Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri [UNESCO World Heritage] (익산 왕궁리유적 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

14.8Km 2024-04-07

666, Gungseong-ro, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-859-4631

Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri, designated as Historic Site No. 408 on September 17, 1998, has a surface area of 216,862 square meters. The site has various structures and artifacts from Baekje dynasty to unified Silla period. Artifacts were found within the rectangular-shaped fortress site that surrounds Wanggungri Five-story Stone Pagoda, National Treasure No. 289.

Samcheok Cheokjudonghaebi & Pyeongsutochanbi Monuments (삼척 척주동해비 및 평수토찬비)

15.0Km 2023-04-18

13-7, Heomok-gil, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
+82-33-859-5708

Erected by Heo Mok, the governor of Samcheok during the second year of King Hyeonjeong's reign (1661), Cheokjudonghaebi Monument is 170 centimeters tall. It was originally built to protect the village on Mallido Island that had been frequently inundated by heavy rain and rough waves. It is believed that the mystical inscription, penned by Heo Mok, on the monument calmed the rough sea waves. Today, the monument stands to prove the wisdom and distinguished penmanship of the former Samcheok City Governor.

Pyeongsutochan-bi Monument is 145 centimeters tall. It was erected by Heo Mok's successor and former governor of Samcheok, Jung Un-cheol, in reverence for his wise forebear. The monument contains 48 ancient Chinese characters that describe many achievements of Heo Mok.

Wanggung Five-story Stone Pagoda (익산 왕궁리 오층석탑)

15.0Km 2024-04-07

San 80-1, Wanggung-ri, Wanggung-myeon, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-859-5708

The Wanggung Five-story Stone Pagoda is located on a hill about 2 kilometers south of Wanggung-myeon in Iksan, which is believed to have been the capital of the nation during the Mahan Era. The pagoda stands tall at 8.5 meters and was officially designated as a National Treasure. Relics from the Goryeo dynasty that were found inside the pagoda were designated as a National Treasure and are currently housed in the National Museum of Korea. Of the excavated relics, the most famous; the Sarijangeomgu, a magnificent container of Buddha’s Sarira; the green glass Sarira bottle topped with a lotus-shaped stopper; and the Sungeumgeumganggyeongpan, which contains the 19 golden plates of the Diamond Sutra.

Café Deoki (카페 덕기)

15.3Km 2024-04-07

104 Deokgi 1-gil, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk-do

Café Deoki is a large-scale cafe that opened in 2022. It is well-known for its banana greenhouse, which houses over 100 trees, and also cultivates tangerine trees. Their signature menu items include tangerine juice and banana pudding made from crops grown on-site. The café, known for its exotic banana greenhouse and the entire ambiance, is famous as a photo spot.

Wanju Wild & Local Food Festival (완주 와일드&로컬푸드축제)

15.6Km 2025-03-31

89 Gosanhyuyangnim-ro, Gosan-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-290-3976

Wanju Wild & Local Food Festival is a festival taking place in the area of Gosan Recreational Forest. The festival provides environmentally-friendly food experiences using local agricultural products, along with various wild plants and animals from Wanju. The festival aims to give visitors an opportunity to try Wanju's fresh wild foods and local foods in a prestigious natural environment.

Café By Chance (우연하게도)

15.7Km 2024-04-07

188-13 Urim-ro, Geumsan-myeon, Gimje-si, Jeonbuk-do

Café By Chance, located in Cheongdo-ri, Gimje-si, is an excellent place to relax while seeing the beautifully decorated garden and fountain spouting cool water. Guests can also sit with their dogs at the outdoor tables, making it a great place to spend leisurely time with one’s beloved dog. This place is also famous for its oven-baked pizzas, and its signature menu item is Oven-baked Gorgonzola Cheese Pizza. The chewy texture of the dough improves the flavor of the pizza. Moreover, there are various menu items such as figs, sweet potatoes, pepperoni, and margherita. Guests can choose two flavors and enjoy a half-and-half oven-baked pizza.
* Pets allowed

Iksan Godori Standing Stone Buddha (익산 고도리 석조여래입상)

15.7Km 2024-04-07

Donggodo-ri, Geumma-myeon, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-859-5792

Iksan Godori Standing Stone Buddha is Treasure No. 46. The two Buddha statues (each measuring 424 cm) stand face-to-face at a distance of 200 meters apart and tell the story of an eternal, but unrequited love.

According to legend, the two Buddhas (one male, one female) are lovers that can only meet for one night in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. After the sunset on that special day, the lovers are allowed to meet, but must return to their respective positions before the rooster crows at dawn.

The two statues are very representative of the Goryeo era, which produced many stone statues with minimal expression of the physical body. True to the era, each Buddha has almost no curves and is depicted with plain clothing and barely distinguishable arms.

On their heads, the Buddhas wear a crown topped with another square hat. With their square faces, small eyes, pug noses, and small lips, the Buddhas are reminiscent of guardian deities typically placed at the entrance of villages.

