4 Arts and Nature Places To See In Wanju, Korea
Headed to Jeonju, Korea soon and want to get off the beaten path a bit? You should go to Wanju. This quiet county in Jeollabuk-do is rich in history and culture and has some really cool regenerated arts and culture spaces. Get ready for an adventure to see the Sansok Lighthouse, Samrye Culture and Arts Village, Daea Arboretum and more!
Get ready for an trip to Wanju:
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What To Know
Wanju is a county in Jeollabuk-do that is a nice quiet retreat from the busier cities in the country. Rich in history dating back to Silla Dynasty, Wanju has many historical and cultural sites to visit. Just outside of Jeonju, Wanju there are some interesting arts and culture spots as well as plenty of natural landscape beauty to take in.
Want to do something different this weekend in Korea? Check out Wanju. There are some great things to do in Wanju including arts and culture spaces that have been regenerated and a national park. Wanju is a great destination in Korea to explore.
What To See
Sansok Lighthouse (산속등대)
Around Korea there are more and more culture and art spaces that are being opened after older factories and industrial spaces that were once abandoned, are renovated. Sansok Lighthouse (산속등대) was a paper manufacturing site but had been neglected for 40 years until it was recreated into a culture and arts complex that was just opened in May of 2019.
There’s a small outdoor amphitheater that had a piano set up in it when we were there so we gave ourselves a little show. And of course, there is a striking red lighthouse to see too among the numerous other installations. There’s also an entire experiential learning area for kids as well. A sort of cultural playground with creative, imaginative experience opportunities.
- Address: 82 Wonam-ro, Soyang-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do (전북 완주군 소양면 원암로 82)
- Directions: Take a KTX train from Yongsan train station to Jeonju Train Station. Outside of the station, hop on to bus 806 which will take about 20 minutes, and travel 17 stops. Other buses that drop off here include 806, 807, 814, 817, 834, 839, 866, 871, and 872. Just get off at the top of the same name as the complex.
- Days: Monday – Sunday
- Admission: Free
- Hours: Monday – Sunday: 10:00am ~ 9:00pm.
- Website: https://www.sansoklighthouse.co.kr/
Samrye Culture & Arts Village (삼례문화예술촌)
Once used as a granary, today Samrye is a culture and arts village. I love visiting these old places and spaces once used for completely different things as I said and Wanju has quite a few of them. There is a design museum, visual media art gallery, carpentry shop, and book museum in the village and they offer various programs and host exhibitions and events and art festivals throughout the year.
Their goal was to harmonize history and modernity so they took warehouses that were built to export grain to Japan during the occupation and recreated the spaces for cultural regeneration. This art village is definitely a lesser-known area but there are a lot of interactive programs for visitors.
- Address: 81-13 Samnyeyeok-ro, Wanju-Gun, Jeollabuk-do (전라북도 완주군 삼례읍 삼례역로 81-13)
- Days: Closed on New Year’s Day and Mondays
- Special Note: They recommend making reservations
- Admission: Free
- Hours : Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
- Website: http://www.samnyecav.kr/
Daea Arboretum (대아수목원)
Now that we’ve talked about the artistic draws of the area, now it’s time to talk about the natural beauty. So much of Korea is covered in forests and mountain views so it’s no wonder that there is a beautiful forested areas to enjoy. The Daea Arboretum has a forest with 300,000 “ornamental trees” as they call them. There is an observatory and a museum to learn about the preservation system and ecosystem of the area. There are more than 2500 species of diverse plants.
I say the specific numbers because I know some people are really into and know the differences in the trees and plants. I know a select few but tend to just enjoy nature in general without knowing all of the species. BUT this arboretum is completely free and it’s set up as an educational opportunity. So if you’re like me, it’s a great place to go to enjoy nature while learning.
- Address: 94-34 Daeasumok-ro, Dongsang-myeon, Wanju-Gun, Jeollabuk-do (전라북도 완주군 동상면 대아수목로 94-34 (동상면)).
- Directions: From Yongsan Station, take KTX-Sancheon No.515 To Mokpo for around an hour (2 stops). Once you reach Iksan, transfer to Mugunghwa No.1505 To Yeosu Expo for one-stop. After reaching Samnye, it’s a 3-minute walk from there.
- Days: Closed January 1st, Seollal (Lunar New Year) & Chuseok
- Admission: Free
- Hours : March – October: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm/ November – February: 9:00am ~ 5:00pm
Daedunsan Provincial Park (대둔산도립공원)
The park is quite famous among photography enthusiasts and adventurists because there is a bright red suspension bridge that everyone wants to get a picture on. The name of the bridge is the Geumgang Bridge if anyone has heard of it already and it’s 50 meters across and 81 meters high.
From there the next really picturesque part is the Sky Stairway which is really steep and more like a ladder. It can be pretty terrifying especially if you’re afraid of heights. I’m not, but have seen plenty of people squeal and scream and not in delight.
Hiking in the park is really popular in the fall and winter so we’re in the peak season for it right now. Again, the hiking paths are quite steep here so be prepared for that. If you’re not a hiker but still want the views, this mountain is one that features a cable car that takes visitors up to the halfway point. Which is where the Cloud Bridge and Sky Stairway are.
While I’ve been in better weather, others have noted that you need to be especially careful if you want to head there in the winter or when it’s rainy or foggy. The metal bridge and stairs can be very slippery so be prepared again, it’s a steep climb so watch that step.
To splice this into your day, if you take the cable car, you’ll probably need to spend 2-3 hours doing the ride and walk up the steps and then back down again. If you want to hike the whole thing, you’re probably looking at a 4-5 hour hike. Which would you choose?
- Address: 15-24san, Sanbuk-ri, Unju-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do (전북 완주군 운주면 산북리 산15-24)
- Directions: Take a train to Daejeon Station, make your way to Seobu Bus Terminal. From Seobu Bus Terminal, you will want to take bus #34 which will take you to Daedunsan Rest Stop. It will take about 45 minutes to an hour to get there. From the rest stop, it’s a 15-20 minute walk downhill to where the cable car area is located and the main section of the park.
- Days: Monday – Sunday
- Admission: Free
- Hours: Open all day. The cable car runs from 9:00am ~ 6:00pm for summer and 9:00am ~ 5:00pm for winter.
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