since they contain very little salt and are therefore hypoallergenic. The waters are believed to be effective against neuralgia, muscular pains, and even women’s diseases.Visitors can also drink the hot spring waters, which can help digestive ailments such as constipation. In addition, Guramy Spa’s hot springs water is said to gently soothe the skin to eliminate skin irritations, reduce pains, and is even great for dandruff problems.


Gyeonggi-do(Goyang-si) , Ilsan

First built in 132 during the Baekje Era (BC 18-AD 660), Bukhansanseong Fortress, located inside Bukhansan Mountain National Park, was rebuilt as a stone fortress in 1711, during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The walls are 7 meters high, and 8km long. Bukhansanseong Fortress functioned as resting place for kings in emergencies when they had to abandon their palaces in the capital city and retreat. Therefore, Bukhansanseong Fortress was built to stand totally independent of the capital city.There are 15 gates to guard the fortress. With its 120 rooms, it was not as magnificent as the king’s palace, but enough for an emergency mountain palace. Especially making use of the ridgeline continuing on south from Baegundae Peak, Bukhansanseong Fortress was built to take advantage of the rough terrain and the cliffs of its surrounding area.The fortress has the fortification style representative of the Joseon Period, and its traditional architecture blends in beautifully with Bukhansan's scenery, famous for its lovely granite shapes. The fortress enclosure allows you to follow its walls on a leisurely walk. In the fall, the leaves turning color on the mountain make the fortress very picturesque.


Gangwon-do(Samcheok-si)

Janghohang Port is just 25km from downtown Samcheok. The port is famous for its round beach line and white sand shore and is known as the “Naples of Korea.” From the beach, Janghohang Port offers excellent views of unique rock formations in the sea. Being that it is a port town, it is a rich provider of seafood such as abalone, seaweed and sea cucumber. It is also known as an excellent place for recreational fishing.Janghohang Port provides many opportunities for a diverse array of activities. Visitors have the option to hop on a real fishing boat and join the crew for some deep sea fishing, where fresh catches can be filleted on the spot. The port also provides tours of sea farms and the chance to cast off with a cuttlefish angling boat at night in hopes of catching squid.


Gwangju(Buk-gu)

Gwangju Biennale is an international contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years. Taking place in 2014, the event marks 10th anniversay and will celebrate the importance of being together though the theme of “Burning Down the House (터전을 불태우라).” It will bring together many different people, different times, various roles in arts production, and numerous different positions toward power such as exist  in various social, political, and cultural situations. The biennale consists of an exhibition, several workshops, e-journals, books, and various programs such as residency programs and new commissions. [About the 2014's theme] Burning Down the Houseexplores the process of burning and transformation, a cycle of obliteration and renewal witnessed throughout history. Evident in aesthetics, historical events, and an increasingly rapid course of redundancy and renewal in commercial culture, the Biennale reflects on this process of, often violent, events of destruction or self-destruction―burning the home one occupies―followed by the promise of the new and the hope for change. In the 1930s the critic Walter Benjamin coined the term ‘Tigersprung’ (the tiger’s leap) for a new model of history where the past is activated in and through the present within a culture industry that demands constant renewal. What can the ‘Tigerspung’ mean for today’s ‘tiger economies’ like South Korea in a context where economic and political powers deliver the eternally new of fashionable commodities and industrial progress at the apparent expense of a cultural past? Burning Down the House looks at the spiral of rejection and revitalization that this process implies. The theme highlights the capacity of art to critique the establishment through an exploration that includes the visual, sound, movement and dramatic performance. At the same time, it recognises the possibility and impossibility within art to deal directly and concretely with politics. The energy, the materiality and processes of burning ― the manner in which material is changed and destroyed by flames into the residue of dramatic interventions or remnants of celebrations ― have long informed artistic practice. The transformative powers of fire are central to the way in which this exhibition has been imagined. -Courtesy of Gwangju Biennale Foundation