Buyeo Seodong Lotus Festival (부여서동연꽃축제) - Area information - Korea travel information

Buyeo Seodong Lotus Festival (부여서동연꽃축제)

15.6Km    2022-05-04

52, Gungnam-ro, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-41-830-2208

Buyeo Seodong Lotus Festival has been designated as an excellent festival four years in a row by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The festival takes place every July during the summer's peak when the lotus flowers bloom. The festival is based on a historical love story, with programs and performance events focused on story delivery. The festival venue is designed to fit in with the natural settings nearby, serving as a perfect backdrop for taking memorable photos with families and friends.

Buyeo Naseong Fortress [UNESCO World Heritage] (부여 나성 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

Buyeo Naseong Fortress [UNESCO World Heritage] (부여 나성 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

17.0Km    2021-07-22

100-11, Dongmun-ro142beon-gil, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
+82-41-830-2623

Buyeo Naseong, also known as the Outer City Wall, was built to protect the capital of Baekje, Sabi. It has a x_height of about 8.4 kilometers. The wall surrouned Busosanseong Fortress and extended to the city of Buyeo.

The wall is one of the oldest walls along with Naseong in Pyeongyang and it is estimated to have been built around 538, when the Baekje capital was changed from Woonjin (current Gongju) to Sabi (current Buyeo). The wall of the fortress starts from the site where Dongmun (East gate) was located to the area of Geumgang River, made by piling soil up. However, only a few traces remain of its former glory.

For now, it leaves a blurry trail including a 20 meter area to the east of Cheongsanseong Fortress, Dongmun Bridge from Seokmok-ri, and an area from Pilseobong Peak to Yeomchang-ri. While the outer wall is sharply sloped, the inner wall was built with a gentle slope to make it easier for horses to reach the guard posts on the top of the wall. Inside the fortress, the palace of Baekje, government offices, houses, temples, stores and protected facilities can be seen. The entire structure of Naseong Fortress features Geumgang River in the south and west sides, providing a natural double-defense system. The wall was one of the important outer defense facilities along with Cheongsanseong and Cheongmasanseong Fortresses.

* Area: 554,591 ㎡

Gongju Hanok Village [Korea Quality] / 공주한옥마을 [한국관광 품질인증]

Gongju Hanok Village [Korea Quality] / 공주한옥마을 [한국관광 품질인증]

18.3Km    2020-09-09

12, Gwangwangdanji-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
+82-10-3451-5769

Gongju Traditional Korean Village is located between the Tomb of King Muryeong and the Gongju National Museum in Gongju, which is often referred to as ‘a roofless museum’ due to the preponderance of historic sites. Opened as a hanok stay on a 30,000m2 site in 2010, the Village, which is entirely composed of tiled-roof hanok houses and thatched-roof houses, offers attractive hanok accommodation that combines traditional and modern styles, and has rooms equipped with a Korean floor heating system (gudeul), as well as a pavilion. It also runs diverse experience programs relating to the history of the Baekje Kingdom. It comprises six group accommodation buildings and ten individual accommodation buildings. The group accommodation buildings, which are recommended for group workshops and school trips, have individual locker rooms and shower rooms, while the individual accommodation building, which is recommended for families and small groups, has four economy-type rooms which share a communal space, and five general-type rooms and two high-class rooms that are equipped with a Hinoki cypress bathtub. The rooms can be opened and locked using a card-key system for guests’ convenience and security. The Village also runs a number of popular experience programs including Storytelling of Baekje Tea, a tea ceremony program coupled with a story about Baekje royal tea, and a Gongju chestnut cookie making experience that offers guests an opportunity to make tea confectionery by mixing chestnut powder and mixed-grain powder with honey. It also runs various programs relating to the history and culture of Baekje, including programs in which participants can wear a Baekje royal costume, learn how to bind books in the Baekje style, and make Baekje relics.

Baekje Experience Center (백제오감체험관)

18.5Km    2024-01-08

30 Gomanaru-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do

The Baekje Experience Center offers a rich array of activities that allow visitors to engage with the history they have observed at the nearby ancient tombs in Songsan-ri and the Gongju National Museum in a tactile manner. This center features eight themed halls across the first basement, and the first and second above-ground floors, offering interactive and gaming programs designed to stimulate all five senses. Activities such as rubbing pattern experience and luminous stamps allow visitors to learn about and appreciate the culture and history of Woongjin Baekje in an intuitive way. One of the center’s highlights is the Window of Sympathy in the first-floor lobby. This impressive two-story panel  changes its color in response to sound and touch, promising to attract significant attention from tech-savvy visitors. It showcases content that guests have captured within the center and shared on social media, complete with hashtags. Additionally, the Window of Creation on the same floor offers a unique creative outlet. Here, visitors can color Baekje-era relics with crayons. These artworks are then transformed into graphic mapping images on the wall via a scanner, allowing for a personalized and immersive historical experience.

