Gwangyang City, Invitation to Gwangyang Travel in September

At the Vast Gubongsan Observatory, Gaze at the Bright Full Moon of Hangawi

Autumn Romance Abounds at Mangdeok Port Hosting the Jeoneo Festival and Baealdo Island Garden

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik] Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do has released a September Gwangyang travel course targeting the season ideal for travel and the nation’s biggest holiday, the Chuseok holiday.

The city has organized half-day, one-day, and one-night two-day courses centered around Chuseok moon-viewing spots such as Gubongsan Observatory, Mangdeok Port, Maro Fortress, the Jeoneo Festival, and other historical sites.

The half-day course, “Half a Day in Gwangyang,” connects Gubongsan Observatory ~ Yi Sun-sin Bridge ~ Gim Seaweed Cultivation Site ~ Baealdo Island Garden ~ Mangdeok Port (Jeong Byeonguk House preserving Yun Dong-ju’s manuscripts).

Gubongsan Observatory is a space where visitors can enjoy panoramic views and freedom in an open area during the day, and at night, experience the mysterious light of the digital art beacon tower and star-like sparkling night views.

Especially during Chuseok, it is a great moon-viewing spot to make wishes in your heart while watching the bright full moon with your loved ones.

September at Mangdeok Port, where the Seomjin River meets the sea, is rich with the subtly deepening autumn and plump silver-scaled Jeoneo fish.

This year, the Jeoneo Festival (September 23?25), which could not be held due to COVID-19, is scheduled to take place for three days, exciting citizens and tourists who look forward to the autumn of abundant harvests.

Additionally, there are spaces where literature and history flow gently, such as the Jeong Byeonguk House preserving Yun Dong-ju’s manuscripts, Yun Dong-ju Poetry Garden, the shipyard where boats were made, and the memorial monument for Eoyeongdam.

The Gim Seaweed Cultivation Site, the world’s first seaweed farming site, is a marine revolutionary space that expanded the sea into the realm of cultivation, providing detailed information on the history of seaweed and seaweed farming methods.

The one-day course to spend a full day in Gwangyang tours Mangdeok Port (Jeong Byeonguk House preserving Yun Dong-ju’s manuscripts) ~ Baealdo Island Garden ~ Gim Seaweed Cultivation Site ~ delightful gastronomy ~ Yi Sun-sin Bridge ~ Gubongsan Observatory ~ Maro Fortress ~ Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art & Gwangyang Art Warehouse.

Baealdo Island Garden, anchored by two marine pedestrian bridges crossing the blue sea, is a unique space where visitors can enjoy contemplation and leisure while overlooking the sea.

Maro Fortress, designated as Historic Site No. 492, is an ancient fortress built during the Baekje period and used until the Unified Silla period. It is a terraced mountain fortress that preserves the saddle-shaped terrain and surrounds the summit with fortress walls.

Visitors can take a time travel to the past by examining the remains of watchtowers, building sites, wells, and roof tiles inscribed with names such as 馬老 (Maro) and 軍易官 (Gunyeokgwan).

At the Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art, located on the site of the old Gwangyang Station, from September 6, visitors can explore the life and work of Lee Kyung-mo, who documented the turbulent period of Korea, through the photo exhibition “Lee Kyung-mo Photo Exhibition: The Moment That Became History.”

Also, the planned exhibition “Mourning: At the End of Loss,” closing on the 12th, and the special exhibition “The Beauty of Color” are attracting visitors.

The one-night two-day course “Counting Stars at Night in Gwangyang,” dreaming of a night in Gwangyang, travels through Gwangyang’s nature and culture from Okryongsa Camellia Forest to Mangdeok Port’s Jeong Byeonguk House preserving Yun Dong-ju’s manuscripts, and offers beautiful night views.

The first day’s course is Okryongsa Camellia Forest ~ Maechun Hwanghyeon Birthplace & Maechun History Park ~ delightful gastronomy (Gwangyang Bulgogi or Gwangyang Chicken Charcoal Grill) ~ Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art & Gwangyang Art Warehouse ~ Maro Fortress ~ Gubongsan Observatory ~ Yi Sun-sin Bridge ~ Haeoreum Overpass.

The second day’s course is Gim Seaweed Cultivation Site ~ Baealdo Island Garden ~ Mangdeok Port (Jeong Byeonguk House preserving Yun Dong-ju’s manuscripts) ~ delightful gastronomy (Seomjin River Freshwater Clam Soup & Clam Noodles) ~ leisurely finishing the one-night two-day journey at Neuraengi-gol Natural Recreation Forest.

Okryongsa Camellia Forest is a place where about 10,000 densely packed camellia trees surround the site of the former Okryongsa Temple, realizing the aesthetics of emptiness and fullness, making it a perfect space for introspection.

In autumn, instead of camellias that bloomed and withered in spring, red spider lilies create a fantastic landscape by contrasting with the shiny green leaves of the camellia trees.

Jung Gu-young, head of the Tourism Division, said, “The September Gwangyang travel course is composed of tourist spots where visitors can fully enjoy nature such as Gubongsan Observatory, Baealdo Island Garden, and Mangdeok Port, moving away from indoor cultural spaces like museums and art galleries that people avoided during the hot summer.”

He added, “Since September includes the Chuseok holiday, I hope visitors enjoy Gwangyang’s beautiful nature and culture with their precious family and relatives whom they meet after a long time, and fully savor Gwangyang’s flavors such as Jeoneo, Seomjin River freshwater clams, Gwangyang Bulgogi, and Gwangyang Chicken Charcoal Grill.”

Meanwhile, the city continues to present travel courses considering duration and routes, from half-day courses that feel like casual outings centered on monthly hot places to one-night two-day courses that discover the true charm of every corner.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.