Busan
Busan is the second largest city in Korea. It is the main port city of Korea, with many sea routes to Japan and other countries of the world. In the western part of Busan, the Nakdong River flows, and the southern part of this city is washed by the sea. Sea beaches, high mountains and many islands in the vicinity of the coast make Busan an amazing corner of nature. Held every year, the Busan International Film Festival also attracts numerous film lovers from all over the world.
Pomosa Temple is located on the edge of Busan’s famous mountain, Geumjeongsan. It was built about 1300 years ago by the monk Ui San in the 18th year (678) of the reign of King Munmu of the Kingdom of Sila. The original building of the Pomos temple was lost during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and restored in 1713, which remains to this day.
Jagalchi Market is the largest seafood market in Korea. After the end of the Korean War, the market established itself as a fish market. This market is representative of Busan and is famous throughout the country. If you visit it, you will taste fresh raw fish right in the market. The Jagalchi Cultural Tourism Festival is held here every October. Jagalchi Market – a place where you can experience the lifestyle of the locals in Busan
Kwanalli beach, which is 1.4 km long and 64 m wide, is famous for the quality of the sand. This area is especially protected by a water treatment program which results in really clean water on the beach. It is here that you can rent an Olympic yacht and sail along the coast of Busan. The beach has an outdoor concert stage, where the Busan Ocean Festival and other events are held. You can enjoy water skiing, wind surfing and other water sports. This is a popular place for young people in their 20s and 30s.
Haeundae Beach is perhaps the most popular in the country. Sailing past Dongbaksom Island, he was fascinated by it and left the inscription “Hae Undae” on the stone wall of the island. The length of Haeundae Beach is 1.5 km, width – 30-50 m, area – 58.4 square meters. m. The beach sand was formed in these places from the shells that arrived from the Chuncheoncheon stream and were ground for a long time by the wind. The beach is famous for various cultural events and festivals held every year.
Songjeong Beach has 1.2 km of white sand and a gently sloping entrance to the sea, making it ideal for families with children. In the central part of the beach there is a beautiful evergreen park, in the eastern part of the beach you can go fishing. There is also a pier where you can use a motor boat to travel along the coast of Korea. A particularly popular part of the beach is the Songiljeong Pavilion, from where you can admire the wonderful sunrise and moonrise. It hosts the Full Moon Seaweed Harvest Festival and Songjeong Beach Festival each year, which attract many visitors.
Gyeongju
The city of Gyeongju is one of the most popular tourist centers in South Korea, where a large number of travelers from all over the world arrive annually due to its rich history. Gyeongju has long been one of the most prosperous cities in all of East Asia and the capital of the famous ancient Korean state of Silla. Gyeongju is located in the southeast of Gyeongsangbukto province, right on the coast of the Sea of Japan, and is famous for its beautiful natural landscapes, pleasant climate, many ancient temples, historical buildings and archaeological sites.
Today, Gyeongju is called an open-air museum, as by the decision of UNESCO , it was recognized as one of the ten oldest cities in the world, where ancient temples, pagodas and tombs of ancient kings, as well as the main Buddhist shrines, the main of which is the ancient temple of Bulguksa, are still preserved. (Buddha Realm Temple). Another interesting place in Gyeongju is Tumuli Park (Tomb Park) with many burial mounds and royal burials. In the vicinity of the city there are also many interesting sights. Among them, for example, the Haeinsa Monastery, the old houses of the Korean yangban nobles, the Pongjeongsa Temple and the resort town of Pomun. Another very interesting place is Village of folk crafts, which is located near the resort on Lake Pomun. It consists of traditional Korean houses where handicrafts are made from stone, wood and ceramics, as well as jewelry.
Gyeongju is a cozy and friendly city with a very low crime rate, so holidays here are absolutely safe.
The most comfortable time to travel to Gyeongju is the second half of spring and early autumn.
Jeju
Jeju is the largest island and the smallest province of South Korea with a subtropical climate: warmer than in the rest of Korea. Summers are very humid, winters are dry. This island is of volcanic origin, it has many secondary craters, in the center of Jeju rises Mount Halla with a height of 1950 m, it is an extinct volcano with a huge crater on top and dense vegetation on the slopes to the very coast.
Due to its volcanic origin, Jeju Island has a truly unique and diverse nature. Particularly picturesque are the southern and eastern coasts of the island, famous for their amazing lava rocks and uninhabited islands. Since 2007, the unique nature of the island has been under the protection of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site “Jeju Volcanic Island and its lava tubes”
One of the symbols of the island and, probably, the main export product of Jeju is tangerines. They grow everywhere here: in yards, in parks and even on the street. There are also huge tangerine plantations, where tourists are offered to participate in the collection of this fruit themselves.
Due to the island’s relative isolation, the culture of Jeju is distinct from that of mainland Korea. The most famous cultural artifact is the famous kharyban (“stone grandfather”) carved in lava. Another aspect of Jeju’s life is the matriarchal family structure, which is mostly found in the coastal areas of Udo and Mara, and is less common in the rest of the island.
Traveling to Jeju will be interesting not only for families, but also for newlyweds, as well as fans of exotic places and outdoor activities.
