Gwangju(Seo-gu)

The 5·18 Memorial Park was established to remember the May 18 Democratization Movement. Covering an area of 204,985㎡, the park houses various historical and cultural facilities, including the 5·18 Library, 5·18 Cultural Center, Education Center, Daedong Plaza, Owoldae Tower, and other memorial sculpture and monuments. The park is also home to Mugaksa Temple and walking paths.


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  


Gwangju(Buk-gu)

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.


Gwangju(Seo-gu)

The Shinsegae Department Store, located in Gwangju-si Seo-gu, offers a place of high-class shopping. A large lobby, a gallery and information center illustrate its convenience facilities for customers, while high-quality brand names fill the various shops for a refined shopping culture. Furthermore, the cultural center on the ninth floor offers state-of-the-art facilities for lectures and friendly services for a healthy and productive cultural lifestyle.


Gwangju(Gwangsan-gu)

This restaurant specializes in black dubu (tofu) dishes like heukdubu bossam (steamed pork with black dubu), heukdubu tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork with black dubu), and biji pajeon (spring onion and dubu curd pancake). It is particularly famous for its heukdubu made in the traditional way using black beans and bossam dishes. The steamed pork with dubu nicely combines the softness of black dubu and the chewiness of the pork. A slice of steamed pork and some old kimchi are eaten together with the nutty black dubu. The old kimchi, seasoned vegetables, mustard leaf kimchi, fresh green peppers and traditional doenjang are delicious with a deep flavor of the Namdo region. Those who don’t enjoy meat can order heukdubu (black dubu), which is still warm right out of the mold. Enjoy the dubu with the dressing flavored with various seasonings and vegetables.


Gwangju(Gwangsan-gu)

Located in Gwangju City, the Banana Hotel offers various convenient services including 24-hour room service and a clean environment. All the guestrooms are well-equipped, including WiFi, and the hotel provides foreign language services, too. As the hotel is only 10 minutes’ drive from Mudeungsan Mountain National Park, many tourists visit the area. In addition, the hotel is just ten minutes’ drive from the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall and 20 minutes’ drive from Metasequoia Road and the Juknokwon Bamboo Garden in Damyang County.


Gwangju(Dong-gu)

With a proud 20-year history, Arirang House is famous for its kimchi, which won a prize at the first Kimchi Festival. In 2003, the restaurant collaborated with Shilla Hotel and Paradise Hotel and successfully hosted a royal cuisine demonstration event, contributing to the promotion of Korean cuisine. Arirang House serves delicious Korean cuisine in an elegant style. The food is carefully prepared by 11 chefs, including the chef who has thirty years of experience. The kitchen is divided into the side dish team, the special dish team, and the main course team to prepare a total of thirty or so specialized dishes. The flavors are enhanced by using only the freshest natural ingredients and not using any artificial seasonings. Prices vary by course, and each course comes with raw beef, samhap (a combination of three special foods), assorted raw fish, and steamed short ribs. The bossam kimchi (kimchi with slices of steamed pork) is also one of their specialties.


Gwangju(Buk-gu)

Located in Gwangju City, the IAM Guesthouse offers a clean and cozy atmosphere that is perfect for guests seeking relaxation. The guesthouse aims to help guests create great memories during their stay and also provides a free breakfast service. As it is situated opposite Gwangju Station, guests can easily find the guesthouse and use public transportation. The tourist attractions in Gwangju include Mudeungsan Mountain, which is well-known as the local people’s spiritual mountain. The famous local foods are Namdo Hanjeongsik, a Jeollanamdo style of Korean Table d’hote, tteokgalbi (Grilled Short Rib Patties), and so on.


Gwangju(Nam-gu)

Jeongjagol is a Korean restaurant located in Gwangju. The restaurant exudes a traditional Korean ambiance. The interior is adorned with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, decorations, and medicinal herbs. Its main menu item is its set meals that comes with porridge, salad, seasoned vegetables, bulgogi, grilled fish, braised meat dishes, dongchimi kimchi, fermented seafood, crab fermented in soysauce, and rice in sizzling stone pot. Also popular is the sogalbisal-gui (grilled beef short ribs), which is marinated in an organic sauce made with medicinal ingredients, pear, and honey.


Gwangju(Seo-gu)

The business hotel Nox, located in the Sangmu District, the center of business and culture in Gwangju City, offers guests the cleanest, kindest hotel services. Featuring a high-class interior and a cozy atmosphere, the hotel guarantees comfortable relaxation for tourists. The hotel is just three minutes’ drive from Gwangju City Hall, governmental offices, and the Kimdaejung Convention Center; ten minutes from Gwangju Airport; and fifteen minutes from the KTX Songjeong Station. In addition, the hotel offers a simple breakfast free of charge for all its guests, and free Internet and WiFi in all its rooms. Moreover, facilities for copying, printing, and faxing are available at the hotel.