Korea.net asked eight popular travel writers in Korea to pick beauty spots which can win the hearts of overseas tourists. Most of them picked places where visitors can learn Korean traditions and the country's 5,000-year-long history.

The following are their recommended spots.

** Seonamsa (temple)

Situated near Jogyesan (mountain), Seonamsa in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province), shows the vivid beauty of the four seasons. Tourists can enjoy apricot flowers in full bloom in spring and the beautiful foliage in autumn. You can enjoy the tranquility and peaceful mood at this temple since it does not host many events with crowds. Seonamsa is the headquarters of the Taego Sect.

The scenery from the zen meditation rooms of this temple also shows Korea's traditional beauty, since these rooms are located at the rear part of the temple, according to the travel writers. This temple also has many treasures, including National Treasure No. 400 Seungseon Bridge, Korea's most beautiful arched stone bridge.

Other attractions near the temple include Suncheonman (Suncheon Bay) and Songgwangsa (temple). For more information about Seonamsa, click here

-Telephone
061-754-5247 

-Operating hours
8a.m.- 7p.m.(April-October) / 8:30a.m.~6p.m. (November-March) 
 
** Haeinsa (temple)

Haeinsa is Korea's National Treasure No.52 located in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province), and is one of the three jewel temples of Korea.

This temple is home to Korea's 32nd national treasure, the Tripitaka Koreana, (Palman Daejanggyeong in Korean), a collection of Buddhist scriptures carved onto 81,340 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century.

These wooden volumes have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the world's most comprehensive and oldest intact version of the Buddhist canon in the Chinese script, with no known errors in the 52,382,960 characters, which are organized in over 1,496 titles and 6,568 volumes.

This temple also has other treasures and items of cultural heritage. Overseas tourists may find this place unique since it is located inside the mountain. They can also experience temple stay programs which are held every Saturday on various themes. Autumn foliage is another attraction you should not miss.

-Telephone
055-934-3000  

-Directions
From Haeinsa interchange at the 88 Olympic Highway, go towards Gayasa Mt. Direction, taking local road No. 1033, and then heading north for about 14km.
 
-Local Transportation
* Bus: Daegu North Bus Terminal->Haeinsa Direction (Get off at the last stop) bus runs every 20 mins, takes 1hr

For more information about Haeinsa, click here

** Cheorwon demilitarized zone

Though sad for Koreans, the demilitarized zone (DMZ) is one of the most interesting tourist spots for overseas tourists, since it symbolizes the world's one and only divided country.

Many travel agencies have a DMZ tour program for both Korean nationals and expatriates. These programs include visiting Panmunjeom (joint security area), Tongil Jeonmangdae (Unification Observatory), invasion tunnels that the North Korean military secretly dug under the DMZ and the village of Daeseong-dong, where visitors can see a propaganda village in North Korea. DMZ tour program participants can also see a variety of migratory birds and wild life preserved in Cheorwon DMZ, one of the world's famous migratory bird sites. For more information about the DMZ, call 033-450-5544 or click here

** Buseoksa (temple)

Buseoksa means "Temple of the Floating Stone", and was founded by the great monk Uisang in A.D. 676, the 16th year of King Munmu of the Silla Dynasty (B.C. 57 – A.D. 935). Located in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province), this temple has a famous main hall named Muryangsujeon, meaning Hall of Eternal Life (National Treasure No. 18), which shows the most unrivalled masculine beauty of Korea's traditional architecture. The balance and harmony of the columns and the beautifully curved roofline give the whole building a sense of grace and refinement. Muryangsujeon is the second oldest wooden structure in Korea after Bongjeonsa's Geungnakjeon in Andong, but in terms of scale and beauty it is Korea's finest.

Inside Muryangsujeon, you will find National Treasure No. 45, Sojo Yeorae Seated Figure. There are more National Treasures and relics inside such as the Josadang (National Treasure No. 19), Josadang Wall Painting (National Treasure No. 46) and the Stone Lantern (National Treasure No. 17) in front of Muryangsujeon.

Buseoksa offers one of the best sunset views in the country and has a Buddhist drumming performance, especially when Buddhist monks ring the bell before starting the daily Buddhist ceremony around sunset. When visiting Buseoksa, try Yeongju Apple, the local apple variety produced from the region and nicknamed "honey apple." For more information, click here

- Directions :
At Yeongju Bus Terminal, take the bus bound for Huibangsa.

- Telephone
054-633-3464 

- Operating hours
(Winter) 7a.m. - 6p.m. (Summer) 6a.m. - 7p.m.

** Namsan Hanok Village

Hanok is the Korean word for a traditional house. This village is easily accessible for overseas tourists and it also offers opportunities for visitors to experience all the unique features of Korean culture and tradition in one place. Visitors can watch free weekly performances here.

There are five traditional Korean houses on a 7,934 square-meter plot, including the house of Park Young Hyo, who was one of the owners of the eight largest mansions in Seoul, and houses of commoners as well. Furniture that is well-matched to the sizes of these Korean houses and the social status of their owners represent the lives of Korean ancestors during the Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910).

For overseas tourists, this village holds various cultural experience programs, including traditional Korean dance and kite-flying experience programs. For more information, call 02-2266-6923 or click here

- Operating hours:
November – March 9a.m. – 6p.m.
April, May, September, October 9a.m. – 7p.m.
June – August 9a.m. – 8p.m.
Closed every Tuesday, open public holidays falling on Tuesdays and closed on next day.

- Transportation
1. By subway
Take subway No. 3 or 4 and get off at Chungmuro station -> Come out of exit No. 3 and walk 200 meters to the path between Maeil Business Daily building and Dongguk University Video Art Center.
2. By bus
Take buses No. 0013, 0211, 104, 105, 263, 371, 400, 604, or 7011 and get off at Geukdong Building on Toegyero-3-ga.

** Andong Hahoe Village

To feel the depth of Korean culture and get a glimpse of tradition, Koreans think of going to Andong. It is a small town in Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province), a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Seoul.

This town is famous for its wooden “hahoe” masks and a traditional yet beautiful folk village surrounded by an s-shaped river, a mountain and a breathtaking pine forest. This place is always a most popular tourist spot for many overseas visitors, ever since Queen Elizabeth of England visited there in 1999. She visited the small provincial town of Andong and toured the traditional village of Hahoe, 24 km to the west of Andong.

Andong city hosts an International Mask Dance Festival every year, winning popularity among overseas tourists. The hahoe mask dance is also a popular attraction that visitors should see. The shamanist hahoe byeolsin-gut dance performance is held every week at Andong Hahoe Village.

Many overseas travelers join tour programs that include visiting Andong Hahoe Village and Bongjeongsa (temple) and watching a hahoe mask dance. Bongjeongsa is the largest temple in Andong, and possesses the oldest Korea wooden building Geungnakjeon. For more information about the temple, click here

To get there from Seoul, take a bus from Dongbu Seoul Bus Terminal Station (Dong Seoul Bus Terminal Station, Subway Line No.2) in Guui-dong to Andong. Then take a No. 46 bus from Andong Station. For more information about Andong Hahoe Village, call the Tourist Information Center at: 82-54-852-6800 (English, Chinese, Japanese) or click here

if you want more tourism information and language servce, call 02-1330. This travel phone provides tourist information and interpreting service in English, Chinese or Japanese around the clock.


By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff writer