Chuseok Moonlight, Art Tours, and Nature Healing: A Diverse Array of Experiences
Gwangyang City in South Jeolla Province has curated a special Gwangyang travel guide for the Chuseok holiday, which has been extended to up to ten days, allowing people to spend the golden holiday in a meaningful and memorable way according to their preferences.
Gwangyang, boasting the lush primeval forests of Baegunsan Mountain, the port where the Seomjin River meets the sea, and the expansive scenery of Gwangyang Bay, is a tourist city rich in history, culture, and culinary delights.
With just a week left until the Chuseok holiday, the city has organized a variety of themed experiences, including Chuseok moonlight and nightscape tours, art museum art tours, and nature healing, to help visitors make the most of this special time.
◆ Chuseok Moonlight Journey: Brilliant Nightscapes as a Bonus
Chuseok is traditionally considered the day when the moon is the brightest and fullest of the year. Our ancestors would gaze at the full moon, wishing for a bountiful harvest and the well-being and happiness of their families.
Gwangyang is filled with romantic moon-viewing spots such as Mangdeok Port, the Baealdo Island Garden, Samhwa Island and Moonlight Beach, and Maro Fortress. Mangdeok Port and the Baealdo Island Garden, where the Seomjin River and the sea converge, offer the rare experience of witnessing both sunset and moonrise, with a splendid nightscape as an added delight.
Within the city, Samhwa Island and Moonlight Beach provide panoramic views of Yi Sun-sin Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, and Haeoreum Pedestrian Bridge, allowing visitors to fully embrace the rising full moon over Gwangyang Bay.
Gwangyang Maro Fortress is another notable spot to enjoy the floating full moon, with features such as a watchtower, building sites, old wells, and piles of roof tiles engraved with inscriptions, all creating a tranquil atmosphere. The Gubongsan Observatory, once a representative moon-viewing site in Korea, is currently closed to the public until next year due to the installation of the 'Gubongsan Interactive Sculpture.'
◆ Art Museum Art Tour: Where Light and Color Reside
Art museums are all-weather spaces where families and relatives gathered for the holiday can enjoy a refined holiday experience, regardless of the weather.
Gwangyang is home to many unique cultural complexes, such as the Jeonnam Provincial Art Museum, Gwangyang Art Warehouse, and Inseori Park. At the Jeonnam Provincial Art Museum, the 'BLACK & BLACK' exhibition is being held to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Jeonnam International Ink Biennale, and the National Museum of Korea’s traveling exhibition, 'Mana Moana: Art of the Sacred Sea, Oceania,' will open on October 2.
The 'BLACK & BLACK' exhibition features over 20 masters from East and West, including Yun Duseo, Soulages, Hartung, and Lee Ufan, who present a dense artistic dialogue that transcends time and space through the common language of black.
The 'Mana Moana: Art of the Sacred Sea, Oceania' exhibition, which was a great success at the National Museum of Korea until September 14, offers a precious opportunity to view more than 180 artifacts from Oceania. The museum will be closed on Chuseok day.
After leaving the Jeonnam Provincial Art Museum, visitors can stroll along the Inseori Art Road, nestled between charming stone walls, and be welcomed without barriers at Inseori Park, where 14 traditional Korean houses have been renovated. In the park's 'Bandage' gallery, artist Park Hana's third solo exhibition, 'Mountain,' will open on October 2, and can be viewed for free during the holiday period except on Chuseok day.
Other attractions include the Gwangyang History and Culture Center, where visitors can get an overview of Gwangyang’s history, and the Nambu Experimental Forest Residence, which offers a glimpse of Japanese architectural styles. Both are open to visitors during the holiday except on Chuseok day.
◆ Deepening Autumn: Healing in Nature
During Chuseok, people often consume high-fat, high-calorie foods that are fried or grilled, and tend to overeat more than usual, leading many to worry about weight gain.
Gwangyang offers many places ideal for light walks to enjoy the deepening autumn, such as the Baegunsan Dulle-gil Trail, the camellia forest at Okgyeongsa Temple, and the Baealdo Island Garden-perfect for relieving holiday fatigue and concerns about weight gain.
In particular, the Baegunsan Dulle-gil Trail and Baegunsan Natural Recreation Forest, located on the 1,222-meter-high Baegunsan Mountain, each offer their own unique scenery and an abundance of phytoncides, making them ideal for recovering from the aftereffects of the holiday.
The camellia forest at Okgyeongsa Temple, with only the temple site remaining and surrounded by dense, ancient camellia trees, creates a unique atmosphere where visitors can leisurely stroll and discover the art of emptiness and fulfillment.
The Baealdo Island Garden, where the Seomjin River completes its 550-ri journey to meet the sea, is a romantic platform floating like a period at the end of a sentence, accessible via two overwater walkways.
Mangdeok Port is also a great place for an autumn walk, filled with emotion, as it features the Jeong Byungwook House, which preserves Yun Dongju’s handwritten manuscript 'Sky, Wind, Star, and Poem,' and the Yun Dongju Poetry Garden. The house will be closed on Chuseok day.
On September 29, Lee Hyunju, head of the Tourism Division, said, "Gwangyang offers a wealth of walking trails such as the Baegunsan Dulle-gil Trail, island gardens, and ports, as well as diverse cultural and artistic spaces like the Jeonnam Provincial Art Museum, Gwangyang Art Warehouse, and Inseori Park. I hope that during this Chuseok golden holiday, you will plan a special trip to Gwangyang with your family, relatives, or loved ones to create unforgettable memories."
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