Joyfully enjoying the old charm of Jeonju | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Geumsansa Temple was founded during the Baekje period and has a history of over 1,400 years, keeping its Buddhist light shining to this day as a historically significant temple. It is located on the western foothills of Moaksan Mountain, which rises prominently in the Honam Plain. The temple suffered hardships such as complete destruction of all buildings and about 40 hermitages inside the mountain due to arson by Japanese troops during the Imjin War. However, many cultural properties have been established thereafter and are preserved to the present day. (Source: Geumsansa homepage)

국립전주박물관은 문화관광부 소속기관으로서 1990년에 개관한 이래, 전라북도의 문화유산을 수집·보존하고 연구·전시·교육하여 국내외 문화교류에 적극적으로 앞장서서 지역 문화의 중심기관이 되고자 노력하였다. 특히 2002년 11월에는 사회교육관을 개관하여, 관람객들이 직접 전통문화를 체험하는 창조적인 교육 공간을 운영하고 있다.

Jeonju Hanok Village is the largest traditional hanok village in Korea, with over 700 hanoks clustered around the Pungnam-dong area. It is the only urban hanok complex nationwide. Established starting in 1910, it is an important space in the development of modern Korean residential culture. Significant cultural assets such as Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Omokdae, and Hyanggyo, along with more than 20 cultural facilities, are scattered throughout. Walking along Hyanggyogil, Choi Myeonghigil, and Gyeonggijeongil allows visitors to experience the beautiful alleyways and the charm of hanoks. At night, the streetslight by angel lanterns on Taejo-ro and lighting accentuating the hanok walls offer a romantic nightscape. Unique travel spots like Jeonju Nanjang, Jaman Mural Village, the night market, and Youth Mall can also be found. The beauty of hanok lies in its rooflines, with eaves slightly turned upward, which is distinctive and elegant. The structure is mainly divided into annaechae and sarangchae. Another feature of hanok is the ondol room. Since Koreans mostly sit on the floor, ondol heating is installed beneath. The structure has a furnace outside the room, and when fire is lit under the floor flues (gudeul), the room warms. The key feature of ondol is that it stays cool in summer and warm in winter. There is a Hanok Life Experience Center in the village where visitors can try living in hanok rooms like seonbi bang and gyusu bang with ondol heating. Traditional Korean food served in nabcheong yuggi [納淸鍮器] enhances the experience. Jeonju Hanok Village offers both living experience and a chance to taste the famous Jeonju bibimbap.

Jeonju has been a large settlement in the Honam region since the Mahan period, and its name originated from Wonsanseong of Mahan. It was the capital of Later Baekje for over 40 years, and during the Joseon Dynasty, it was renamed Wansan Yusubu because it was the hometown of Lee Seong-gye's ancestors. One of the impressive sights in Jeonju is the lotus flowers blooming in Deokjin Park. The Deokjin Park pond is a famous feature of Jeonju. Located on Paldal-ro leading from Jeonju IC to downtown, Deokjin Park was formed from a natural lake dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty and was designated and developed as an urban park in April 1978, along with Chwi-hyangjeong, making it a historic site. The 45,000-pyeong grounds include a pond occupying two-thirds of the south, a boat dock in the north, and a suspension bridge crossing east to west dividing them. Walking across the arched suspension bridge in the center of the pond allows one to immerse in the vast scenery. After extensive renovations completed by 1998, the park features mounding construction reminiscent of a small hill in Hyangchon, traditional pavilions, and a swamp of iris plants enhancing its historical character. Artificial waterfalls and wooden bridges were installed to create eco-friendly facilities suited to citizens’ sensibilities. On the Dano Festival, women traditionally wash their hair early in the pond water to pray for a healthy year, making the Dano Changpo Water Festival famous.

Jeonju Zoo opened in June 1978 and operates year-round with no holidays so visitors can always come. It houses about 100 species of animals and various seasonal plants. It consists of Bird Forest, Predator Forest, Jannabi Forest, Herbivore Forest, Species Conservation Forest, Elephant House & Prairie Forest, and a Natural Monument Preservation Center. Bird Forest creates an environment suited for waterfowl habits, planting trees for birds to rest comfortably. Visitors can observe water birds like black-faced spoonbills, Asian mandarin ducks, night herons, and little egrets closely from viewing stands without visual obstructions. Predator Forest is divided into bear house, lion house, and leopard house. The bear house provides welfare-friendly space for Yezo brown bears and Asiatic black bears to hike, climb trees, and swim on hot days. The lion house offers a lively close-up view of the king of the jungle. Jannabi means monkey in dialect; Jannabi Forest is a forest-like area where monkeys play energetically, allowing visitors to compare their appearances and characteristics at a glance. Herbivore Forest is cage-free for better interaction with animals, showcasing llamas and guanacos together for comparison. It also has deer house with various deer species and horse stable with several horse breeds. Species Conservation Forest includes Wolf Forest and Tiger House; Wolf Forest is nearly 800 pyeong of space where wolves coexist with nature, and Tiger House simulates a natural habitat to observe tigers playing. Elephant House has a mud pack area for bathing, a swimming pool to cool off in summer, and visitors can see positive reinforcement training for elephant foot care in the afternoon. Prairie Forest houses hippopotamuses in the hippo house, and the bison house with American bison famous for running in herds and large-horned greater kudu. The Natural Monument Preservation Center houses birds of prey like rescued eagles, Eurasian eagle-owls, and common kestrels that cannot return to the wild, living under Jeonju Zoo’s care.