Sajik Forest of Light (사직 빛의 숲) - Area information - Korea travel information

Sajik Forest of Light (사직 빛의 숲)

Sajik Forest of Light (사직 빛의 숲)

5.4Km    2024-12-11

49 Sajik-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Located within Sajik Park, the Forest of Light is a popular night view spot with a fantastic media art that incorporates historical themes of Gwangju. The space features a combination of lighting, video, and music to create multimedia contents, offering a variety of experiences and attractions through interactive art that responds to people's movements. The observation tower hosts a light show, and visitors can enjoy video contents through an AR telescope.

Yangnim-dong Missionary Cemetery (양림동 선교사 묘지)

Yangnim-dong Missionary Cemetery (양림동 선교사 묘지)

5.4Km    2021-05-28

77, Jejung-ro, Nam-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-607-2333

The Yangnim-dong Missionary Cemetery is the final resting place of 23 missionaries who brought Christianity to Gwangju and led the movement to free the nation from under Japanese colonial rule. Yangnim-dong in Gwangju Metropolitan City was the main area in which Priest Bae Yu-ji and Dr. Clement Owen carried out their work as the first missionaries to Jeollanam-do.


Located nearby is a monument dedicated to Priest Bae Yu-ji and the Owen Memorial Building, built in honor of Dr. Owen and his grandfather. Both memorials are cultural assets and particularly prized by locals of the Christian faith.

Gwangju Sajik Park (사직공원 (광주))

Gwangju Sajik Park (사직공원 (광주))

5.5Km    2022-08-05

49, Sajik-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-652-3236

Sajik Park is located at the previous site of Sajikdan Altar, a ritual site to pray for peace and prosperity during the Three Kingdoms Era. In the 1960s, the site was home to Sajik Zoo, with the ritual being abandoned in 1894 and the altar in disrepair. However, in 1991, it was decided to move the zoo to another location and begin restoring the site. It was reopened in April 1994, 100 years after the last ritual.

Sajik Park is landscaped with various trees and flower beds. The park blooms pink and white with cherry blossoms annually in mid-April. During this time, the municipality of Gwangju installs lighting in the trees for citizens to enjoy the blossoms late into the night. The park has become established as a favorite rest area for Gwangju citizens. The park houses several attractions including Gwangju Broadcast Station (KBS), Memorial Tower for Policemen, Yangpajeong Pavilion, and Palgakjeong Pavilion overlooking downtown Gwangju.

MADRID Business Hotel Gwnagju (유)한성 마드리드 광주호텔)

MADRID Business Hotel Gwnagju (유)한성 마드리드 광주호텔)

5.5Km    2024-12-22

11 , Gwangsan-ro 19beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-941-0500

The Madrid Hotel in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do, is right across from KTX Gwangju Songjeong Station, and not far from Gwangju Airport, giving excellent  transport access. Nearby tourist destinations include the Sangmu shopping and business district, Kimdaejung Convention Center, Songjeong Tteokgalbi Street, and the 1913 Songjeong Station Market. It is also easy to move to Pyeongdong Industrial Complex, Sochon Industrial Complex, Naju Innovation City, etc. The hotel was used as the headquarters hotel for the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, and received good reviews for its neat and clean facilities and friendly service.

Yangnim History & Culture Village (양림역사문화마을)

5.5Km    2023-11-28

7 Seoseopyeong-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-676-4486

Yangnim History & Culture Village is located in the area where Western items and ideas first entered Gwangju over 100 years ago. As such, the neighborhood has a unique collection of Western architecture mixed with traditional hanok houses. There are also many houses of Christian missionaries, who facilitated the advancement of medicine and education in Gwangju. Some areas, such as Penguin Village, have been decorated with murals and outdoor exhibitions to promote art and tourism, helping the elderly locals to make a living.

Art Polygon Horanggassinamu (호랑가시나무 아트폴리곤)

Art Polygon Horanggassinamu (호랑가시나무 아트폴리곤)

5.5Km    2025-02-04

22 Jejung-ro 47beon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Located in Yangnim-dong, Art Polygon Horanggasinamu  is a multi-purpose cultural space that hosts various programs such as exhibitions, lectures, and performances. In 2021, it was used as one of the venues for the Gwangju Biennale. The space was created by preserving and expanding the original structure of a missionary's garage. Yangnim-dong is home to many modern historical cultural heritage sites and art galleries that connects the past and the present.

Missionary Wilson's House (우일선 선교사 사택)

Missionary Wilson's House (우일선 선교사 사택)

5.5Km    2024-12-04

20 Jejung-ro 47beon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-607-2333

Missionary Wilson’s House is a two-story brick building that sits upon the eastern foothills of Yangnimsan Mountain. Known as the oldest surviving Western-style house in Gwangju, the house is an icon of modern culture and architecture in Korea. The house was built by an American missionary named Wilson in the 1920s (exact date unknown) and was the home of the Wilson family while they stayed in Korea. When the family completed their work in Korea, they sold the house for a very cheap price with the stipulation that the house continued to be used for missionary purposes. The house fell into the possession of the General Assembly of Chonnam Presbyterian Church of Korea in 1986 and now serves as the home office for the Presbyterian Church of Korea.

The square-shaped house consists of a living room, a family room, a kitchen, and a bathroom (1F), several bedrooms (2F), and storage areas and a boiler room (B1). The fact that the entrance of the house faces east is said to be a result of the prevailing architectural culture of Korea at that time. A Netherland-style house built with 55-milimeter thick, gray bricks, the first and second stories are delineated on the exterior with an eye-catching band of bricks.

◎ Travel information to meet Hallyu’s charm - TV series "Hymn of Death"
Here, Woo-jin (played by Lee Jong Suk), Sim-deok (played by Shin Hye-sun), and their troupe rehearsed for their play in "Hymn of Death." The Western-style building, framed by a lush forest backdrop, offers an exotic and picturesque setting.

Gwangju Aura Hotel (광주 아우라 비즈니스 호텔)

Gwangju Aura Hotel (광주 아우라 비즈니스 호텔)

5.5Km    2024-12-22

28 , Songjeong-ro 1beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-942-0060~0061

The Aura Hotel in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do, is a business hotel directly opposite KTX Songjeong Station, which offers clean and comfortable rooms with spacious bathrooms and an elegant atmosphere. Transport connections are good, with Gwangju Airport and Gwangju 2nd Ring Road just 10 minutes away, Must-visit Gwangju sights Songjeong Tteokgalbi Street, 1913 Songjeong Old Market, and Songjeong 5-Day Market are also nearby.

Yangnim Art Center (양림미술관)

Yangnim Art Center (양림미술관)

5.5Km    2024-11-20

70 Jejung-ro, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Yangnim Art Center takes its name from its location in Yangnim-dong, the center of modern history and culture. Designed in hanok style, the building features exhibition rooms on each floor, offering both artists and visitors a creative space to connect and immerse themselves in the art.

1960 Cheongwonmomil (1960 청원모밀)

1960 Cheongwonmomil (1960 청원모밀)

5.5Km    2020-05-04

174-1, Jungang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-222-2210

1960 Cheongwonmomil is a popular restaurant on Chungjang-ro Street, serving buckwheat noodles since 1960. It features white tables along with bright lighting. The representative menu is momil guksu, attracting people's appetite. Also, they offer kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) made in-house.