Magoksa Temple [UNESCO World Heritage] (마곡사 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

18.5Km    2024-03-15

966 Magoksa-ro, Sagok-myeon, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
+82-41-841-6220

Situated at the foot of Taehwasan Mountain in Gongju, Magoksa Temple was established in 640. It is reputed to protect its occupants from war, and indeed, the temple survived the Japanese invasion of Korea (also known as the Imjin War; 1592-1598) and the Korean War (1950-1953). It houses numerous cultural heritage items, and visitors can participate in the Templestay program to experience life in a Korean Buddhist temple.

Gongju National Museum (국립공주박물관)

Gongju National Museum (국립공주박물관)

18.6Km    2021-05-20

34, Gwangwangdanji-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
+82-41-850-6300

Gongju National Museum preserves and displays cultural treasures, as well as provides educational programs for locals. The museum collection includes over 10,000 relics, including 19 National Treasures and three Treasures, all excavated from the Chungcheongnam-do & Daejeon areas. The most important of these artifacts are displayed permanently, while the remaining items rotate with special exhibitions. In front of the main building is a garden visitors can enjoy after touring the museum.

Gongju Tomb of King Muryeong and Royal Tombs [UNESCO World Heritage] (공주 송산리 고분군과 무령왕릉 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

Gongju Tomb of King Muryeong and Royal Tombs [UNESCO World Heritage] (공주 송산리 고분군과 무령왕릉 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

18.7Km    2024-01-08

37-2 Wangreung-ro, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do

The Songsan-ri Tombs and Royal Tomb of King Muryeong (r. 462-523) contain representative relics of the Baekje period (234-678). The Songsan-ri Tombs contain the graves of kings from the period when Baekje's capital was Gongju, and it is believed to contain 17 such graves. Only seven graves have been discovered so far. There are two types of tomb designs: traditional Baekje-style rock and earth fortification tomb and Chinese-influenced rock tomb. The tombs number one to five were made using the traditional Baekje-style design while tomb number six and the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong were made using the Chinese-influenced design. Even though many artifacts were stolen from the tombs, the tombs serve as an important evidence of Baekje culture and the foreign exchanges from during that period.

Bonghwangjae Hanok Guesthouse [Korea Quality] / 봉황재 한옥 게스트하우스  [한국관광 품질인증/Korea Quality]

Bonghwangjae Hanok Guesthouse [Korea Quality] / 봉황재 한옥 게스트하우스 [한국관광 품질인증/Korea Quality]

18.9Km    2021-03-29

8, Keunsaem 3-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do
+82-41-960-5525

Bonghwangjae Hanok Guesthouse exemplifies the quintessential hanok (traditional Korean house) experience. It is housed in a remodeled modern hanok, built in the 1960s. There are 4 rooms in total. The biggest room is a two-story room with an attic space. It can accommodate up to 4 guests, making it the favorite of family travelers. The room at the very end is the smallest room, but has an open narrow floor space that is ideal for some quiet time facing the courtyard. It can accommodate up to 3 guests. The other two rooms are small and comfortable, fit for 2 to 3 guests. Each room is equipped with a bathroom. The wooden-floored hall, kitchen, courtyard, and backyard are common areas used by all guests. Guests can also sign up for “Gongju Old City Tour on Foot,” which is led by the owner of the house. Complimentary breakfast includes toast, jam, eggs, cereal, and milk. A package program offers snapshot photography from a professional photographer for those staying in this guesthouse. The guesthouse lies only 5 min away from the Chungcheonggamyeong Provincial Office Site and Daetongsa Temple Site by foot, while Sanseong Market, Gongsanseong Fortress, and former Missionary House are reachable in 10 min.

Restaurant Gomgol (곰골식당)

Restaurant Gomgol (곰골식당)

18.9Km    2024-01-09

1-2 Bonghwangsan 1-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do

This renowned restaurant in Gongju is always bustling. Upon passing through its old, time-honored main gate, one is greeted by a tastefully minimalist garden leading to the eatery itself. The restaurant boasts a carefully selected main menu, offering just three specialty dishes: charcoal-grilled spicy pork, grilled fish, and braised cutlassfish. Each meal is accompanied by an abundant array of ssam (wrap) vegetables and delicious side dishes, available for unlimited refills at the self-service bar. The charcoal-grilled spicy pork is expertly cooked for immediate enjoyment, without the need for diners to grill it themselves. The smoky aroma of the charcoal complements the subtle seasonings perfectly. The grilled fish offers a delightful contrast with its crispy skin and succulent flesh. An additional perk is the option to order single servings of all menu items.

Gongju Sanseong Market (공주산성시장)

Gongju Sanseong Market (공주산성시장)

19.3Km    2024-06-05

22 Yongdang-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do

Opened in 1937, this expansive market features a variety of items across its five sections. It’s conveniently located near tourist attractions like Gongju National Museum, Gongsanseong Fortress, and Tomb of King Muryeong. The arcade-style roof allows for comfortable exploration in any weather or season. The Food Alley offers an irresistible selection of local delicacies, making it hard to choose from options like gimbap, banquet noodles, and bulgogi. Not to be missed are Gongju’s specialties: chestnut makgeolli (rice wine) and chestnut sweet rice cake, made from local chestnuts.