Category: Travel

The Special Photo Exhibition at the Bokcheon Museum

Posted in Historical Locations, Things to do with Kids, TravelLeave a comment

I would like to tell you about the special photo exhibition taking place at the Bokcheon Museum. This photo exhibition titled, “Memory of Busan,” is now showcasing photos of Busan’s history over the past 100 years (100년전, 부산의 단편).

What is special about this photo exhibition is that you can check out a lot of photos taken by Japanese researchers from the colonial era. Back then, it was said that Japanese researchers tried to leave some records and documents of various parts of Korea as part of the “Joseon Historic Site Investigation Project.” These were important documents that they developed into photos on glass dry plates.

Surprisingly, some 38,000 of these photos were kept by the National Museum of Korea. Some were even carefully selected to be displayed at the Bokcheon Museum.

Fyi, the photo exhibition started this week and will last until June 18th.

Speaking of the Bokcheon Museum, I admit that it is not one of the most well-known museums in Busan. I am sure that a lot of citizens are not aware of this museum, either. However, it is well worth the visit.

For example, even though it is in the middle of Dongnae city, it stretches from the Chungyeol Temple all the way to the Dongnae Fortress (동래읍성). It is so beautiful that you might think to yourself, “am I in Busan?”

There is even a tomb which is believed to contain someone of great power back in the 6th century.

If you are interested, please visit museum.busan.go.kr/bokcheon. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm every day except for Mondays and admission is free.

National Fire Agency Kicking Off a Social Media Challenge

Posted in Busan News, Festivals & Events, LivingLeave a comment

I would like to tell you about a Busan-related event that you can participate in without coming to Busan.

National Fire Agency is kicking off a social media challenge in order to help support the hosting of the World Expo 2030.

Anyone can be a part of this. All you need to do is follow the National Fire Agency’s Instagram account (korea_fire_119) and film yourself cheering “Safe Busan! Well-prepared Fire Agency!” Don’t forget to tag @korea_fire_119 with the hashtag “say hi to the world (세계에 안부를 전해줘)” “소방청 119 AR 이벤트,” and “부산세계엑스포.”

This social media challenge will go on through April 28th. The Fire Agency will choose to award some cool prizes to the winners.

Programs at Busan Safety & Experience Center

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April is almost coming to an end. Do you have any plans for the month of May?

There are a lot of special days in May, right? That includes Labor Day, Children’s Day, Parents’ Day, and Teacher’s Day. Since Children’s Day falls on Friday, I am pretty sure that a lot of people will go on a mini trip to make the most of their long weekend.

If you are planning on bringing your kids to Busan next month, you should consider taking them to “Busan Safety & Experience Center” (119 안전체험관).

It is so much fun! When I took my kids, they were able to learn important safety procedures, but it a fun way. They learned how to use a fire extinguisher and how to escape a burning building.

Programs like those are offered daily, but during the month of May, they will run special programs that involve your whole family. Some magic shows and recitals are also scheduled on May 5th and May 20th.

To participate in these programs, a reservation must be made online before April 30th. Visit 119.busan.go.kr. to reserve your spot.

2 Instagrammable Desserts in Haeundae You Must Try

Posted in Cafes, Cafes & Restaurants, TravelLeave a comment

You can’t complete your Busan trip without trying these desserts. They are not only tasty, but also Instagrammable.

1. 호랑이 젤라떡 (Tiger Gela Rice Cake)

I remember people standing in line during the winter to try “호랑이 젤라떡,” and I never understood why people wanted ice cream in the winter. Now I get it.

호랑이 젤라떡 literally translates to Tiger Gela Rice Cake. As you may guess by its name, they serve rice cakes with Italian gelato inside.

Many visitors take photos of their desserts, one with the tiger mascot in the background and the other with the ocean.

In Korean supermarkets, you can find the ice cream called “찰떡 아이스 (Rice Cake Ice).” This Tiger Gela Rice Cake is similar to that, but WAY BETTER.

You can choose between organic Jeju malcha, cherry, coffee cinnamon, roasted pistachio and Haeundae salt & milk flavors.

Hours of operation: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm (Daily except for Tuesday)

5:00 pm – 6:10 pm Break Time

Where: Dalmaji-gil 62, 38, Busan

Directions: The store is located at Mipo, which is the end of Haeundae Beach. If you don’t mind walking, I would recommend traveling from the Haeundae subway station.

2. 시노베 (Synnove)

If you are visiting Busan as a tourist, then you will probably be spending a lot of time in Haeundae. While you’re here, don’t forget to visit Synnove where you can try a brown cheese waffle.

I admit, there are not many types of cheese available in Korea. We didn’t even know about brown cheese until recently when Synnove went viral.

The CEO, Eom Jeonmi not only imported the Norwegian brown cheese, but also created the popular brown cheese waffle.

Hours of operation: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm daily

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Break Time

Where: 35 Gunam-ro, 29 beon-gil, Haeundae, Busan

[This is NOT a sponsored post]

Gijang Anchovy Festival

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If you happen to visit Busan next weekend, you should consider visiting the Gijang-gun area to check out the Gijang Anchovy Festival.

The festival will be held in Daebyeon Port in the Gijang-gun district from this coming Friday, April 21st to next Sunday, April 23rd. Daebyeon may sound like a funny name to those who speak Korean, but it is the name of the town. This town is well-known as a fishing village.

I’ve been to the Gijang Anchovy Festival before. If you go, you can find the whole strip packed with booths. These booths lines along the street and sell everything related to anchovies. They have everything from fresh anchovies to dried anchovies, to fermented ones, to fish sauce.

