Introducing Places to Visit in Gwangyang in November

Ginkgo Leaves Beautifully Colored at Gwangyang Hyanggyo, Lee Gyunyeong Literary Hill

Late Autumn Eochi Trail, Baealdo Island Garden, Mangdeok Port, and More

Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do has unveiled a November travel course perfect for enjoying the poetic sentiment of late autumn and the fragrance of humanities and contemplation.

The city has designed half-day, one-day, and two-day courses centered around content that allows visitors to fully savor the deepening autumn atmosphere, including Gwangyang Hyanggyo Confucian School, Lee Gyunyeong Literary Hill, and Eochi Valley Ecological Trail.

The half-day course, "Half a Day in Gwangyang," is a humanities and arts route connecting the Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art & Gwangyang Art Warehouse, Gwangyang Bulgogi Specialty Street, Inseori Park, Gwangyang Hyanggyo, and Lee Gyunyeong Literary Hill.

Gwangyang Hyanggyo, a central space for education and culture during the Joseon Dynasty, is most beautiful in November when the ginkgo leaves turn golden. Passing through the outer gate, Pungwharu, visitors are quietly welcomed by the neatly arranged Daeseongjeon and Myeongnyundang halls, bringing a sense of tranquility.

Turning left from Gwangyang Hyanggyo leads to Lee Gyunyeong Literary Hill, dedicated to the novelist and historian who received both the Yi Sang Literary Award and the Danjae Academic Award, gaining attention from literary and historical circles alike.

Born in 1951 in Usan-ri, Gwangyang-eup, Lee Gyunyeong graduated from Gwangyang Middle School, Kyungbock High School, and Hanyang University’s Department of History, including graduate studies, and served as a professor at Dongduk Women’s University.

At Lee Gyunyeong Literary Park, there are sculptures and literary monuments representing his Yi Sang Literary Award-winning work "Beyond the Dark Memories," allowing visitors to trace his literary legacy.

The one-day course to spend a full day in Gwangyang tours Yudang Park, Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art & Gwangyang Art Warehouse, Gwangyang Bulgogi Specialty Street, Inseori Park, Gubongsan Observatory, Yi Sun-sin Bridge, Baealdo Island Garden, and Mangdeok Port (including the preserved house of Jeong Byeong-uk, who safeguarded the posthumous works of Yun Dong-ju, and the poetry garden).

Yudang Park, located in Gwangyang’s original downtown, is a security forest established in 1547 by Gwangyang Magistrate Park Se-hu to prevent the exposure of the town fortress. It is a garden and space of memory layered with long history.

The ancient trees, boasting 500 years of growth rings and beautiful shapes, are protected as Natural Monument No. 235, "Gwangyang Eupsoop (광暘邑藪) and Ippatnamu (Korean flowering pear trees)," offering a romantic autumn landscape.

The two-day course, "Counting Stars at Night in Gwangyang," dreams of spending a night in Gwangyang, traveling through nature and culture from Baegunsan Natural Recreation Forest to Mangdeok Port’s preserved house of Jeong Byeong-uk and enjoying beautiful night views.

The first day’s itinerary includes Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art & Gwangyang Art Warehouse, Gwangyang Bulgogi Specialty Street, Inseori Park, Baegunsan Natural Recreation Forest, Okryongsa Camellia Forest, Gubongsan Observatory, and Yi Sun-sin Bridge.

The second day concludes the leisurely two-day journey with visits to Kim Si Sik’s site, Baealdo Island Garden, Mangdeok Port (Jeong Byeong-uk’s preserved house), delightful gourmet experiences, and the Eochi Valley Ecological Trail.

The Eochi Valley Ecological Trail is a 1.25 km trail from Naehoe Bridge in Jinsang-myeon to Gusi Waterfall, created by preserving the natural terrain, offering a healing space where visitors can deeply breathe in the intimate nature.

Jeong Gu-young, head of the Tourism Division, said, "The November Gwangyang travel course, at the peak of autumn, is composed of cultural and artistic spaces where visitors can feel the colorful autumn scenery and the fragrance of humanities."

He added, "We hope visitors take time for quiet contemplation and inner reflection by visiting serene historical spaces that embody Gwangyang’s character, such as Gwangyang Hyanggyo and Yudang Park, as well as the high-quality exhibitions at the Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art."

Meanwhile, Gwangyang City is discovering travel courses that consider duration and routes, from half-day courses centered on monthly hot spots to two-day courses that uncover the city’s hidden charms, and presenting them through the recommended travel section on the cultural tourism website.

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