Gwangju see · Gwangju attractions
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Gwangju attractions
Gwangju attractions
Travelers coming to Gwangju can experience a slower paced experience than Seoul, despite still feeling the bali bali (빨리 빨리 - hurry hurry) lifestyle of Korea. Gwangju also serves well as a good hub for touring the surrounding province of South Jeolla.
5.18 Memorial Parks Gwangju's claim to fame is for it's own Tienanmen Square uprising, May 18th, 1980. There are two memorials for this moment in its history. The main one is found in the beautiful 5.18 park, in central Sangmu. There is an exhibition hall there that enlightens visitors to the events that lead to the violent democratic uprising. While there, follow the walking path to the top of the hill where you can then climb a three-story pagoda and take in a nice view of the more modern part of Gwangju. The other memorial to this occasion is the 5.18 Cemetery, located in the northeast of the city, about 50 minutes from the bus terminal. Again, more monuments and dedications to this moment in history - but make sure the museum is actually opened, because the long travel is not really worth it otherwise.
Art Street A back street near downtown spanning approximately three blocks. It is full of artists and their works in galleries and nicely decorated store windows. In the evenings, it is lit up especially beautiful and provides a nice quaint walk a stone's throw from the most hectic pedestrian area in town. For artists seeking supplies, many of the stores also carry very affordable materials. From the YMCA, cross the street, pass the KEB, and turn left when you see the white arches and cobblestone road (Keep going straight for a delicious vegetarian restaurant on your right).
Yangdong Market Since 2005, the river area has been undergoing a surprising face lift, stretching from Gwangju's most famous food,clothing and furniture market, Yangdong Market (양동 시장 - Yangdong Shijang), all the way out of the city in a southeasterly direction. The river edge is beautifully lit at night, and with its colored lights and shopping areas nearby, is rapidly becoming a symbol of Gwangju - the City of Light and Culture.
Student's Uprising Monument: Ssang Chon Dong This monument is in the geographical middle of the city. Not widely known, and requiring a taxi ride to get to, this monument is rather large and situated in a very quiet park atop a hill. The monument commemorates the student uprising against Japanese Imperialism in the early 1900's. The Park includes an impressive museum with detailed representations of the time. At times English tours are available.
Chonnam University Back Gate Area Chonnam University is the largest university in Gwangju, home to several thousand students with a sizable foreign student and professor population. A popular hangout nearby is located at its back-gate, though it most certainly is more along the sides. Both the east and the west sides of the university have many cheap restaurants, clubs, bars, etc. To go to the west side, home of the cheaper restaurants, take buses 26, 30, among others. To get to the east side of the university, home to the bars and clubs, take bus 38, among others and get off at the conveniently labeled"Chonnam Back Gate" stop.
Cheomdan Area 첨단 Cheomdan is also home to the GIST(Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology), the area has also many foreign students studying technology and hi-tech subject areas. A huge Lotte Mart is nearby as well.
Suwan Area 수완지구 Suwan is a very new district boarding Cheomdan. It has recently aquired the first Toys "R" Us outside of Seoul, located in the Suwan Lotte Mart Complex.
Pung-Am Area 풍암지구 Within PungAm is the World Cup Stadium월드 컵경기장, connected to the Lotte Outlet Mall. A short walk from the stadium is the PungAm resivior, which has recently been upgraded to include fountains, statues and a new walking path. If you enjoy hiking, you can also take an easy hike around GeumDang Moutain, which encircles the PungAm residential area. Starting from the Chinese University Hospital, WonGwangDae Hospital, the hike takes on average 2 hours at a moderate pace.
Songjeong dong and Tteok galbi street Take the subway west and get off at Songjeong-ri station. From there, exit south and east and walk down past the row of Chinese markets. Songjeong has a large population of Chinese ex-pats, along with other south-east Asians like Filipinos, Cambodians, Vietnamese, and Indonesians. After passing the Gwangsan-gu district office, turn right. On days ending with a 3 or 8 (03, 08, 13, 18, etc.) there is a large traditional market (송정 시장 - Songjeong shijang) where produce prices are roughly 1/3 of the supermarket prices. Additionally, there is Tteokgalbi street, famous for its tteokgalbi. In case you're wondering what tteokgalbi is, it's minced beef ribs made into patties and served in the typical meat and leaves barbecue that embodies much of Korean cuisine. It's a bit on the pricey side for Korean restaurants, 10,000-15,000 won.
Kumho World Electronics Market 금호월드 This market occupies 5 stories of an office building right behind the main U-Square bus terminal. The building is easily recognizable from its arched roof of glass sitting jutting out of the skyline. Each floor specializes in a different electronic genre, from cameras, PDA's, Mp3 Players, DMB Players, Computers, PS3-XBoxs, Laptops to other electronics hardware. As a market, the starting price is not always the set price, with some bargaining being possible. Remember to be polite, but also haggle a little if you like. The phrase 'Ka-Ka-Joo-Sae-Yo', means Give me a Discount please, or alternatively 'Ha-Lin-Joo-Sae Yo'has the same meaning. Sometimes this will work, sometimes not.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Gwangju
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Gwangju - updated May 2024
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Gwangju Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
