8-Day Korea Regional Explorer: Chungcheong, Jeolla & Gyeongsang

Insadong is famous for the abundance of souvenir shops, traditional restaurants and tea houses, boutiques.

Insadong-kil Pedestrian Street is the central street of the area.

Often you can see street performances - traditional Korean samul-nori percussion quartet or martial arts tekkyon, taekwon-do or performances of youth groups in the fusion style, etc.

In the heart of Seoul stands Jogyesa — the head temple of Korea’s largest Buddhist order.
Small in scale but rich in atmosphere, it changes with the seasons: lotus lanterns in spring, bright chrysanthemums in fall, and peaceful stillness in winter.
No matter the time of year, it’s a place of quiet reflection.

The main palace of the Joseon dynasty. Over the centuries, it has endured destruction and reconstruction, yet it has retained its grandeur.

Its magnificent symmetry, the changing-of-the-guard ceremony, and the opportunity to try on a *hanbok* (for an additional fee) turn a visit to the palace into a true journey back in time.

Winding lanes, wooden hanoks, hidden cafés — this is where time slows down.
Samcheong-dong charms with its hills and galleries, while Bukchon preserves the everyday beauty of Joseon-era homes.
Together, they offer a quiet, romantic escape — a walk through history lined with soft light and gentle stories.

The complex of the central Gwanghwamun Square in front of the Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace, which is the compositional center of the capital of Korea, offers amazing views of Seoul: on one side is the main residence of the kings of the Joseon state (now a museum). But along the  Sejong-daero Avenue, departing from the square, there are high-rise modern buildings: government, embassies, Kyobo - the largest bookstore in Korea. Further down the avenue we can see the Seoul City Hall and still further - the Great South Gate of Namdaemun (National Treasure No. 1).

The Korean Folk Village in Yongin is a large open-air museum devoted to everyday life during the Joseon era. Its grounds contain more than 260 buildings, including homes of different social classes, government offices, a traditional pharmacy, mills and craft workshops.

The buildings were relocated from different regions of Korea, allowing visitors to compare architectural traditions from across the country: stone houses from Jeju, thatched homes from the southern provinces, a governor’s residence and a Confucian village school.

As you walk through narrow lanes lined with hanok houses, you can observe traditional artisans at work and gain a clearer understanding of domestic life, labour and social structure in pre-modern Korea. Korean dishes are available at the village market.

Traditional music, dance and folk performances may also take place during the day, depending on the season and schedule.

Monastery Popchusa: "The place where the law lives / resides", the law refers to the Buddhist law - dharma.

The temple/monastery is believed to have been built in 6th to 8th, or even to the 13th century AD. Even if it was only the 13th century, it is an old monastery;there are some ancient relics there, but a modern statue of Maitreya Buddha (height 33 m) you will see on the premisis strikes the imagination too.

One of the oldest Buddhist temples in Korea, enlisted in UNESCO world heritage.

The Buddha statue in this small temple in an artificial grotto is considered the most elegant in All of Korea! The grotto is located on the slope of Mount Tohamsan, where the winding serpentine of the mountain road leads.

The walk to the temple through the mountain forest from the parking lot takes about 15-20 minutes; depending on the weather, either a mysterious foggy landscape awaits us (fogs are not uncommon on this mountain), or breathtaking bird's-eye views of the thousand-year-old Gyeongju.

In the grotto, which is formally the hermitage of the Bulguksa temple, located below the slope, the dominant position is occupied by the above-mentioned statue of Buddha, sitting in a lotus position on a pedestal in the shape of a lotus. Around it at different heights are bas-reliefs and statues of bodhisattvas, arhats, Indra and Brahma, the Four Heavenly Kings.

If the group agrees, we can go down the mountainside to the temple of Bulguksa.

The main Buddhist temple of United Silla, it is now a place of pilgrimage for many guests of Korea.

The temple was built in 774 under the leadership of the premier of the state of Silla, Kim Taesong. Legend has it that Bulguksa was dedicated to the parents of the current, so to speak, Kim Taesong. While Seokguram, the temple-hermitage under Bulguksa, was intended for Kim Taesung's parents from his previous incarnations.

In 1995, Bulguksa and Seokguram were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Cheomseongdae is one of the oldest observatories in the world (7th century). The tower of the observatory is full of symbolism: the total number of hewn stones from which it is built; the number of rows of these stones before and above the small window, the shape of the stones... The thoughtful builders of Silla paid attention to everything.

Cheomseongdae was built under the reigning Queen Seondok - one of three in the history of Silla. The queen ended up in a drama that, of course, was filmed in Gyeongju.

