Ulsan Travel Guide

The Taehwagang River cuts across the heart of Ulsan City and flows into Ulsan Bay, which is connected to the East Sea. The river basin, which stretches 36 kilometers from east to west and 28 kilometers from north to south, is mostly comprised of mountainous terrain, but there is fertile land on both sides of the river and at the southern end of the river. The Taehwagang River is presently an important source of drinking water for the citizens of Ulsan. Taehwagang Simnidaebat is an extensive bamboo field covering the areas between Taehwa Bridge and Samho Bridge along the Taehwagang River. The bamboo field, which is about 4 kilometers long and 20-40 kilometers wide, was created by the villagers in hopes of preventing the frequent flooding that occurred during the Japanese colonial period. Today it is a rich bamboo forest. In spring, the flowering plant garden in Taehwagang Grand Park offers splendid scenery created by over 60 million spring flower blossoms from 7 different species that include poppies, cornflowers, and golden coreopsis. It is the largest single riverside flowering plant garden in the country.

The cradle of Ulsan's cultural renaissance, the art center is the city residents' highly respected multi-purpose facility, holding various generes of quality performances, exhibitions, and other cultural activities. In addition, the space is filled with state-of-art banquet halls and other ancillary spaces, making an ideal destination for visitors of all backgrounds and interests.  * Opening date: October 5, 1995

The Amethyst Cavern Park is the largest man-made cave tourist attraction in Korea. It is made inside a closed amethyst mine. Connected like a labyrinth, the cave is 2.5 kilometers long and about 16,529 square meters wide. The average temperature is between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius year round. Visitors can observe amethyst stones, see exhibitions, and attend a circus performance full of thrills. Outside the cave, visitors can enjoy a snow sleigh during winter, play facilities, ceramic workshop for youths and children, and hands-on learning experiences using sweet potatoes, peanuts, corn, and herbs.

The beach from Jujeon to Gangdong is a big tourist destination in Ulsan. A small fishing village and gently rolling mountains rest in the back drop of this black pebble beach, one of the few in all of Korea. At night, the lights of fishing boats make quite a scene as they reflect against the water. This is a great area to dine on fresh seafood.

Ulsan Museum is an archive of the history, present, and future of Ulsan City. The museum facilities include a history hall giving a general outline of the city from the prehistoric to the modern times, an industry hall showing Ulsan as the industrial capital of Korea, and a children’s experience hall for educational purposes. This eco-friendly museum equipped with advanced exhibition and education facilities is a model cultural space to help establish the visitors understand Ulsan’s identity.

Hyundai Heavy Industries (현대중공업) started its shipbuilding industry in 1972 and developed into one of the greatest shipbuilding companies in the world. With its growing technology, Hyundai Heavy Industries contributes in national economic growth and has become as one of world’s greatest complex corporations by advancing in numerous industries such as marine, plant, machine, electrical machinery and appliance, and construction equipment business.

Oegosan Onggi Village is the largest producer of traditional onggi (earthenware) in Korea. The village was established by artisans and potters from all over Korea to practice and preserve the tradition of onggi craft. The village itself is a massive collection of various earthenware products, creating unique folk village scenery. Also, a range of facilities are located inside the village for visitors to explore the culture of onggi. They include Onggi Cultural Center displaying the history and culture of onggi products, Village Information Center equipped with the village history hall, multimedia room and seminar room, and Onggi Academy used for conducting hands-on learning programs and cultivating professional artisans. Visitors can observe the crafting of onggi products, while making their own. Since 2000, the annual Oegosan Onggi Festival has been held every October to celebrate the tradition and practice of onggi crafts. Meanwhile, in 2011, the onggi pottery standing over two meters high in the village was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

As Hyundai Motor’s main production facility, the Ulsan Plant is comprised of five independent plant facilities on a land spanning 5,000,000 square meters. The plant is the world’s largest single automobile plant and employs over 34,000 personnel to produce an average of 5,600 vehicles a day. The plant has its own port, where up to three 50,000-ton vessels can anchor simultaneously. It has its own fire station, hospital, and patrol cars, all within the compound. Hyundai Motors Ulsan Plant is nestled among 580,000 trees and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to preserve the environment, such as a waste water disposal plant. The plant tour offers a great opportunity for visitors to experience the manufacturing process of Hyundai Motors, which is emerging as a global car brand. Tour reservations can be made at the company website for groups of over 30 people.

Ganjeolgot Cape in Ulsan offers visitors impressive views of the sunrise and is part of the New Year’s Sunrise Festival every December. The festival starts at sunset on the 31st with cultural events followed by a year-end concert. In addition, fireworks displays, enjoying tteokguk (traditional Korean new years dish) and a wide range of performances fill the evening and last through the night. Visitors may also enjoy the “Starlight Observatory” and a 3-D production about Ganjeolgot Cape and the Ulsan area.