Whale hometown of superb nature and big industry | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Oegosan Onggi Village in Ulju-gun, Ulsan Metropolitan City, produces over 50% of the onggi pottery nationwide in Korea, the only country in the world producing onggi. It is the largest traditional folk onggi village preserving the wisdom and tradition of ancestors. Pottery production began here in the 1950s, and the village became known as an ideal place for onggi making. From the 1960s to 1970s, over 350 onggi artisans gathered from across Korea to produce pottery that was exported domestically and internationally, including to the USA and Japan. In the 1980s, the village flourished, attracting foreign ceramic artists. However, industrialization led to reduced demand and less interest in traditional onggi culture, and today about 40 of the 128 households continue the onggi craft. Current residents produce onggi and various products blending ancient and modern tastes. The village began forming in 1957 when potter Heo Deok-man settled there, creating a unique village harmonized by pottery. Oegosan Onggi Village produces over 50% of the nation’s onggi, and its Onggi Museum displays the world's largest onggi listed in the Guinness Book. The annual Ulsan Onggi Festival offers various experiences and events. Facilities such as the Onggi Academy Hall, Fermentation Academy Hall, and Ulju Folk Museum are also available.

Located in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Ganjeolgot is the place where the sun rises first on the Korean Peninsula, making it a representative spot visited by many every New Year's Day to witness the sunrise. Here, the sun rises about 1 minute earlier than at Pohang Homigot and about 5 minutes earlier than at Gangneung Jeongdongjin. One of Ganjeolgot's symbols, the Ganjeolgot Lighthouse, is a historic lighthouse built in the 1920s during the Japanese colonial period. It is now loved as a great walking course and photo spot as it blends with the surrounding park. The white lighthouse standing tall against the blue sea makes the scenery of Ganjeolgot even more impressive. Another special attraction here is the world's largest wish mailbox. Postcards put in it are actually delivered anywhere nationwide, and free postcards are distributed at Ganjeolgot Haeolje (Uljugun specialty product store), offering tourists precious memories. The Ganjeolgot area boasts beauty throughout the four seasons with rapeseed flower fields, peculiar rocks, and dense pine forests. Nearby attractions include Jinha Beach, the most crowded summer beach in Ulsan, Seosaengpo Waeseong, Nasabongsudae, and Onyandonggi Village, making for a variety of sights to enjoy. The wide-open horizon, early morning sunlight, and tranquil lighthouse scenery combined make Ganjeolgot a travel destination everyone should visit at least once.

Since the 1960s, Ulsan's image as a heavy chemical industrial city has had positive aspects of 'growth,' but negative aspects such as pollution and poor quality of life have become more prominent. In this situation, a park to serve as a clean zone was urgently needed. Accordingly, from 1986, Ulsan Gwangyeoksi purchased and provided about 3.64 million square meters of land around Gonguptap Rotary in Nam-gu, Sinjeong-dong, and Ok-dong areas. SK Corporation constructed Ulsan Grand Park facilities over 10 years from 1996 and then donated them to Ulsan Gwangyeoksi free of charge. The established Ulsan Grand Park not only contributes to improving citizens' quality of life but also serves as a starting point for the city's balanced growth. It became a catalyst for transforming industrial city Ulsan into a city harmonizing industry and nature. Ulsan Grand Park is designed for the convenience of citizens, allowing them to fully experience Ulsan's rich industrial environment and culture. It is a space for experiences and culture and relaxation for various age groups and social classes, offering various lively programs through efficient park management. It also provides education and experiential learning about natural ecology to be a space for residents to visit continuously without burden.

In Daegok-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, there is the scenic Bangudae, where a ridge of Yeongosan extends down and ends abruptly in striking rock formations, resembling the shape of a turtle lying flat, hence the name Bangudae (盤龜臺). The clear waters flowing down from Cheonjeon Valley in Doodong-myeon gather here to form a lakeside, celebrated as a place of exceptional beauty. Since ancient times, poets and scholars from various regions visited to enjoy the scenery through poetry. Petroglyphs are pictures carved into rocks by prehistoric people, depicting various events from their daily lives. Typically made on large rocks or sacred sites, these places were likely gathering spots for rituals. The Ulju Daegok-ri Bangudae Petroglyphs are located at the so-called "Geonneo Gakdan," a tributary of the Taehwa River called Daegokcheon, with the main rock face measuring 10m wide and 3m high. Numerous images are also found on surrounding rocks, totaling about ten sites with petroglyphs. These carvings are believed to have been made over multiple periods from the Neolithic era, showing stylistic differences by era. They are divided into two techniques: the area-chiseling method, where entire interiors are carved out, and the outline-chiseling method, where only contours are engraved. The depicted subjects include sea animals, land animals, humans, and tools. Sea animals include whales, seals, and turtles; land animals include deer, tigers, wild boars, and dogs. Human figures appear as faces only, standing frontally or sideways, and riding boats. Tools depicted include boats, fences, nets, harpoons, and crossbow-like objects. These images are thought to represent prehistoric hunting activities, carved with the hope for successful hunts and abundant game. Expressing animals and hunting scenes vividly and realistically, these petroglyphs serve as both hunting and religious art, offering invaluable insight into prehistoric life and customs. As the earliest whale hunting record and the first prehistoric art on the Korean Peninsula, the Bangudae Petroglyphs and the Cheonjeon-ri epigraphy and petroglyphs along the approximately 3km "Banguchon Petroglyphs" were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site on July 12, 2025, representing a premier historical tourism resource of Korea.

Chisan Seowon is one of the rare seowon dedicated to the loyal subject of Silla, Park Jesang, and his family. Its origin traces back to Shinmosa, established during the Silla period on Chisulryeong in Gyeongju Mukjangsan to enshrine Park Jesang's wife. In the 21st year of King Yeongjo's reign (1745) during the Joseon Dynasty, Shinmosa was reestablished in Dudong-myeon under the leadership of the Yeonghae Park clan to honor Park Jesang, his wife, and their two daughters. Park Jesang, a descendant of Park Hyeokgeose, received an order from King Nulji of Silla during King Silseong's reign to bring back his younger brothers held hostage in Goguryeo and Wa. He first rescued Bokho from Goguryeo, then went to Wa to save Misaheun, and after severe torture, he died by fire. East of Dudong-myeon Manhwa-ri at Chisulryeong, there remain Mangbuseok and Eun-euam, related to the legend that Park Jesang's wife and two daughters waited for him, turned into the Mangbu stone after death, and their souls flew away as birds. Later, King Nulji posthumously awarded Park Jesang the title Daechan and his wife the title Gukdaebuin. The adjacent Park Jesang Memorial Hall exhibits the lifestyle of the Three Kingdoms period, the 4th-5th century international situation, and Park Jesang's achievements, so visiting both is recommended.