Daejeon(Yuseong-gu)

The name ‘Spapia’ is a combination of the words ‘spa’ and ‘utopia.’ The sulfur hot springs in the Daejeon area started to gain attention around the end of the Baekje Dynasty. Hot spring water used at Spapia is brought up from 20-400m underground and contains around 60 different minerals, void of heavy metal content. The water quality is of such high quality and is so well-known for its wonderful health benefits that even Taejong and Taejo, kings from the Joseon Dynasty, visited the hot springs. Hotel Spapia is located in Daejeon Yuseong-gu Bongmyeong-dong (Yusung Hot Spring Tourism District). In addition to 218 spacious guestrooms (the largest in the spa district), the hotel has Western and Korean restaurants, various banquet halls, a large parking lot, and high-speed internet and a personal safe in each room. The hotel is also known for hosting the Korean soccer team for 6 days during the 2002 World Cup when Korea was preparing for its game with Italy.


Daejeon(Dong-gu)

The Daecheongho Natural Ecology Center in Chu-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon highlights the natural ecosystem of the Daecheongho Lake, which was created by the damming of Geumgang River in 1980. Daecheongho Lake is the third largest lake in Korea and boasts a reservoir measuring a surface area of 72.8 square kilometers, a circumference of 80 kilometers, and a capacity of 1.5 billion tons of water.The Daecheongho Natural Ecology Center stands on a plot of land alongside Daecheongho Lake spanning 8,270 square meters; the building itself (B1-3F) measures 1,488.5 square meters. The first floor houses an event hall, a storage room, and a theater showing videos on the natural ecology of Daecheongho Lake. On the second floor, there is a folk history center and ecology center boasting specimens of fish, insects, and plants native to the lake. The third floor houses an environmental center where participants can learn about the importance of recycling and protecting the lake’s water quality. There is also an observatory from which to view Daecheongho Lake and an outdoor ecology pond, wildflower beds, a small zoo, a mushroom center, an insect center, and a forest classroom.


Daejeon(Yuseong-gu)

The Currency Museum of Korea is the first museum in Korea to be dedicated solely to modern and ancient currencies. The museum (est. 1988) is operated by the Mint Corporation of Korea as part of its non-profit public services and is open to visitors free of charge with a view of increasing public knowledge of the nation’s currency. The museum features a total of 120,000 pieces including: coins currently in use both in Korea and overseas; coins from modern times (from the Late Joseon Dynasty until today); 80 types of commemorative coins; 88 types of ‘special money’; postage stamps, and other materials.Exhibition Room 1 presents a wide selection of coins from both ancient eras and modern times, with many of the coins dating back to the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. Coins on display in this room include Geonwonjungbo (996), the first coin ever minted in Korea; Haedongwonbo (1097); and Sangpyeongtongbo, the most widely used coin during the Joseon Dynasty. Other displays include commemorative coins from past Olympics, special coins, charms, amulets and Lydian currency, the world’s first-ever alloy coin minted around 670 BC.Exhibition Room 2 (Exhibition of Bills) displays a wide variety of bills by era as well as information detailing the production process of a banknote (from the manufacturing of the paper used to the finished product). Exhibition Room 3 shows how authorities spot counterfeit money while Exhibition Room 4 has a wide selection of stamps, medals, and currencies from over 120 different countries around the world including Russia and North Korea.


Daejeon(Seo-gu)

Ungno Lee Museum of Art is the neat little white building surrounded by pine trees, located next to the Daejeon Museum of Art. The museum was designed by French architect Laurent Beaudouin, to commemorate the life and work of the artist Goam Ungno Lee (1904-1989), who devoted his whole life to the modernization and globalization of Korean tradition through architecture. The 4 halls in the museum give the feeling of all flowing together into one continual, unified space. The building pays homage to Lee’s life and works, dating from his early ventures to his final days.Just as Goam’s work epitomized the harmony between East and West, it is very interesting to note that the architecture of the museum reflects the combined efforts of Ungno Lee, the Korean artist, and Laurent Beaudouin, the French architect. In March 2010, ‘Sudeoksa Temple Museum of Art,’ the first Buddhism Museum of Art opened in Sudeoksa Temple in Yesan, also showcasing the life and work of Goam. 


