Chungcheongbuk-do(Chungju-si)

Chungju Dam is the nation’s largest multipurpose concrete dam and plays a role in water resources planning and management, prevention of flood damage, and electric power production. On one side of Chungju Dam are various facilities like the Water Exhibition Hall, Memorial Tower, and a resting area, while the other side has a resting area, heliport, as well as a pleasure boat are available for tourists. As for the structure, the dam is 97.5m high and 447m long. Beneath the main dam, there is a balancing reservoir dam which is 21m high and 480.7m long.


Gyeonggi-do(Osan-si) , suwon

The Mulhyanggi Arboretum (물향기 수목원), situated in Osan City, Gyeonggi Province, is a peaceful area where you can come to relax, but is surprisingly located amidst high-rise apartment buildings in the city center. There are many things to see at the beautifully named 330,580m2 arboretum (mulhyanggi meaning water fragrance). There are 16 themed centers, various auxiliary facilities, and 1,601 different species of plants. The Mulhyanggi Arboretum, is a great place for a leisurely walk, and takes around two hours to see in its entirety. It is not so sublime as the Gwangneung Arboretum, but is charming, and offers many things to see as it features variously themed centers. Children will have an exciting time at the Topiary Center, which can be seen from the parking lot, and the Maze Center. Other themed centers include the Pine Tree Center, the Maple Tree Center, the Fruit Tree Center, the Tendril Plant Center, the Center of Native Plants of Central Korea, the Dwarf Tree Center, the Local Crafts Tree Center, the Wet Land Ecology Center, the Center for Plants that Live in Humid Areas, the Warm Temperature Zone and Pteridophyte Center, the Functional Plant Center, the Althea Center, and the Insect Ecology Center. There is also an observatory made from a tree. As indicated in its name, the waters of this arboretum are clear and clean. Tadpoles swim in the wetland and Korean squirrels scurry up and down the trees. The arboretum, only an hour away from Seoul, affords city dwellers a place to relax in peace where they can experience different forms of natural beauty according to the season.※ There are no shops, restaurants, or trash bins. Visitors to the site are recommended to take waste back homes and to be considerate of the environment. You can bring a lunch box and enjoy your meal at the ‘Rest Area inside the Forest’, which is a designated site for eating.


Gangwon-do(Goseong-gun)

Hwajinpo (화진포) is named so because there are sweet briers that bloom by the lake, and it is one of nature’s great lagoons. It is designated Gangwon Provincial Monument No. 10 with a circumference of about 16 km, and it has a wide reed field which is an important place for migratory birds and swans in the winter. Hwajinpo Lake is surrounded by evergreens and white sandy beaches; it is a lagoon where the river and the sea meet. Materials drifting down the river deposited at the bottom of the river become a sandy beach that eventually block off the river from the sea, creating a lagoon. Hwajinpo Lake is the largest lagoon near the East Sea, and has many ancient artifacts around it, such as the Ten Goindol rocks (also called Jiseokmyeo) scattered around the lake. Because of its excellent scenery, Kim Il-Seong (1912-1994) of North Korea and the South Korean president Lee Seung-Man (1875-1965) had summer houses here after the independence of Korea in 1945. The two houses that originally faced each other with the lake at the center are gone now, but the sites still remain as tourist destinations. They have been converted to Hwajinpo’s Museum of History, and opened to public as a security exhibit center.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)


Busan(Saha-gu)

An excellent place to see exhibitions and learn about and experience ecology, the Nakdong Estuary Eco-Center is located in Saha-gu, Busan. The center consists of three floors with the first floor home to an information office, a maintenance office, an educational room, and a volunteers’ room. The second floor is home to exhibition rooms, an experience zone, a small library, and an observatory. Audio-visual rooms are located on the third floor. The center runs a variety of experience programs so that visitors may explore the estuary, observe plants and insects, walk around tidal flats and reed beds, and make wooden sculptures. In addition, visitors can observe birds and compare the eggs and beaks of various birds. The center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed on Mondays and New Year’s Day. The Nakdong Estuary Eco-Center, in turn is full of excellent amenities: picnic grounds, a botanical garden, a hiking trail, an observatory, abundant resting spots, an outdoor learning center, and lush trees.  


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Located in Gyeongju City, the Hostel Hwarang is within easy reach of public transport services (including a bus stop), making it the ideal base for visiting various tourist attractions such as the Bomun Tourist Complex, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Tomb of King Munmu, and Columnar Joints. The hostel is only 5 minutes’ walk from Gyeongju Station and 15 minutes’ walk from the Intercity Bus Terminal. Famous restaurants specializing in wheat noodles and haejangguk (hangover soup), and Hwangnambbang (Gyeongju bread) Bakery, are also situated near the hostel. In addition, guests can easily get around the many nearby tourist attractions on foot (including Gyeongju National Museum, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, Stone Ice Storage, Gyerim Forest, Cheomseongdae Observatory, Daereungwon Ancient Tombs, Cheonmachong Tomb, Kyochon Village, Choe’s old house, and Bonghwangdae Pavilion).


Chungcheongnam-do(Asan-si)

The Asan Great Admiral Yi Sun-Sin Festival celebrates one of Korea’s most famous war heroes, Yi Sun-Sin, who defeated the Japanese in a momentous naval battle around 460 years ago. The festival takes place in the period around the Admiral’s birth date on April 28 in order to commemorate his achievements. Events at the festival will include a reenactment of the parade when Yi Sun-Sin took his sailors off to war and displays featuring detailed reproductions of the famous turtle-shaped ships (Geobukseon, 'Turtle Ship'), which were used in the battle.


Chungcheongnam-do(Cheonan-si)

Located at the foot of Mt. Taejosan, Gakweonsa Temple can be spotted 3 kilometers from Cheonhoji pond near Cheonan Interchange. It was enshrined on May 9, 1977 to pray for the reunification of North and South Korea. The temple contains a bronze statue of Buddha, which is 15m in x_height, 30m circumference, has 175cm long ears, 30cm long nails and weighs 60 tons.It is the biggest temple next to Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju and it is gaining popularity as Cheonan’s new tourist attraction.


Jeju-do(Seogwipo-si) , Seogwipo

The architectural style of Yakcheonsa Temple is reminiscent of that of Buddhist temples of the early Joseon Dynasty. Measuring an impressive 30m high and spanning a total area of 3,305 meters squared, it is the largest temple in the East. Upon entering Yakcheonsa Temple, guests will be greeted by a 5m-tall statue of Vairocana, the tallest of such statues in Korea, on a 4m high pedestal. The walls on both the right and left have been sculpted into large altar portraits of Buddha and in front of the Dharma Hall is a giant Buddhist temple bell, weighing 18 tons. Beloved for its size and grandeur, the temple consists of a main temple (2,652 meters squared) and a 3-story residential structure for the Buddhist monks. Other notable sites are the Gulbeopdang (the Dharma Hall, built inside a natural cave), the Samseonggak Shrine, and the Sarira Pagoda. Yakcheonsa Temple is not only popular among Buddhists but is also a well sought after tourist destination.