Gwangju proudly boasts the title as the 6th largest city in South Korea! (after Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu and Daejeon) This small but significant city is noted to be not only one of Korea’s most liberal cities but also home to some of the youngest and most fashionable Koreans. Nestled in the east of the country with South Jeolla province, the city is easily accessible by KTX from Seoul. From Busan or Daegu it’s a little more difficult and the quickest and easiest route is via bus. From Seodaegu Bus Terminal, Daegu this took 2h30 and was a very comfortable ride. The city is particularly known for the Gwangju Uprising of May 18th 1980 where the university students and civilians rose against the Korean government at the time. It is known for being a particularly harsh and brute show of strength from the police and military might of the country but is well respected as a sign of democracy. To this day, the city keeps the memory of this event alive with a memorial, museum and dedications all over the city. The city is also known for having produced many famous Korean celebrities. Notable mentions include j-hope from BTS, Kevin Moon of The Boyz, Yunho of ATEEZ and Moon Geun-young, a Korean actress and singer. The city is very proud of its cultural relevance and pays tribute to these acts in various ways. I’ll talk about this later on. We stayed here for 5 days and although you can take the highlights of our trip and see the city confortably in a few days, we really did enjoy our stay here and I encourage you to take some more time to enjoy the relaxed vibe of the city. Where to stayhigh-range buDGETACC Design Hotel - this modern and locally owned hotel is right in the centre of the main town. A short walk away from the shopping, museums and restaurants, this hotel also has an outdoor pool and bar to unwind after your day sightseeing. The property also offers a free breakfast with western and korean options. Mid-range budgetHotel B - this chain hotel is well located within the city - close to the 5.18 Memorial Park and a popular dining district. It is on the subway line and offers well-priced comfortable rooms with breakfast included. low-range budgetPanda Guesthouse - this guest house is situated a 5 minute walk from the main shopping area. The guesthouse offers various bunk rooms and family rooms as well as a communal living and kitchen area. When we stayed here we were the only visitors (due to COVID-19) but I think without this it would have been a lively atmosphere. The guest house offered a good breakfast of toast, eggs and cereal and also had a rooftop to relax on at the end of the day. Each room has its own private bathroom and we really enjoyed our stay here. The host was also lovely and friendly. what to see5.18 Memorial Center - 5.18 민주화운동기록관This exhibition is located downtown and is free to enter. It has three floors of displays depicting the history of the 5.18 Uprising and various memoirs and artefacts from the event. It was very moving, particularly the first floor and we were able to understand the event and its importance in shaping the city to modern day Gwangju. The museum takes around 1 hour 30 minutes to comfortably walk through and has information in both Korean and English throughout. Memorial SquareTake the subway to the cultural complex and this large square is hard to miss. The center of the Uprising movement, see here the clock tower which is mentioned heavily in the 5.28 uprising history and also the pagoda which when I went was being renovated. The square is also home to government buildings and a cultural facility where a variety of art is on display. It makes for a spacious and vibrant city hub. Penguin Village - 펭귄마을This village was brought about as a community project to uplift this working-class region after the uprising. It is now a sweet tourist destination with various photo spots and cafes. It also features a number of homes that offer art classes and tours. There are also a few amazing vintage and second hand stores too. We spent around an hour here admiring the art made from local artists and school children and taking photos at all the cute photo spots. If you’re ARMY - try and spot the j-hope mural in the village. Shopping DistrictGwangju is known for its fashionable citizens. The shopping district reflects this and you can find lots of young and trendy affordable shops. It was similar to the styles you can find in Hongdae. The shops open a little later than we expected - around 11am. But there were a lot of choice both low-range and high-range to peruse. I was definitely laden down with more bags than I came with when I returned to Daegu! K-pop StreetThis street can be a little hard to find unless you know what you’re looking for. Type this address into your kakao or naver maps and it should bring up the location right at the start of the street - 퍼스널사진관 The so-called K-pop street is home to a number of murals and art works celebrating the various talents that have come out of Gwangju. Most notably, the street has a lot of art celebrating j-hope of BTS. You’ll be able to find all the work that he posted on his instagram here. Fan of other groups? This is where you’ll be able to get a picture with a mural celebrating the group if a member hailed from Gwangju. It’s nice to see the city so actively celebrating those who bring a lot of tourism to the country and the city. Gwangjuho Lake This lake on the outskirts of the city is the perfect half day activity / day trip for the outdoorsy. We took a taxi to the lake but were able to take the public bus back. It goes sporadically so make sure to check the times. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the lake and its beauty. There were lots of trails to choose as a walking path around it and all allowed you to enjoy the stillness and serenity of the scenery. The path also goes through some dense forest too which I really enjoyed. There are a few cafes here for refreshments and a couple food stands. It is very much a locally loved area but I was so glad we spent some of our extra time on our trip visiting here. Mudeungsan National ParkThis national park overlooks the city of Gwangju in the South. It is easy to access via local bus or taxi. We chose to hike to the peak of the mountain which was a continuous uphill hike of around 4 or 5 hours. Our bus dropped us off at Wonhyosa Temple. From here it was a short walk to the start of the trail. Here it was a little confusing. There is a road you can take all the way to the peak but I think if you start on this trail - your journey to the top will be an arduous one. Instead, take the trail marked with the trail stone (marked 무등산 옛길) a short way up the road. Not only was the route quieter but the well marked path through the forest was much more enjoyable. Since we went in late February, although the base of the mountain was dry and cool, the peak of the mountain was covered in a light layer of snow and ice. This made for an interesting hike towards the upper parts of the hike but with the help of various trees and kind fellow hikers, we made it to the top in one piece. The view from the top was fantastic with 360 views of Gwangju and the surrounding South Jeolla province. We spent our time here eating our gimbap and snacks and taking photos with some curious high schoolers! To make our descent, we chose to take the round-trip route which faced the sun so it was devoid of ice. I was super worried about how we’d navigate the ice on the way down so I was so thankful we chose to hike the direction we did! The route down was leisurely and winding, eventually joining the first road we came across for a long walk down to the bus stop. It’s one of my favourite hikes I’ve done in Korea, due to the interesting weather conditions and the moderate level trail. DamyangAn easy day trip from Gwangju, we chose to take the local bus to Damyang for a day. There are also more comfortable and quicker inter-city buses that may make your journey between the two destinations smoother. We had to change buses a few times and found they weren’t always the most punctual. Once at Damyang, we straight away headed to the Juknokwon Bamboo Garden (죽녹원). The entrance fee was 3,000\ and allows you entrance to a huge park filled with beautiful bamboo trailed walkways, stunning lakes and galleries. If you’re ARMY this is the location where j-hope posted a series of instagram posts during winter 2022. As I was walking beside the picturesque lake to the north of the park, I realised I recognised the scenery. Pulling up his posts on my phone, I quickly discovered that this was the bamboo forest j-hope visited! Shortly after discovering this, we stumbled across the coffee shop he also took photos at. Of course, we had to grab a coffee here and try to recreate the photos. From here, it seemed we almost followed his footsteps as we came across a number of other photo spots from when he posted. Me and my friend were in ARMY heaven. Our other two pals were less impressed! After getting over our shock, we grabbed some convenience store lunch and had a make-shift picnic alongside the river. The town is small but also has some tea fields which are perfect to visit in the spring or summer. It was a perfect day trip from Gwangju. Enjoyed this post? |
Hi! I'm Holly, a twenty something traveller from the UK. Over the years I've been lucky enough to live and travel in many countries. I've studied in America and working holidayed in Australia and New Zealand! I currently live in South Korea. Learn more about me below!
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