The only mound which inner parts are open to the public (though filled with replicas, it shows the inner construction of a Shilla mound)

The main state Gyeongju temple from the Silla period, the "Temple of the Yellow Dragon", Hwangnyongsa, has not survived; however, we still have a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the pagoda of a hermitage temple of Hwangnyongsa. The hermitage temple is called Bunhwangsa.

The peculiarity of the pagoda of Bunhwangsa is that it is built of stones, hewn in such a way that they resemble bricks in shape. What can you not do if you are not familiar with the technology (brick production, in this case)!

Though made anew, it is a nice and quite picturesque place, especially at night.

A picturesque 2-storey bridge over the sea in Busan is one of its most exquisite landmarks.

A very picturesque district in Busan, which was originally founded by some refugees during the Korean War.

Exciting journey above the sea with eye-catching views of the coastal Busan.

The largest seafood market in Korea, where you can see all kinds of marine creatures, both from the plant and animal worlds (and from the border worlds too!).

You can also eat deliciously at the market: fried or raw fish, as well as seafood, is served at the table in numerous restaurants in the market.

If you prefer something less exotic, we recommend the food court at the Lotte department store next door. The observation deck at the department store offers a magnificent view of Busan from a bird's eye view.

Breathtaking views of downtown Busan from the seaside Lotte Department Store.

Most popular beach in Busan and a vivid resort district.

In 1592, the Japanese army attacked Korea and for 6 years the Korean people bravely fought for their independence. Jinjuseong Fortress, towering over the Namgang River, was a key stronghold in southern Korea. Since 1963, the fortress has been a Historical National Treasure No. 118.

The National Museum of Jinju, located on the territory of the fortress, boasts authentic treasures of Korean culture, such as painting, sculpture, graphics; The exposition of the museum will also present us the history of the defense of the fortress during the Imjin War.

By the way, let's talk about kisaeng.

If the word “sonsen”, known to the world in the Japanese transcription “sensei”, means literally “born to”, then “kisen” - see, the second syllable is the same? - should mean “born “ki”. What is "ki"?

The hieroglyph 妓 (ki) has 2 parts - “woman” and “support”. Kinyo (lit. “woman 妓”) or kisaeng (“born 妓”) are a special class of personally unfree women who belonged to the state, whose task was to entertain guests. Guests of the state, it turns out.

But this is a formal definition. To understand who kisaeng are, we will have to delve into the social relations and culture of Korea during the heyday of the kisaeng institution.

Why is this a fortress? One of the legendary heroines of the defense of the Jinju fortress was just kisaeng!

Literally "Horse Ears". The two main peaks of the complex really do look like horse ears. The peaks represent the feminine (higher - 673 m) and masculine (lower - 667 m) principles - yin and yang.

The park is famous for its many man-made pagodas, collected in one place by a zealous monk. The pagodas are also "paired", also carrying the feminine and masculine principles.

The road to the park goes under the shade of majestic cherry trees - some of the latest to bloom in Korea!

Omokdae-Imokdae

Imokdae is in a small area called Chaman Graffiti Village; the walls of the houses here are painted by professionals and amateurs: the world of Japanese manga and Korean manhwa; korean alphabet, fantastic, disney cartoon characters, traditional korean stories.

Unfortunately, the Confucians were not very tolerant of Catholicism. We are reminded of this by the Jeonju Catholic Cathedral (built in 1908-1931), located on the site of the executions of Catholics.

A shrine that houses a portrait of the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, King Taejo (Lee Songye). An extensive complex of buildings, including the sanctuary itself, the state sago archive, a museum, the burial place of the placenta of King Yejong, and a complex of auxiliary buildings.

Why and who made portraits of kings, what is a historical archive, why bury the royal placenta - we will try to find answers to these questions in Gyeonggijeon.

In the very historical center of Jeonju, you will find yourself in a fabulous atmosphere. Traditional Korean hanok houses with tiled roofs line the romantic narrow streets. Here, each house is a unique masterpiece of architecture, reflecting the richness and depth of Korean history.

Walking along these streets, you will notice how each house merges with the surrounding nature and creates a harmonious image. You will see small gardens with flowers, well-kept courtyards, as well as traditional decor elements that recreate the atmosphere of antiquity, and sometimes, on the contrary, remind us of modern design trends.

Recently, it has become fashionable for Koreans and guests of the Land of the Morning Calm to rent stylized costumes - traditional hanbok, or European costumes of the era of the first half of the 20th century, which is closer to us. In Jeonju, you will see many such couples or families looking exotic against the backdrop of historical buildings and traditional hanok houses...