A proud Kuvvet Ayse of Turkiye (Turkey) on June 12 shows her Korean Heritage Passport with all 76 stamps at Korea House in Seoul's Jung-gu District.

By Kang Gahui

Photos = Lee Jeongwoo

The first foreign national to visit all 76 national heritage sites in the country is Kuvvet Ayse, 28, from Turkiye (Turkey).

Starting from Suwon Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province, and ending at Oksanseowon Confucian Academy in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, she spent 60 days hitting all the locations on the list of the Korean Heritage Passport Tour.

Jointly run since 2020 by the Korean Heritage Service (KHS) and the Korean Heritage Agency, the program is part of the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign to promote the beauty and value of the nation's cultural assets to both domestic and international visitors.

The tour covers 10 travel courses stressing the country's domestically and globally recognized cultural heritage featuring 10 roads and 76 stops.

Since 2023, 396 people have completed the tour, with Ayse being the only foreign national to so. In recognition of her achievement. the KHS on June 10 presented a certificate of completion to her.

Korea.net on June 12 sat down with her at Korea House in Seoul's Jung-gu District to learn more about her journey.

Kuvvet Ayse on June 12 talks about her visits to the nation's 76 cultural heritage sites in an interview with Korea.net at Korea House in Seoul's Jung-gu District.

What inspired you to visit all 76 national heritage sites?

I've always loved travel, so I visited everywhere in Korea with my Korean husband. I later heard about the Korean Heritage Passport and felt a sense of achievement with every stamp. I decided to complete the tour in the hope of becoming the Turk who knows Korea best.

What was the most impressive venue you went to?

I find it hard to choose just one. For taking photos, I recommend Pocheon Art Valley in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do Province; to feel something Korean and exotic, the statue of the Haesu (Seawater) Gwaneum (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) at Naksansa Temple in Yangyang-gun County, Gangwon-do Province; and to see traditional lifestyle culture of Korea close up, Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

Describe your best memory during your quest.

I have a lot. I once visited a site late with only five minutes to get stamped, and got it after calling the KHS call center. When visiting a temple, there was no stamp at the tour's starting point, so a monk helped me get it. I also had trouble drying my heritage passport when it rained.

What differences did you find at national heritage sites in Korea and Turkiye?

Unlike Turkiye, Korea charges the same admission to domestic and international visitors at cheap rates, something I was thankful for while traveling. Also impressive was the system of exchanging admission tickets for regional gift certificates while traveling in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do Province, and Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province. Because you can use them at area cafes and restaurants, I consider this a smart system that helps the regional economy.

Turkiye has many mosques whereas Korea has many seowon (Confucian academies) and Buddhist temples because of the lingering cultures of Confucianism and Buddhism. When visiting seowon, I discovered the existence of stays there in addition to temple stays, and I'll try it soon.

(From left) The Korean Heritage Passport (left) can be stamped at each heritage site and stamps are available at each tour course point.

What venues of the Korea Heritage Passport Tour should non-Koreans visit?

For international visitors on a short stay, places in Seoul that are easily accessible include the palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung and Jongmyo Shrine. For exchange students or travelers staying longer, start by getting stamps at nearby places. Once you begin to get stamps, you'll experience the fun of adding more stamps to blank pages.

Any concluding message for Korea.net readers?

Korea is a more beautiful country than one might think. I initially considered it a small but convenient country to live in, but after traveling around, I found so many things to see and attractive places. If you can drive, I recommend renting a car to see even more heritage and scenery.

My next goal is to visit all 85 cities in Korea.

kgh89@korea.kr