Daily Archives: 2020년 March 20일

Provence Boutique Village [Paju]

Provence Village is a themed village that began with the opening of a chic French restaurant in 1996. It has expanded to include a famous bakery cafe, Italian and Korean restaurants, shops, colorful murals, a beautiful garden, and romantic lighting displays in the evenings. Each unique shop is connected to other shops in the village. An art studio offers a wide array of dishes used in cafes and restaurants in the village; the Living Gallery not only decorates Provence Village, but also makes decorative items such as hand-painted ceramics, available for purchase; and the European bakery boasts fresh, delicious breads. Each shop is an independent unit with a unique design concept. The Living Gallery offers shops selling ceramics, flowers, and herbs, while the Fashion Gallery consists of shops offering clothing, accessories, and interior design items. The Herb Garden hosts a wide array of cultural events and performances for visitors throughout the year.

Heyri Art Village [Paju]

Heyri heads for the art village that communicates the culture with the variety genre in the one space. At first, this village was designed as ‘the book village’ linked Paju Publishing Town in 1997. But in the processing of the project, lots of artists in various cultural fields joined it. And the concept of the village was expanded to ‘cultural art village’. Now above three hundred seventy members: writers, artists, cineastes, architects, and musicians are building their artistic spaces, houses, work rooms, museums, galleries. Heyri, the name of village, is quoted from the title “the Sound of Heyri” which is the traditional farming song at Paju province in Gyeonggi-do.

Gamaksan Suspension Bridge

This new suspension bridge recently opened in Paju in March 2018. The bridge which is over 220m long and 10m high is presently the longest suspension bridge in South Korea. The suspension bridge is accessible to get to and does not require a hike. Also, do check out the stunning scenery including the wooden broad walk along the beautiful lake.

The official name of the bridge is “Gloucester Heroes Bridge” and is dedicated to the 1st Battalion Gloucester Regiment of the British Army who fought in the Korean War. The 1st Battalion fought fiercely against the Chinese troops and unfortunately lost the battle, this bridge commemorates the sacrifices they have made in a foreign land. Also, check out Gamaksan the mountain beside it which is 675m above sea level, and is one of the nearest mountains next to the DMZ.

Dongdaemun Market

Dongdaemun Market is a large commercial district comprised of traditional markets and shopping centers that covers the entire area around Dongdaemun Gate, a prominent landmark in Korea. It is Korea’s largest wholesale and retail shopping district featuring 26 shopping malls, 30,000 speciality shops, and 50,000 manufacturers. All kinds of goods can be found here including silks and fabric, clothes, shoes and accessories, electronics, leather goods, sporting goods, office supplies, pet products and toys.

Naksan Park

Naksan Park gets its name from its camel hump-like appearance. In Korean ‘nakta’ means camel and ‘san’ means mountain. So people refer to the park as Nakta Park or Naksan Park. The mountain is a solid granite bedrock. The Joseon royal family enjoyed the natural beauty of the granite mountain, but during the Japanese Colonial Period, a hasty manner of urban planning resulted in the demolition of most parts of the mountain. In an effort to save the remaining green belts, Naksan was designated as a park on June 10, 2002. Located in the center of the Seoul, this historical and beautiful park allows its visitors to view the magnificence of the entire city.

Siheung Gaetgol Eco Park

Siheung Gaetgol Eco Park in Gyeonggi-do features the nation’s only inland beach along the shores of a river that ebbs and flows with the ocean tide. The park offers the chance to learn about the traditional salt-making techniques, as well as the many unique flora that grow here.