Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju-si)

The Jeonju Crafts Exhibition Hall (made up of a Craft Hall, Special Exhibition Hall, and Experience Hall), celebrates the beauty of traditional Korean crafts. At the Experience Hall, visitors can create their own masterpieces and learn the art of mulberry paper, pottery, woodwork, embroidery, and other traditional crafts firsthand. The museum even houses a craft shop where visitors can purchase beautiful souvenirs lovingly produced by master artisans.


Jeollabuk-do()

Byeonsanbando National Park is a 35km stretch encompassing five townships along the coast. Designated as a national park in 1988, it is the only national park in the country that has both a seashore and mountainside. The park is divided into two large sections: the shore area, called Oebyeonsan (Outer Mt. Byeonsan), and an inland area called Naebyeonsan (Inner Mt. Byeonsan). Chaeseokgang Cliffs and Byeonsan Beach are the main tourist attractions of Oebyeonsan. Located to the west of the Byeonsan Peninsula, Chaeseokgang Cliffs includes the rock wall and the sea. The sedimentary rocks formed by the waves over a long time look like piles of hundreds of thousands of books. With its fine sand, Byeonsan Beach is one of the top three beaches on the west coast. The pine forest along the beach attracts the most visitors. There are also many attractions at Naebyeonsan such as Jiksopokpo Waterfall and Gaeamsa Temple. Mt. Naebyeonsan (459m) is especially known for its waterfalls, valleys, and lush woodlands.In Byeonsanbando National Park, there are three famous highlights, collectively referred to as "Sambyeon." The first is Byeonjae, the long and straight pine trees. The second is Byeonran, the wild orchids. The third is Byeoncheong, the natural honey produced from the slopes of Mt. Byeonsan. It is very fragrant and sometimes used for medicinal purposes.Perhaps the most notable feature of Byeonsanbando National Park is that you can enjoy the sea and the mountains both at the same time. The islands and sunset from the peak of the mountain make for a perfect backdrop. Many people come to see the sunset at Byeonsan Peninsula every year.


Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju-si)

Originally christened the Hansol Paper Museum in 1997, it was changed to the Pan-Asia Paper Museum in 2001. Again, in 2005, it was changed once more and is today called the Jeonju Hanji Museum. It’s located in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do. As Korea’s first museum specializing in paper it has an extensive collection of 3,000 artifacts and a data-base documenting the long history and superiority of Hanji (Korean paper). The museum also hosts two special exhibitions every year with diverse paper-related themes.


Jeollabuk-do(Iksan-si)

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.


Jeollabuk-do(Muju-gun)

Muju Gucheondong Valley is located within Deogyusan in Jeollabuk-do, and is often referred to as Mujugucheon-dong, meaning the 25km stretch of land and water from Najetongmun to Deogyusan Mountain's Baengnyeonsa Temple. Muju Gucheondong Valley is not a deep valley. However, the valley flows through a lush forest that's quite beautiful. The calm and soothing sounds of the river are very refreshing.The 33 scenic points of Gucheondong are what make it so famous. Of the 33, the most famous are Najetongmun and Sushimdae. Najetongmun, the first scenic point is a huge boulder with a hole through it like a tunnel. During the Samguk era, this spot once served as the border between the Silla and Baekje nations. Because it was the dividing line between the two nations, even to this day, the east and west side's speech and customs are different. No one knows how the hole got there, but the experience of walking through it is quite interesting. Sushimdae, the 12th scenic point, is a valley approximately 400m in length. It is surrounded with mountain cliffs, which makes the area resemble Geumgangsan Mountain, and so it is often referred to as Sogeumgangsan, or little Geumgangsan. The clear water and beautiful scenery makes this spot a must-see.Many people come to Muju Gucheondong Valley for trekking. The trails go from Deogyusan National Park to Baengnyeonsa Temple. It's a 3-hour roundtrip hike for this 6km trail. Though it's a mountain trail, it's not that steep, making it ideal for trekking.


Jeollabuk-do(Buan-gun)

Chaeseokgang refers to a rocky cliff and the sea around it, situated in the Gyeokpohang and Dakibong areas on the Byeonsan Peninsula. It is easy to misunderstand the name for a river, but it is a very large rocky cliff. The origin of the name comes from China, from the story of Lee Tae-Baek, while drinking wine on a ship, he saw the moon reflected in the river and jumped into the water to grab it. The name Chaeseokgang was adapted as it resembles the Chinese equivalent of this location.Chaeseokgang was created from many layers of rocks stratified by the sea, and the blue sea and the rock cliffs together create quite a lovely picture. It is nature’s masterpiece of stratification, and you can see interesting structures and shapes here that are not seen elsewhere. You can enter Chaeseokgang twice a day when the water recedes, and at low tide, you can observe various sea life existing in the lower areas of the rock cliffs and the cave. If you are able to see the sunrise or twilight at the cave, the scenery there is simply awesome.Around Chaeseokgang, there also lies the stately Mt. Naebyeonsan as well. Mt. Naebyeonsan has a temple called Seonunsa Temple, and it is a fine place to be introduced to Buddhism. The quiet mornings and evenings at the temple adds to the calmness and beauty of the twilight.


