Things to do in Gwangju
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Mike & Dave's Speakeasy
A popular live band rocks this informal and friendly bar hidden down an alley on Fridays at 22:00. Set up by two enterprising Canadians, the beers include ABC stout.
reviewed
-
B
May 18th National Cemetery
This sombre memorial park, which opened in 1997, contains a simple burial site for 325 civilian casualties of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. What the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre is to China, the 1980 Gwangju Massacre is to South Korea, a mass demonstration and protest against an authoritarian regime with deadly consequences that became an icon for its time.
Following large-scale student protests against military rule, on 18 May 1980 the army was ordered to move into Gwangju on the pretext of quelling a communist uprising. The soldiers had no bullets, but they used bayonets to murder dozens of unarmed protesters and passers-by. Outraged residents broke into armouries and po…
reviewed
-
C
Mudeungsan Provincial Park
Overlooking Gwangju, Mudeungsan Provincial Park is a gorgeous green mountain range with a spider's web of well-signed trails leading to the peak, Cheonwangbong (1187m).
About 1km (a 30-minute walk) from the bus stop stop (fork right to Saeinbong) is Uijae Misulgwan, a surprisingly chic art gallery.
Walk up from the gallery to the famous Choonsul tea plantation that Uijae established. It's a steep 15-minute walk up, but turn left and then right to join the well-trodden main track up to Tokkideung (460m), a popular picnic spot with views of dramatic scree slopes, which takes half an hour. Otherwise walk downhill and the track comes out at the fork, a five-minute walk before …
reviewed
-
D
Gwangju Art Museum
The Gwangju Art Museum, part of an ugly art plaza with concert and performance halls, displays highlights from the avant-garde Gwangju Biennale. Thought-provoking exhibits could include a portrait of the back of someone's head, a cow made of leather or a landscape inside a suitcase.
Take bus 23 (around ₩900, 10 minutes, every 15 minutes) from outside the bus terminal, and get off at the Gwangju Art Museum stop (Munhwa Yesul Hoegwan), a 15-minute walk from Gwangju National Museum. Bus 50 (around ₩900, 20 minutes, every 30 minutes) runs from the train station to the Folk Museum or bus 55 runs from Geumnamno to the National Museum.
reviewed
-
E
Gwangju Folk Museum
From the Gwangju National Museum take a 15-minute walk through a tunnel under the expressway to Gwangju Folk Museum. It uses dioramas, models, sound effects, videos and more to show off Jeollanam-do's traditional culture, from music to medicine, from toys to armour. Historical photographs at the end reveal how quickly Koreans have morphed from feudal farmers to 21st century whiz kids.
Around the Folk Museum is a pleasant park that contains the Biennale Exhibition Hall. Walk back down through the park to the Gwangju Art Museum and the bus stop.
reviewed
-
F
Minsokchon
A popular barnlike but attractive and cheery restaurant that echoes to beef (소갈비; so galbi) and pork (돼지갈비; dwaeji galbi) sizzling on table barbecues. The galbitang (갈비탕) is excellent with chunky lean meat and 'wellbeing' additions. If this restaurant has a long queue outside, try its branch in Gwangsan·gil.
reviewed
-
G
Gwangju National Museum
The highlight of the Gwangju National Museum to the north of the city is its fine collection of perfectly preserved Chinese ceramics that were discovered in 1975 inside a 14th-century shipwreck. The display ranges from elegant, classical vases to homey mortars and pestles. Other galleries show Joseon and Buddhist art, two Korean art genres neglected by Western art critics.
reviewed
-
H
Migliore
It has stacks of fashion outlets, five cinemas on the 11th floor, a 24-hour jjimjilbang (luxury sauna; admission around ₩5000) and an event stage outside. The jjimjilbang has great facilities including aroma, cucumber and green-tea pools while a full-body massage, oil and scrub beauty treatment is around ₩12,000.
reviewed
-
I
Yeongmi
One of the many duck restaurants in Duck Street alongside Hyundai department store, it has starred on TV. The speciality is oritang (오리탕), which is meant for sharing and bubbles and thickens away at your table together with a pile of vegetables. Ignore the tatty décor; it's the taste of the food that counts.
reviewed
-
J
Uijae Misulgwan
About 1km (a 30-minute walk) from the bus stop, in the Mudeungsan Provincial Park is Uijae Misulgwan, a surprisingly chic art gallery that displays landscape, flower and bird paintings by Heo Baek-ryeon (1891-1977), whose pen name was Uijae. His modern-style house is in an idyllic spot, a five-minute walk away on the other side of the path.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
K
Moojinjoo
With an architecturally adventurous design this classy restaurant is often packed out on all floors, although its speciality, bossam (보쌈; steamed fatty pork with kimchi, cabbage and lettuce wraps), may not appeal to everyone. The lunchtime-only bossam jeongsik is a cheaper deal.
reviewed
-
L
Chungjangno
Chungjangno, Gwangju's buzzing, semi-pedestrianised shopping district, is bursting with clothing and accessory stores, bars, nightclubs, buzzing restaurants and all the fast-food chains. A tsunami of young people sweeps along the streets every night, both above ground and in the Chunggeum underground shopping arcade.
reviewed
-
M
Shinsegae department store
Brand-name outlets rub shoulders here in a gleaming, luxury ambience. There's a Starbucks, the favourite haunt of doenjangnyeo (a derogatory term for young women who only care about style and fashion). Next to it is an art gallery (admission free) with changing exhibitions.
reviewed
-
N
Yero
Down an alley off Art Street is this very informal ssambap restaurant made up of three rooms in the owner's house. It's all very rustic and untidy but people come for the food - lots of wraps and side dishes - and Yero is as near to Korean home cooking as you can get.
reviewed
-
O
Songjukheon
An atmospheric hanok where hanbok-clad staff serves a full-on yangban hanjeongsik in your own antique-decorated room with gayageum (12-stringed zither) music in the background. The restaurant is expensive but special.
reviewed
-
P
Art Street
This is Gwangju's answer to Seoul's Insadong with art galleries, a woodcarver's studio, a leather workshop, teashops, and stores selling hanbok, hanji (handmade paper), art books, ethnic jewellery, calligraphy brushes, tea sets and dolls.
reviewed
-
Q
Mudeung Stadium
Catch the local Kia Tigers baseball team in action at Mudeung Stadium near the bus terminals, and spot the differences with the American game. Many buses, including 1 and 23, can drop you there. Matches start at 14:00 or 18:30.
reviewed
-
R
Asian Culture Complex
This complex, in the old Provincial Hall overlooking the May 18th Democratic Plaza, features art displays and cultural performances from around Asia. Local bands let rip in the small park outside on warm weekends.
reviewed
-
S
If-U
Here are six floors of fashion shopping for the very young at heart, and a food court downstairs with screens and vehicular decor.
reviewed
-
T
Soul Train
This dark basement pub, patronised by both Koreans and foreigners, has a square bar, a pool table and a nightclub feel.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
U
25
This music shop sells Western and Korean rock CDs downstairs, with classical and jazz selections upstairs.
reviewed
-
V
Hyundai Department Store
Near Gwangju train station, it has a bright and clean food court in the basement.
reviewed
