May 18 Democracy Square (5.18 민주광장)

6.4 Km 10078 2020-06-09

38, Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-613-2082

Stretching from the former Jeollanam-do Provincial Government Office to the Geumnam-ro area, this famous plaza is where the landmark May 18th Democratic Uprising took place. In May 1980, the Jeollanam-do Provincial Government office building was the headquarters of the civil resistance movement and the scene of a number of rallies. The plaza has been officially known as the May 18 Democracy Square since 1996.

Geumsoojang Tourist Hotel (금수장관광호텔)

6.4 Km 10417 2020-04-24

2, Mudeung-ro 321beon-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-525-2111

Geumsoojang Tourist Hotel is located in the old downtown center, just a seven-minute walk from Gwangju Station. It is known as the best "business hotel with expert Korean cuisine.” It has clean and comfortable guestrooms, other convenient facilities, an organized-customer management system, economic rates, and excellent service.

Arirang House (아리랑하우스)

6.4 Km 22142 2016-10-18

2, Mudeung-ro 321 Beon-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-525-2111~5

With a proud 20-year history, Arirang House is famous for its kimchi, which won a prize at the first Kimchi Festival. In 2003, the restaurant collaborated with Shilla Hotel and Paradise Hotel and successfully hosted a royal cuisine demonstration event, contributing to the promotion of Korean cuisine.

Arirang House serves delicious Korean cuisine in an elegant style. The food is carefully prepared by 11 chefs, including the chef who has thirty years of experience. The kitchen is divided into the side dish team, the special dish team, and the main course team to prepare a total of thirty or so specialized dishes. The flavors are enhanced by using only the freshest natural ingredients and not using any artificial seasonings. Prices vary by course, and each course comes with raw beef, samhap (a combination of three special foods), assorted raw fish, and steamed short ribs. The bossam kimchi (kimchi with slices of steamed pork) is also one of their specialties.

Gwangju Art Street (광주 예술의 거리)

6.4 Km 32132 2020-06-19

24, Yesul-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-942-6160

Gwangju Art Street is aimed at developing Gwangju’s traditional art scene through exhibition of local work. The street is 300m long and located behind Jungang Elementary School, nearby Gwangju Dongbu Police Station. Items commonly found here include Korean fine art such as paintings, ceramics, writings, and industrial art.

Every Saturday, an art flea market famous for its unique pieces is held here. People from all over the nation gather to display items that include old calligraphy materials, collector coins, stone hairbrushes, Chinaware, wooden sculptures, folk drawings, classic books, ink, and incense burners. Part of the attraction is the stories the collectors share with each part of their collection. Enjoy the many shows and exhibitions that draw regular crowds to this famous road.

The Mudeung art exhibit operates according to districts, and functions as a cultural festival as well. The outdoor exhibition was built in February 1995, and is open throughout the day. The large exhibition space has 32 booths and regularly holds special exhibits. Many regional cultural treasures are also on display here. Every Saturday, the Street of Fine Arts is blocked from traffic, and people gather to share and enjoy art culture. Gwangju Summer Universiade will be held this summer, 2015.

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street (양림동 펭귄마을공예거리)

6.4 Km 17 2023-11-28

20-13 Ogiwon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street is a narrow alleyway located behind the Yangrim-dong Community Center. The village, named because of the way the elderly residents appear to waddle like penguins, has become an exhibition space of life in the 70s and 80s. Villagers cleaned up empty houses that had been burnt down and left unattended in the past, brought discarded items, and began displaying them on the village walls. "Let's be thankful for living at that time" was engraved on the village wall. It also has historical culture, such as the House of Choe Seunghyo, the House of Missionary Uilsa, and Owen Memorial Hall. The Penguin Jumak in the middle of the village was the residents' gathering place, selling small but necessary items. Various workshops, such as leather workshops, textile workshops, and carpentry workshops, are located on Craft Street, so you can purchase pretty crafts or experience upcycling crafts with a retro vibe in which the historical and the modern coexist.

Olive Young - Gwangju Chungjangro 1-ga Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (올리브영 광주충장로1가)

6.4 Km 0 2024-04-22

105-1, Chungjang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju

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Penguin Village

6.4 Km 0 2023-11-22

7 , Cheonbyeonjwa-ro 446beon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

BTS mural and penguin bread
Since the 1970s and 1980s, 4 to 5 elderly people who lived in old villages started to decorate with scrap metal works, and it turned into a craft street and reached what it is today. There are two murals of j-Hope, whose hometown is Gwangju, and they are the only murals in the village that depict a specific person. It was produced with the support of Chinese fans in commemoration of his birthday in 2020. There is a mural near the village cooperative society cafe, so buying penguin bread at the cafe after viewing the mural is popular.

Gwangju Culture Night (광주문화재야행)

6.5 Km 0 2023-11-22

38 Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-229-3070

Experience the history of Gwangju under the moonlight at Gwangju Culture Night. This cutural tourism festival offers a range of programs in the eight themes of nightscape, history tour, experience, exhibition, performance, food, marketplace, and accommodation.

Asia Culture Center (국립아시아문화전당)

6.6 Km 4910 2023-01-03

38, Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-1899-5566

The Asia Culture Center (ACC) is an international arts and cultural exchange organization aimed to promote Gwangju as Asia's central hub through the integration of past and present-day cultural arts as well as the development of futuristic and progressive arts. The center consists of ACC Culture Exchange, ACC Children, ACC Archive & Research, ACC Theater, and other facilities to support and foster innovation.

Hyusimjeong (휴심정)

6.7 Km 0 2024-03-07

611-25 Imbangul-daero, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju

Hyusimjeong is a multicomplex complete with Second One, a bakery cafe; Oat, a restaurant offering fusion cuisine; a pop-up store zone; and a gallery; all surrounded by a large garden, creating the perfect location for rest. The garden appears to be in bloom all year round thanks to the advanced landscaping that mixes over 28 species of trees and 30 species of flowering grasses.

May 18 Democracy Square (5.18 민주광장) - Area information - Korea travel information