“The Place Seoul” is located in a small alley in Gyedong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It is a guesthouse made by remodeling an 80-year-old traditional Korean house. The ondol room furnished with traditional beddings is popular not only among foreigners but also among Koreans due to its special ambience. The ceiling of the room dates back to 80 years ago. The rafter put on the roof at the time of construction of the house shows the antiqueness of the house. The toenmaru (a narrow wooden porch running along the outside of a room) that comes alive with the frequent coming and going of people adds to the ambience of the traditional Korean house, with the Sansuyu (corni) tree and vegetable garden beside the Korean-style house creating a leisurely atmosphere. Beyond being a mere place to sleep in, “The Place Seoul” aims to be a composite cultural space whose motto is “the place to fill.” A simple wedding or a small-scale performance is held in the garden during the day. The rooms can be rented for small meetings. “The Place Seoul” sponsors “WWOOF KOREA,” an NGO promoting environment-friendly agriculture as well as the right dietary life, “Slow Food Korea,” and “Slow Box.” As such, the place serves a special healthy breakfast consisting of homemade bread, handmade yogurt, and organic fruits and vegetables. In addition, the toilet paper, detergent, shampoo, etc. provided are all environment-friendly products. “The Place Seoul” is located on Gyedong-gil Road, a famous tourist attraction in Seoul. It offers easy access to Bukchon Hanok Village, which is on the other side of the Gyedong-gil alley, as well as other major tourist attractions within walking distance including Changdeokgung Palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Samcheong-dong, and Insa-dong. The convenient location of “The Place Seoul” makes it easy to tour downtown Seoul.
The IAM Residence & Guesthouse is an urban type of pension-guesthouse operated by a cooperative association. It has large guestrooms for family and group tourists. The residence is within easy walking distance of Haeundae’s sandy beach and Dongbaekseom Island. All its guestrooms are with cooking facilities, and a BBQ party can be held at the rooftop Sky Garden. In addition, the residence provides luggage storage and delivery services for tourists. The surrounding tourist attractions include Haeundae Beach, Jagalchi Market, Gukje Market, and Busan Cinema Center.
Lee Hyo-seok Culture Village is the setting of the beautiful Korean story “When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom,” and also home to the author, Lee Hyo-seok (pen name Gasan). Registered as National Culture Village No. 1 in 1990 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the village is the setting of the annual Hyoseok Cultural Festival in autumn. The village is made up of the birthplace of Lee Hyo-seok, a watermill house, thatch-roofed housing, Gasan Park, Lee Hyo-seok Memorial Hall, and restaurants serving food made with buckwheat.
The birthplace of Lee Hyo-seok was originally a thatched-roof house, typical of the housing in Gangwon-do. However, it has been rebuilt into an ‘L’-shaped house with two large trees growing in the front yard. Lee was born on February 23, 1907, one of five children to parents Lee Si-hoo and Kang Hong-kyung. Lee Hyo-seok’s wife, Lee Kyung-won was an aspiring artist. The couple had two sons and two daughters, but the second son passed away in 1940, just two years before his father, Lee Hyo-seok.
Pocheon Art Valley is established in what used to be a granite quarry. The quarry became the site of the nation’s first shared culture and art complex in 2009. The valley has had over 1,000,000 visitors by 2014. Various programs such as a planned exhibition, weekend performance, planned performance and others are prepared for visitors. Also, Pocheon Art Valley Astronomical Science Museum officially opened on August 1, 2014 as a spot for space science, comprised of an exhibition hall for space, cutting-edge 4D video room, and astronomical observation room that offers constellation reading.
As one of the best sights in Geojedo Island, Geoje Haegeumgang River is called the Geumgang River (Sea Diamond) of the South Sea. As a rock island, Haegeumgang River belongs to Hallyeo Marine National Park, which is assigned as an official green area in South Korea. Its original name was Galgotdo, because it is shaped like the spreading roots of arrowroot. These days it is known as Haegeumgang River, meaning Geumgangsan Mountain in the sea.The most stunning scenery of Haegeumgang River is the sunset and sunrise and can be best viewed on Ilwollbong Peak or Lion Rock. There is Shipjagul Cave in the center of Haegeumgang River, which is 100m long from east to west and 180m long from south to north. It has been called Shipjagul (meaning ‘cross’ in Korean) Cave because it looks like a cross when viewed from the sky. If you go on the tour, you will be fascinated by the x_height of the rock walls and the inside of the cave. A long time ago, scholars expressed their yearning for the beauty of nature by writing and reading poems they wrote on sailboats with a bowl of makkoli (rice wine) in their hands.When you take a ship around the island, you’ll be fascinated once more because of the great works such as the Maitreya Rock, which reflects on Eunjin Maitreya, Candlestick Rock and the 1,300 year old guardian pine tree of Haegeumgang River.
Originally named Gongji Park, the park is located near Gongjicheon and has been decorated with sculptures since 1997. Twenty-nine pieces are displayed and a water clock was installed in 2001. Gongjicheon Resort is located nearby the park with an outdoor stage and fountain. Water sports such as boat-riding can be enjoyed on the lake. The lake and the fountain are great locations to enjoy spending time with family and friends. Every year diverse cultural art events such as the Spring Art Performance as well as the Soyangjae Chuncheon Poetry Recital takes place in the park and Gongjicheon. A Children’s Center and War Memorial are also located nearby.
Jeungdo Island (증도) was the first city to be designated a ‘slow city’ in Asia thanks to its unspoiled nature and clean waters. It was assigned as a biodiversity conservation area by UNESCO.
Jeungdo Island also has Korea’s largest salt fields. At Taepyeong Salt Field, you can experience real life in a fishing village. There is a tour of the salt museum and hands-on programs for tourists to make the experience more personal. There are some 90 uninhabited islands and islets neighboring the Jeungdo Island. The Wujeon Beach Resort offers a magnificent view of the horizon. The mud hopper bridge, which stands in the mudflats, along with the relic of a historical monument and wetland ecology exhibition hall, are some of the things you can see on the island of Jeungdo.
※ Jeungdo Island Mudflats Festival opens in early August each year, offering a mudflat program as well as a drying by the sun salt-making program, among others.
Yeosu Ocean Railbike is comprised of a 3.5 kilometer-long open track that follows the rocky coast of Yeosu. Passing through the open air as well as a tunnel section, it is a unique and exciting experience anyone can enjoy at a leisurely pace. The track and rail bikes undergo regular safety inspections, meaning it's a completely safe way to enjoy Yeosu's beautiful coast.
The festival's main program 'Dancing Carnival' is the nation's biggest and longest street parade festival, featuring a variety of folk dances and magnificent military marching parade from international teams across the globe, as well as the local citizens' passionate performances. Many other additional events including the Green Safe Playground and Fringe Festival performances are also available for all visitors to the festival to enjoy.