Gwangju
The Gwangju National Museum鈥檚 collection traces the region鈥檚 cultural history, from its prehistorical beginnings through the Joseon period (1392鈥1897), via artefacts, paintings and calligraphy. Look out for the Chinese ceramics salvaged from a 14th-century shipwreck.
Get the bus (20 minutes, every 30 minutes) from in front of the bus terminal or the train station.
11.34 MILES
Sandy walking trails wend through this bamboo grove, past pavilions and film locations for Korean dramas. It's one of the area's most popular attractions鈥
5.58 MILES
Overlooking Gwangju, Mudeungsan National Park is a gorgeous green mountain range with a spiderweb of well-signed trails leading to the peak, Cheonwang鈥
18.02 MILES
Legend has it that Unju-sa originally housed 1000 Buddhas and 1000 pagodas, built because, according to traditional geomancy, the southwest of the country鈥
8.29 MILES
South Korea may have developed at a breakneck speed, but it was also the first Asian country to sign on to the international cittaslow, or 'slow city'鈥
27.46 MILES
This Zen temple, founded in 577 and last rebuilt in 1720, is nestled among verdant hills. Just behind the temple is a 500-year-old camellia forest (霃欕氨 雮橂鈥
25.84 MILES
Songgwang-sa is considered one of the three jewels of Korean Buddhism (along with Tongdo-sa and Haein-sa, in Gyeongsangnam-do). Featured in the Little鈥
0.39 MILES
Learn about traditional life in Jeollanam-do through the somewhat retro-looking dioramas and models here, which cover everything from kimchi and clothing鈥
3.11 MILES
By the early 2000s, this traditional market in the city centre was nearly shuttered. As part of the 2008 Gwangju Biennale, artists added colourful murals,鈥
0.39 MILES
Managed by the same folks who put on the Gwangju Biennale, this art museum shows up-and-coming Korean artists along with more established local names,鈥
0.39 MILES
Learn about traditional life in Jeollanam-do through the somewhat retro-looking dioramas and models here, which cover everything from kimchi and clothing鈥
3. Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall
0.5 MILES
Located in the Jung-oe Park Culture Center, this 8100-sq-metre exhibition hall is the setting for the Gwangju Biennale (and in odd-numbered years, the鈥
3.11 MILES
By the early 2000s, this traditional market in the city centre was nearly shuttered. As part of the 2008 Gwangju Biennale, artists added colourful murals,鈥
3.44 MILES
This arts complex houses galleries, performance spaces, a library and plazas 鈥 all designed to boost Gwangju's capital in the art world. It's located on鈥
4.64 MILES
Opened in 1997, this is the final burial place for victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising of 1980, one of the most tragic incidents in modern Korean鈥
5.58 MILES
Overlooking Gwangju, Mudeungsan National Park is a gorgeous green mountain range with a spiderweb of well-signed trails leading to the peak, Cheonwang鈥
8.29 MILES
South Korea may have developed at a breakneck speed, but it was also the first Asian country to sign on to the international cittaslow, or 'slow city'鈥