Moaksan Provincial Park (모악산 도립공원)

16.4Km 2024-04-07

Moak 15-gil, Geumsan-myeon, Gimje-si, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-540-3103

Moaksan Mountain, embracing Geumsansa Temple, Gwisinsa Temple, Suwangsa Temple, and Daewonsa Temple, is 795.2 meters high and stands tall on the east side of the Gimje Plains, offering a panoramic view of the Honam Plains. It was designated as a provincial park in 1971 and is one of the four scenic views in the southern region, with outstanding scenery and many cultural properties, including national treasures. In particular, Geumsansa Temple, built in the first year of King Beop of Baekje (599) and with about ten major cultural properties, is located here, where you can see splendid Buddhist art. If you cross Moaksan Mountain, there are temples such as Daewonsa Temple and Suwangsa Temple on the southeastern slope. Gwisinsa Temple is on the west side. Geumpyeong Reservoir, located near the Geumsansa Temple entrance, is also a suitable fishing spot.
Moaksan Mountain has been considered the home of the Maitreya beliefs since ancient times, and along with the headquarters of Jeungsangyo, it also attracted attention as a gathering place for various new religions in the 30s and 40s. According to records, as many as 80 temples are at the foot of Moaksan Mountain. To hike, leave Geumsansa Temple and climb along the ridge behind Simwonam Hermitage. In spring, azaleas are in full bloom all the way to the top. From the summit, the Gimje Plains and the Mangyeonggang River come into view, as well as Jeonju and Unjangsan Mountain. The cherry blossom tunnel from the parking lot to Iljumun Gate is also spectacular.

Gimje Geumsansa Temple (금산사(김제))

16.5Km 2024-04-07

1 Moak 15-gil, Geumsan-myeon, Gimje-si, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-548-4441

Geumsansa Temple, which stands tall at the entrance to Moaksan Provincial Park, was founded in the first year of King Beop of Baekje (599). It was rebuilt by Jinpyo in 776, leading to the appearance of a great temple. The precinct has about ten designated cultural heritages, including the Mireukjeon Hall, which is designated as a National Treasure. Many other annexed buildings make it one of the best ancient temples in the southern region. The wooden Mireukjeon Hall is Korea's only three-story Buddhist temple with a full-story interior. In spring, many tourists visit to see the spectacular sight of cherry blossom trees stretching from the mountain entrance to Geumsansa Temple. Even in the middle of winter, believers come to visit the Maitreya Bodhisattva statue in Mireukjeon Hall, bowing or circling the pagoda. The Maitreya Bodhisattva statue in Mireukjeon Hall is considered the world's largest indoor standing Buddha statue. Among the three Buddha statues, the middle Maitreya Bodhisattva statue is 11.82 meters tall, and the left and right Buddha statues are 8.8 meters tall. Various cultural events are held at the 1400th Anniversary Memorial Hall, built in 1999.
* Major cultural properties: Mireukjeon Hall (National Treasure), Stone Pillar (Treasure), Stone Lotus Pedestal (Treasure), Stele for Royal Preceptor Hyedeok at Geumsansa Temple (Treasure), Five-story Stone Pagoda of Geumsansa Temple (Treasure), Bangdeung Stairs at Geumsansa Temple (Treasure), Hexagonal Multi-story Stone Pagoda of Geumsansa Temple (Treasure), Flagpole Supports of Geumsansa Temple (Treasure), Three-story Stone Pagoda at Simwonam Hermitage of Geumsansa Temple (Treasure), Daejangjeon Hall of Geumsansa Temple (Treasure), and Stone Lantern of Geumsansa Temple (Treasure)

Iksan Ssangneung (익산 쌍릉)

16.7Km 2024-04-07

Seogwang-dong, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-859-5792

The Ssamgneung (Twin Tombs) in Iksan are stone chamber tombs that were unearthed during an academic excavation survey in 1917. At the time of the survey it was discovered the tombs had already been illegally excavated, most likely during the reign of King Chungsukwang of the Goryeo dynasty. Though looters had stripped the tombs of any burial accessories, the wooden coffins were found to be relatively intact.

The coffins were severely damaged in the aftermath of the Korean War, but were later restored by the Jeonju National Museum. When they were first found, the twin tombs measured 3.1 meters high and 0.5 kilometers wide, but some of the original wood was lost during the tombs’ tumultuous history and the restoration that followed. The larger of the restored tombs now measures 30 meters in diameter and 5 meters in x_height while the smaller tomb measures 24 meters in diameter and 3.5 meters in x_height. On January 21, 1963 the tombs were designated Historic Site No. 87.

The Twin Tombs are roughly 200 meters apart, with the tomb in the east called Daewangmyo (big royal tomb) and the one in the west Sowangmyo (small royal tomb). The interiors of the tombs are done in the same style as the stone chamber tombs found in the tomb cluster of Neungsan-ri, Buyeo. Considering that the nearby Mireuksaji Temple Site was built during the reign of King Mu of Baekje dynasty, it is highly likely that the Twin Tombs are those of King Mu and his wife, Queen Seonhwa.

Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri [UNESCO World Heritage] (익산 왕궁리유적 [유네스코 세계문화유산]) - Area information - Korea travel information