By Honorary Reporter Jeanne.O from Indonesia

Photos= Jeanne.O, Park Jung-keun, Alexandra Taseva

"Can you recommend a few places to visit in Busan?"

People have frequently asked this question to me since I made my first visit to Busan earlier this year. Despite my short trip, I went to many places in that city, so to be honest, it's hard for me to pick favorites. In addition, for someone who just visited Busan for the second time in November, I feel it's a bit biased if I give them recommendations based on my short experience there.

To create a more objective and representative list of hotspots to hit, I asked my fellow Honorary Reporters whom I traveled with for six days in Busan in November to share their favorite tourist destinations there and the places they want to visit again. During our trip, we explored two to three places each day.

Four reporters helped me create the following list of our favorite places to visit in Busan.

Gamcheon Culture Village

Most Honorary Reporters have selected this village as their favorite place to visit in Busan or a spot they wish to hit again.

Dana Tugambekova from Kazakhstan, who visited Korea for the first time in November, said she wanted to visit Gamcheon again because she didn't get to see all the spots there the first time, and that she plans to explore more of the village on her next trip. "During our invitational program, we visited many amazing places in Busan. One of them was the vibrantly colorful and bright Gamcheon Culture Village. The entire view of the village from the rooftop made my jaw drop as the scenery was breathtaking and fascinating," she said.

"The village was a shantytown once inhabited by Korean War refugees, but has undergone renovation by the village administration and been turned into an Instagram spot that attracts two million tourists every year. The reason I love this place is because it's a must-see for art lovers, photographers and fans of the (novel) 'The Little Prince.' There are huge statues of the Little Prince and the fox, making (the village) the perfect location to take photos."

Alexandra Taseva, a video editor from Bulgaria, also mentioned the Little Prince in her answer. "The culture village is at the top of my list because I am an artist and the energy of the place really resembles my own. In some way, I feel like the Little Prince is there," she said.

The village itself is like a giant labyrinth, and it's easy to get lost here. To get lost in this labyrinth of alleys, however, is the best way to explore this culture village. To make sure not to miss any photo spots or must-visit places in Gamcheon, purchasing a stamp tour map from Haneul Maru, the tourist information center at the village entrance, is recommended. Following one of the stamp tour routes will provide the full experience at this village. Some visitors need more than one visit to collect all the stamps or explore the whole village.

As a visitor who couldn't finish the stamp tour on one trip, I want to visit Gamcheon Culture Village again. I went there in April 2019 during the cherry blossom season. As a solo traveler, I followed a stamp tour route because I didn't want to miss any interesting spots here. I still missed some of them, though, because I was distracted by fully bloomed cherry blossoms at the time.

Another returning visitor to the village was Isabelle Pia Sison, a program officer from the Philippines. She said she has repeatedly visited the village and that every time she visits, a unique addition charms her into visiting again. "Another reason (for repeatedly visiting the village) is, even after several visits, I haven't found the Little Prince statue so this gives me another reason to visit Busan again," she said.

Huinnyeol Culture Village

While Gamcheon offers beautiful scenery of colorful alleys on the foothills of a coastal mountain, Huinnyeol Culture Village boasts a seacoast pathway and alleys surrounded by a soothing and relaxing sea view.

Fitri Amalia, my compatriot from Indonesia, and I picked this village as our favorite place in Busan. I love this place because it's so peaceful and quiet. When I visited in November, I could feel peace and relaxation with every step. The stunning view of the blue sea with late autumn blue skies in the background made us take photos like crazy in every corner of this seascape village. The good thing about this village is that it's less touristy than Gamcheon.

Like me, Fitri also called this place a healing place, saying, "After getting tired of my urban routine with a tight schedule and deadlines, visiting a new place with a sea view is one of my ways to relieve stress. The view is good and the many cafes there allow me to enjoy the view with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee."


Busan Tower 

A first-time visitor to Korea, Taseva from Bulgaria picked this landmark as her second-favorite place in Busan, saying, "Busan Tower is my second choice because I got an absolutely new point of view of the city and myself."

Busan Tower is a leading landmark with a panoramic view of the city. The tower's second floor has the exhibition "Black Wonderland in Busan" featuring picturesque spots for visitors. In front of the tower is a statue of the legendary naval hero Yi Sun-sin, a flower clock and Citizens Bell. On New Year's Eve, people usually gather here to welcome the new year while watching the bell-tolling ceremony. One of the best ways to get immersed in Korean culture while visiting this tower is to stroll around it and the surrounding Yongdusan Park wearing Hanbok. A Hanbok rental store near the tower's entrance allows visitors to rent the costumes and accessories.

Busan Air Cruise and Songdo Sky Park

Sison from the Philippines also picked Busan Air Cruise and Songdo Sky Park as her second-favorite place to visit again in Busan. "Nowadays, Busan is one of Korea's most popular destinations and many domestic and foreign tourists come all the way to visit the city. When we visited the Busan Cable Car, I found a secret spot to both relax and take Instagramable photos without photo bombers," she said.

Busan Air Cruise is a marine cable car that runs 86 meters above sea level and offers a bird's eye view of Amnam Park, Namhang and the Yeongdo coastline. The best way to enjoy the stunning view is aboard the crystal cabin car, which goes through Songdo Sky Park (the upper station of the cable car) to Songdo Bay Station (the lower station).

Busan Museum

Opened in 1978, Busan Museum displays more than 45,000 artifacts from prehistoric times to the present. Its exhibition "Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site: Reflection of Our Hearts" by artist Kim Seung-young runs through Feb. 2 next year. Numerous statues of arhats ("perfected people" who have achieved nirvana according to Buddhism) of various shapes, facial expressions and costumes are shown here. Through this exhibition, Kim wants to ask visitors to look within themselves and ask "Are you free from yourself?" His note said, "As you wander around this exhibition looking at the phrases on the bricks that evoke various emotions and the faces of the 500 arhats of the Changnyeongsa Temple site who laugh, cry and feel happy free from those emotions, my hope is that you will fill peace of mind and happiness, even for a moment."

Fitri picked the museum as the place she most wants to visit again because of her wish to further explore the museum. She said the museum has many interesting things that she hasn't seen.


Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is on a coastal cliff, and because of its unique location, this temple is called the most beautiful in Korea. A famous spot before and during New Year's Day, it attracts many people who make a wish as they wait for the first sunrise of the year.

Tugambekova from Kazakhstan also chose this temple as the place she most wants to visit again in Busan, saying, "Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is one of the most beautiful temples in Korea. Surrounded by picturesque nature, it offers an incredible view. I felt relaxed and this was a great way for me to experience (regional) culture."

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.