Here, historic relics coexist with modern art work. There is the Biennale Exhibition Hall used for the international art festival, Gwangju Biennale with the Gwangju Municipal Art Museum and the Gwangju Culture and Art Center. In addition, the Gwangju National Museum and the Gwangju Municipal Folk Museum explain history and culture of the city with their historic relics and folk materials. Especially the Gwangju Municipal Folk Museum holds the annual Gwangju Kimchi Festival.
Art Tour, Paintings and Performances
Jungoe Park, inspiring love for culture and art in its visitors
Jungoe Park is near Seo-Gwangju I.C on the national expressway. It is one of best places for city-dwellers to take a break because of its close distance, diverse entertainment facilities and gorgeous natural environment. The park has two districts; the Biennale·Museum district prides itself on the Municipal Folk Museum, the Education and Information Center, the Biennale Exhibition Hall, whereas the Children Theme Park district attracts many families on holidays. Especially, autumn here is incredibly charming. The Rainbow Bridge at the entrance of Gwangju is a symbol of the first Gwangju Biennale.
TEL 062-529-7123
Gwangju Art Museum
It is located at left of Gwangju Culture and Art Center and shows the essence of southern art of Korea. There are halls for special exhibitions on the first floor and two permanent exhibition halls of Uijae Baekryeon Heo and Jiho Oh, who are great leaders of the Gwangju Western art circle, and Ha Jeongung Hall on the second floor.
TEL 062-529-7126
- Opening hours : 09:00~18:00
- Admission fees : adults 460won, children 250 won, teenagers 300 won
- Closed every Monday
- http://artmuse.gjcity.net/
Ha Jeongung Hall
Mr. Jeongung Ha, a Japanese Korean from Jeolla Province (Yeongam) donated his art collection accumulated throughout his life to the Gwangju Municipal Art Museum. Mr. Ha's unconditional donation allows the Gwangju Municipal Museum to take a significant step toward becoming a world-recognized art museum. His donation includes works by modern and contemporary artists, including Picasso, Chagal, Rouault, Jim Dine and Andy Warhol, and will be housed in the Museum's Hajeongung Per manent Exhibition Hall to commemorate his love for art to hand down to future generations.
Gwangju Culture and Art Center,
Mecca of Performing Art It is the best cultural space in south western Korea with world-class facilities. The large theater is facilitated with a spacious stage, a rehearsal hall, make-up rooms, seating for 1800 people, and high-tech lights and sound. It gives various performances like operas, ballets, and modern dances to local art-lovers throughout the year. The little theater seats about 500 people.
TEL 062-510-9303～5
- http://art.gjcity.net/
Gwangju Municipal Folk Museum, treasury of folk culture Distinguished from other folk museums filled with excavated relics and traditional art work, this museum mainly collects and exhibits folk materials which tell of ancient culture and ways of living in this area. The first floor displays such tangible cultural assets as miscellaneous household items, crafts, and farming tools. The second shows intangible assets like people's passage rites from birth to death through a lot of miniatures and historic relics. Here, you can understand the culture and social systems of the ancient southern area.
TEL 062-525-8633
- Opening hours : 09:00~18:00
- Admission fees : adults 500 won, children 200 won, teenagers 300won
- closed every Monday
- http://www.kwangjufolk.go.kr/
[ Hwansam Armor of General Ji Jeong ]
This armor was worn by Gyeongyeolgong Ji Jeong who was a great general who fought against the Japanese army in the late Goryeo dynasty. Its back and forth consists of iron pieces with holes and iron chains connecting them together, whereas its shoulders were made only of iron chains to maximize movement. It is also designated as treasure No. 336 by the central government in 1960.
Gwangju National Museum, crossroads of yesterday and today
You can experience southwestern culture from the prehistoric age to the present at this museum. It is located on the right side of the road from Jungoe Park towards Maegok-dong. It boasts of a spacious 20-acre garden and a magnificent Korean-style building which was constructed in 1978. It displays various collections including prehistoric relics, artifacts excavated from stone and pottery graves along the Yeongsan River, Buddhist relics and crafts from the Silla and Goryeo dynasty, blue and white china, paintings from the Joseon dynasty, and artifacts from ancient China salvaged from the Sinan coast.
TEL 062-570-7014
- Opening hours : 09:00~18:00(Mon.~Fri.), 09:00~19:00(Sat., Sun., a legal holiday)
- Admission fees : adults 1,000 won, children free, teenagers 500 won
- closed every Monday
- http://gwangju.museum.go.kr/
Jungoe Park, inspiring love for culture and art in its visitors