Jeollabuk-do(Jinan-gun)

Tapsa Temple is located 1.9km away from the southern parking lot of Maisan Mountain in Dongchon-ri, Maryeong-myeon, Jinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Tapsa Temple is famous for the over 80 stone pagodas built by Lee Gapyong, a retired scholar. Those stone pagodas have different sizes and shapes from cone-shaped to straight-shaped. Behind Daeungjeon, Cheonjitap tower is located. It is the largest tower, with a x_height 3 times as high as the average adult’s x_height. How this tall tower was built is still unclear, drawing much attention from people. It is said that those stone pagodas were made in the late 1800's entirely by Lee Gapyong alone. He collected stones in daytime and built the pagodas at night. Even though the pagodas have been around for more than 100 years, they have never collapsed nor even moved through strong winds, making them truly amazing.Tapsa Temple is also well known for cherry blossoms in spring, covering an area of 1.9km from Nambu (south) parking lot of Maisan Mountain to the entrance (a 30min walk). This road is the venue for Maisan Cherry Blossom Festival as well.* Cheonjitap is comprised of two twin pagodas with x_heights of 13.5m and placed in the south and north directions. Cheonjitap is the main pagoda, making the other pagodas at Tapsa Temple look well-balanced. It is believed that 120 towers originally existed, but only 80 of them remain today. The two towers at the very front are named Ilgwangtap and Wolgwangtap. These groups of towers are strong enough to stand up to typhoon winds, something quite hard to believe, giving the towers a certain mystery. Also, towers are tilted slightly in both directions, showing that Lee Gapyong erected the towers with the direction of the wind in mind.


Jeollabuk-do(Jeongeup-si)

Naejangsa Temple is located in the midst of the beautiful Mt. Naejangsan National Park. The temple is said to have been built by the Buddhist monk Yeongeunjosa in the year 636 of the Baekje Dynasty. Once a large temple with over fifty buildings, Naejangsa was completely destroyed throughout the course of Jeongyujaeran (second Japanese invasion in 1597) and the Korean War (1950-1953). The present temple is largely the result of reconstruction efforts completed in the 1970s. One of the most prized treasures at the temple is the Ijo-dongjong Bell, considered a major cultural asset.Naejangsan Temple is a representative temple of Jeollabuk-do Province along with Geumsansa Temple on Moaksan Mountain. Surrounded on all sides by towering peaks, Naejangsa Temple boasts a picturesque landscape that is particularly striking in the fall when the mountains turn crimson with autumn leaves. Nearby attractions include Baegyangsa Temple, Bangjangsan Mountain, Jangseongho Lake, and Damyangho Lake.


Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju-si)

Jeondong Catholic Church in Jeonju (Historic Site No. 288) was built in honor of Roman Catholic martyrs of the Joseon Dynasty on the very same spot the martyrs lost their lives. The land was purchased by French Priest Baudenet in 1891 (28th year of King Gojong), but construction of the church did not begin until 1908. The church was designed by Priest Poinel, who also designed the famous Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. Construction was completed in 1914, a time during which Korea was under Japanese rule. Though originally built just outside of Pungnammun Gate, the site of the martyrs, the church was later moved to its current location for expansion.The first Romanesque building in the Honam region, the Jeondong Catholic Church is made of gray and red bricks and bears a striking resemblance to the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. Not only considered one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in Korea, some even go so far as to say it is one of the most beautiful structures in all of Korea, citing the church’s unique combination of Byzantine and Romanesque architectural styles. The rectangular building is topped with three Byzantine bell towers (to the right, center, and left) and boasts arched ceilings, several of which meet in the form of a cross.It is interesting to note that some of the bricks used in construction of the church were made using materials from the Jeonjueupseong Fortress, which was torn down by the Japanese. It is also said that the cornerstone of the church came from a wall of Jeonjueupseong Fortress near Pungnammun Gate.


Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju-si)

Jeonju Hyanggyo is a Confucian school that was established during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and is designated historical treasure No. 379. This was a national education center during the Joseon period. The school was originally located at the Gyeonggijeon Shrine site, but was relocated in 1603. The mortuary tablets of seven Chinese Confucian scholars and 18 Korean scholars are enshrined in the main building of Daeseong-jeon.