Daejeon(Daedeok-gu)

The Gyejoksan Mountain Red Clay Trail is an eco-healing walking trail which can be found on the nation’s first mountain with a barefoot walking theme, Mount Gyejok. In 2008, it was considered as one of the ‘33 travel destinations to go back to’ by travel journalists. About 500 children from 100 different countries who took part in the United Nations Children's Conference on the Environment, and Republic of Seychelles President James Michel have also gone barefoot walking on Mount Gyejok. Visitors can walk on red clay and breathe in the fresh aroma of pine trees while enjoying a view of downtown Daejeon from Gyejoksanseong Fortress, which was built during the time of the Three Kingdoms. The trail helps restore the health of the body and soul and gives visitors a therapeutic and unique experience. This 14-kilometer long trail is situated at an altitude between 200 meters and 300 meters above sea level. In autumn, the mountain is bustling with bikers who come to enjoy the splendid landscape of Mount Gyejok. Every year the Eco-Healing Sunyang Masai Marathon, which requires participants to forgo shoes and traverse soft red clay trail, is held at Mount Gyejoksan in Daejeon, drawing a total of 5,000 participants including 600 foreigners from 40 countries. The marathon has established itself as a major festival of Daejeon and is held every year in May.


Daejeon(Yuseong-gu)

KOTREX (KOTRA Exhibition Center, Daejeon) was first opened on May 19, 1995. Measuring an impressive area of 29,195 square meters and a total exhibition floor space of 4,200 square meters, the center consists of an indoor exhibition space (capacity: 5,000), 2 outdoor exhibition spaces, a large meeting room, and a parking lot with space for up to 500 cars.KOTREX is located in a prime location and can be reached within two hours from anywhere in the nation. Equipped with ultra high-speed optical network facilities for IT-related gatherings, the center is an ideal spot for a variety of events. Since it opened, KOTREX has hosted exhibitions and business meetings for the Daejeon Municipal Government, the Daejeon Government Buildings Management Services, and the Daedeok Research Complex, and has hosted numerous seminars and concerts.


Daejeon(Seo-gu)

Dunsan Grand Park, designated as an urban neighborhood park on June 7th, 1991, is a local cultural Mecca. The park is home to a wide variety of cultural and arts facilities including the Daejeon Culture & Arts Center, Pyeongsong Youth Cultural Center, Daejeon Museum of Art, and Ungno Lee Museum of Art. Coupled with the arboretum, it is one of the most culturally sophisticated areas of the city.The Hanbat Arboretum, linked with the Government Complex-Daejeon and Science Park, is the largest manmade urban arboretum. This venue serves multiple purposes: to act as a reservoir of genetically diverse foliage, an eco learning center for students, and a recreational area where people can relax and pass the time in the peaceful embrace of nature. The arboretum, standing on a lot measuring 387,000m2 (1,270,000ft) was developed as part of a three-stage plan. Seowon (West Garden, located north of the Daejeon Museum of Art) and Nammun Square opened on April 28th, 2005, while Dongwon (East Garden located north of Pyeongsong Youth Cultural Center), which consists of 19 uniquely themed parts such as the Magnolia Garden, Medicinal Herbs Garden, Rock Garden and Fruit Garden, opened on May 9th, 2009.


Daejeon(Daedeok-gu)

Dongchundang Park was once the residence of Song Jung-gil, a noted politician from ancient times. Built in 1653, the park’s Dongchundang Residential Compound (Treasure No. 209) has kept some of its original features including its three ponds, pavilions, old swings, and the nameplate written by Uam Song Si-yeol in 1678 in honor of Song Jung-gil.Today, the park is the main venue of the annual Dongchundang Cultural Festival along with other local festivals.


Daejeon(Dong-gu)

Uamsajeok Park is widely known as the ancient meditation site of the renowned Confucian scholar, “Uam (pen name) Song Si-yeol” (1607-1689). As such, it houses several buildings used by and dedicated to the scholar, including: Namganjeongsa (academy of Uam Song Si-yeol), Gigukjeong Pavilion, and Songjadaejeonpan (a collection of the written works of Uam Song Si-yeol).


Daejeon(Jung-gu)

Ppuri (Family Root) Park, located between Bomunsan Mt. and Banghwasan Mt. in Chimsan-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon-si, is a park created under the theme of filial piety, one of the overriding values of Korean society. Opened on November 1, 1997, the park occupies a plot of land measuring 109,091 m² and is filled with unique sculptures and art pieces that remind visitors of their family ties. The sculptures at the park hold a special meaning for Koreans, as each of the 136 sculptures represents each of the different last names of Korea. On the front of each sculpture is the history of the family (name) and on the back is a description of the sculpture itself and other relevant information.Other main points of interest at Ppuri Park include the Deep-rooted Spring (symbolizing the 12 jisin/12 gods of the earth), waterfront stage, grass square, traffic safety education center, recreational forest, and natural observatory. Another must-visit attraction is the Samnam Memorial Tower, which represents the harmony and cooperation between the Honam (western region) and Yeongnam (eastern region) of Korea.