Since the town of Daebyeon Port is located on the outskirts of Busan in Gijang, I would recommend driving there. There is plenty of parking.

Although, if you wish to use public transportation, remember that bus number 181 travels all the way from Hauendae Station to Daebyeon Port.

Kpop Dream Concert [Dates & Prices]

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For those who are not familiar with the “Kpop Dream Concert,” it is one of the largest Kpop events in Korea. This event began in 1995 under the sponsor of HD Hyundai Oil-Bank. That means that this year marks the 29th anniversary.

Up until now, it had been held in Seoul, but this year, the HD Hyundai group has decided to hold the concert here in Busan in support of the city hosting the 2030 World Expo Busan. Yay!

The Kpop Dream Concert is scheduled for May 27th and the venue will be the Asia Stadium in the Yeonje-gu District.

The price of tickets is expected to cost between 10,000 won and 50,000 won, depending on where you sit. The catch is that you will not be the only one waiting for the tickets to go on sale! It is no surprise that a lot of people will be buying tickets as soon as the sale goes live.

So, the question is: When can you buy a ticket to the Dream Concert?

According to the organizers, ticket sales will start during the first week of May, but we don’t know the exact date yet.

I will update you when I know more specific information.

Anyways, if you are a big fan of Kpop, mark your calendars! I hope you can make it!

The Busan Science Festival

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Did you know that April is science month? Well, it is!

Moreover, April 21st is marked as “Science Day.”

To mark science month, a lot of festivals and events centered around science will take place in Korea. Busan is no exception.

For one, Busan National Science Museum located in the Gijang-gun District holds some special exhibitions this month. For example, on April 21st, exhibition halls and parking will be free. The exhibitions will open until 8:30 pm so people can come visit after work.

On April 23rd, “Fun- Fun Science Magic Show” will be performed to celebrate National Science Day. The performances will do three shows on April 23rd in first floor conference room.

Also, the Busan Science Festival will celebrate its 22nd anniversary this year at the Bexco on April 22nd and 23rd with the theme, “the World Expo, Shining with Science.” The Busan National Science Museum will also open a booth at the Bexco during the Busan Science Festival. They will showcase the inventions that were introduced from the previous world expos.

Bosu-dong’s New Landmark “Cafe Athens Institute”

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A new landmark has been built in the bookstore alley in the Bosu-dong area, Busan.

The unique exterior features five 16-meter-high books stuck between the neighboring buildings.

It had been the talk of the town before its opening, and was named “Café Athens Institute.”

There are three secondhand bookstores on the first floor and the café is located from the 2nd to the 4th floors.

“K-POP Dream Concert” Scheduled for May 27th

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HD Hyundai Group will hold the “K-POP Dream Concert” to help support the bidding of the 2030 Busan World Expo. HD Hyudai announced on April 9th that the 29th Dream Concert, the largest K-pop event in Korea, will be held at Asiad Stadium in the Yeonje-gu District, Busan, on May 27th.

The Dream Concert began in 1995 under the sponsorship of HD Hyundai Oil-Bank which marks the 29th anniversary. It is the largest K-POP event in Korea with a cumulative audience of 1.55 million. Until last year, Dream Concert was held only in Seoul.

Josun Palace Seoul [Hotel Review]

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My blog mainly focuses on traveling Busan, but this time when I visited Seoul, I stayed in the Josun Palace Hotel. I loved my stay so much that I’ve decided to share it with you in my blog.

What is the Josun Palace Seoul Like?

The Josun Palace Hotel is a luxurious 5-star hotel located in the central Gangnam area in Seoul. If you are not new to Korea, you know what the Shinsegae Group means here. It is South Korea’s retail hub, operating department stores across the nation. The Shinsegae Group also owns its own hotels. Josun Palace, Grand Josun, Grand Josun Jeju are some of the the high-end hotels that the Shinsegae Group manages. That means if you have a Shinsegae gift voucher, you can use it to pay for your room.

The Josun Palace Hotel is still brand new, since it opened in 2021. The check-in time was at 3 pm and check-out was at 12 pm.

What are the Rooms Like?

I stayed in the Masters Room. It featured two double sized beds and a bathroom.

The size of the room and beds were large enough to accommodate two adults and two kids comfortably. The bathroom was spacious, too.

The lobby of the hotel is located on the 25th floor. The actual rooms are located between the 27th and 35th floor. Once we arrived on the ground floor, the employees there escorted us to the lobby. The room I was given was on the 29th floor. The room itself was clean and well decorated with white and gold décor. It also had a view of Seoul. During the day, the Namsan Tower could be seen from the room.

What About the Facilities?

Let me begin with the indoor swimming pool. Swimming caps are required, and extras are provided by the employees. The swimming pool is decorated with white and gold décor, making for many instagrammable spots.

The changing room was a little small, with only two shower rooms available.

There was also a fitness center. Guests can use the swimming pool and the fitness center from 7 am to 10 pm.

A complimentary breakfast was offered on the 24th floor from 6 am to 10 am.

Next to the hotel, there is a building called Centerfield that has many cafes and restaurants inside.

How do I Get to the Josun Palace Seoul?

I took a taxi from the Suseo Train Station to the Josun Palace Hotel. It cost about 14,000 won.

You can also get to the Josun Palace Hotel by subway. The tricky part is that the hotel is located in the middle of Seolleung Station and Yeoksam Station, line number 2 (Green Line). From either station, it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to walk to the hotel.

Conclusion

I had a pleasant time at the Josun Palace Seoul and I would recommend it to anyone who may be looking for a hotel in the downtown Seoul. I paid $850 for the room per night, but the prices fluctuate depending on when you plan your trip.