Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street (양림동 펭귄마을공예거리) - Area information - Korea travel information

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street (양림동 펭귄마을공예거리)

12.4Km    2024-10-22

20-13 Ogiwon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street is a narrow alleyway located behind the Yangnim-dong Community Center. The village, named because of the way the elderly residents appear to waddle like penguins, has become an exhibition space of life in the 70s and 80s. Villagers cleaned up empty houses that had been burnt down and left unattended in the past, brought discarded items, and began displaying them on the village walls. "Let's be thankful for living at that time" was engraved on the village wall. It also has historical culture, such as the House of Choe Seunghyo, the House of Missionary Uilsa, and Owen Memorial Hall. The Penguin Jumak in the middle of the village was the residents' gathering place, selling small but necessary items. Various workshops, such as leather workshops, textile workshops, and carpentry workshops, are located on Craft Street, so you can purchase pretty crafts or experience upcycling crafts with a retro vibe in which the historical and the modern coexist.

Chungjangsa Shrine (충장사)

12.5Km    2023-01-25

13, Songgang-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-613-5407

When you reach Baejae along the tourist road leading up to Wonhyosa Temple, you can see the well-maintained tomb and the magnificent building of Chungjangsa Shrine on the left. It was built in 1975 as a memorial to General Kim Deok-ryeong, born in Mudeungsan Mountain. In the precincts, there are the shrine, where Kim Deok-ryeong's portrait and command paper are enshrined; the east room and west room; Eullyun Monument and Commentary Monument, the relics hall; Chungyongmun Gate; and Ikomun Gate. In the relics hall, the clothes of 'General Kim Deok-ryeong,' designated as Important Folk Material, and the coffin excavated from the general's tomb, as well as his handwriting, are on display. On the hill behind the shrine is Kim Deok-ryeong's tomb and tombstone, as well as his family's tomb.

Namgwangju Market (남광주시장)

Namgwangju Market (남광주시장)

12.5Km    2023-11-20

117 Yangnim-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-226-1101

Namgwangju Market formed naturally in the area around the old Namgwangju Station, selling everything from seafood and fresh produce to household items. The market suffered a lot when the train station was closed, but it is still very famous for fresh fish, which comes in every morning between 2 and 5 AM. Due to this, there are many raw fish restaurants in the area, with fresh fish and very affordable prices.

10y Ground (10년후그라운드)

10y Ground (10년후그라운드)

12.5Km    2024-11-14

1 Yangchon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Originally a sports complex, the 10y Ground has transformed into a dynamic cultural hub offering educational opportunities, community programs, and a range of unique initiatives. It also provides space for diverse services, including food, beverages, and lifestyle options. Visitors can enjoy various cultural and art programs and shop for locally produced goods and souvenirs.  

Missionary Wilson's House (우일선 선교사 사택)

Missionary Wilson's House (우일선 선교사 사택)

12.6Km    2024-11-12

20 Jejung-ro 47beon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-607-2333

Missionary Wilson’s House is a two-story brick building that sits upon the eastern foothills of Yangnimsan Mountain. Known as the oldest surviving Western-style house in Gwangju, the house is an icon of modern culture and architecture in Korea. The house was built by an American missionary named Wilson in the 1920s (exact date unknown) and was the home of the Wilson family while they stayed in Korea. When the family completed their work in Korea, they sold the house for a very cheap price with the stipulation that the house continued to be used for missionary purposes. The house fell into the possession of the General Assembly of Chonnam Presbyterian Church of Korea in 1986 and now serves as the home office for the Presbyterian Church of Korea.

The square-shaped house consists of a living room, a family room, a kitchen, and a bathroom (1F), several bedrooms (2F), and storage areas and a boiler room (B1). The fact that the entrance of the house faces east is said to be a result of the prevailing architectural culture of Korea at that time. A Netherland-style house built with 55-milimeter thick, gray bricks, the first and second stories are delineated on the exterior with an eye-catching band of bricks.

Owen Memorial Hall (오웬기념각)

Owen Memorial Hall (오웬기념각)

12.6Km    2024-11-12

6 Baekseo-ro 70beon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-650-7647

The Owen Monument and Memorial Hall is located inside the Christian College of Nursing. The monument was erected in 1914 in memory of missionary Clement Owen who, together with Priest Bae Yoo-ji, was the first missionary to come to Jeollanam-do. The monument was built using the 4,200 dollars collected by Owen’s relatives in the USA after Owen died as a martyr in Gwangju.

Clement Owen came to Yangnim-dong, Gwangju in the 1900s and served as a missionary and medical volunteer with his wife, who was a nurse, before dying of exhaustion and overwork in 1909. Owen had hoped to build a memorial hospital in honor of his grandfather, but died before his plan was materialized. The plaque hanging in the hall honors both men in English and Chinese, reading, “In Memory of William L. and Clement C. Owen.”

A Western-style building with a total footage of around 1,435 meters squared (including the annex building), the monument is said to have been used as chapel and assembly room. Today, the building serves as the auditorium of the Christian College of Nursing. The white, two-story building features a lectern in one corner, with two columns of pews facing the lectern. The second floor balcony stretches along the two walls opposite the lectern.

◎ Travel information to meet Hallyu’s charm – movie “Love, Lies,”
In the film, So-yul and Yeon-hee come here to see the renowned singer Lee Nan-young perform. Owen Memorial Hall has a history as a venue for Christian gatherings, lectures, concerts, graduation ceremonies, and various cultural events in the region. Today, it continues to serve as a space for both religious and cultural gatherings.

Tate Modern (테이트모던)

Tate Modern (테이트모던)

12.7Km    2024-02-14

24 Sangmu-daero 673beon-gil, Seo-gu, Gwangju

Tate Modern, which opened in 2018 as a dining café in the Sangmu District of Gwangju, is known for its signature dish, the Nongbu Salad (chicken breast salad). This dish is both filling and healthy, catering to health-conscious diners. In addition to salads, the café offers a variety of other options including brunch, pasta, steak, and an assortment of diverse dishes. Due to its popularity, reservations are required for seating, especially on weekends.

Damyang Meta Provence (담양 메타프로방스)

12.8Km    2023-01-17

2-17, Gipeunsil-gil, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do
+82-61-383-1710

Meta Provence is a tourist complex located in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, which attracts approximately 5 million tourists a year, and is located right next to Damyang Metasequoia-lined Road, once selected as one of Korea’s most beautiful tree-lined roads. It has an atmosphere just like that of the French city of Provence, a famous vacation destination. Meta Provence consists of fashion streets, design handicraft workshops, commercial spaces, banquet halls and many other open spaces where culture, art and business coexist to provide great experiences for not only individual tourists but also families and groups, and, through diverse and differentiated high-quality services, it strives to provide special memories and new experiences to all visitors.

LEEKANGHA Art Museum (이강하미술관)

LEEKANGHA Art Museum (이강하미술관)

12.8Km    2024-11-14

6 3·1manseundong-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

The LEEKANGHA Art Museum, opened in 2018, offers a range of exhibitions, educational programs, and a research center. Visitors can explore the life and art world of Lee Kang-ha in different eras through various exhibitions and gain a deeper understanding of art with performances and educational programs. The museum aims to foster empathy and communication to enrich cultural knowledge by using diverse art-culture experience programs.