Category: Travel

Gwangalli M Drone Light Show (Line-up for April)

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Every Saturday, drones fill the night sky in the Gwangalli Beach area, attracting thousands of locals and tourists. It is a free attraction that anyone would love. Check out the show schedule for April.

April 8th: Drones will decorate the sky with a fruit theme.

April 15th: Things relating to space exploration will be displayed in the sky.

April 22nd: To celebrate Earth Day (April 22nd), the show’s theme will be “Earth.”

April 29th: Cute designs featuring dinosaurs will pop up in the night sky.

When: Twice every Saturday

Drone show starting time: 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm (March – September)

                                              7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (October – February)

Location: Gwangalli Beach

How to get there: Gwangan Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 3 or Exit 5

Tips: Parking is extremely difficult in the Gwangalli area, especially on the weekend. I highly recommend you use public transportation. 

Shake Shack’s Opening in Busan

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Shake Shack has opened its second location in Busan. The popular burger chain opened on the ground floor of the Shinsegae Centum City Mall.

“During the first three days of its opening, the first 50 guests will receive a limited edition Shake Shack gift,” the company said.

The other location in Busan is in the Seomyeon area (Samjeong Building). 

Gordon Ramsay Burger will also be opening, the Shinsegae Group reported recently. The restaurant will be located on Level B1 in the Shinsegae Department Store Centum City.

Haeundae Blueline Park (Sky Capsule Train)

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Haeundae Blueline Park is a park that stretches all the way to Songjeong from the Dalmaji area. There is a track that you can walk along, and also a mini train you can hop in. So, if you are interested in this mini train (aka the sky capsule train), keep scrolling!

General Information

Hours: Open from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm (May, June, and September)

        Open from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm (March, April, and October)

        Open from 9:30 am to 9:00 pm (July and August)

Location: Mipo Station, Dalmaji-gil 62, Haeundae  

How to Get There

The Blueline Park is located at the end of Haeundae Beach where the 101-story Haeundae LCT is located. If you don’t mind walking, I would recommend traveling from the Haeundae subway station.  

Parking

If you drive there, I recommend you park at Moontan Road public parking lot. The parking lot is only a five minute walk from the Haeundae Blueline Park. Parking costs 300 won for every 10 minutes.

Price

If you visit bluelinepark.com, you can find detailed information about pricing and how to make a reservation. If you travel a route from Mipo to Cheongsapo, the one-way ticket for two people costs 35,000 won, three people costs 45,000 won and 50,000 won for four people.

The maximum number for each car is four people.

What to Expect

  • I highly recommend you make a reservation online prior to your visit. It is almost impossible to find a ticket available on site. As mentioned above, visit bluelinepark.com to make a reservation. Information is available in both Korean and English.
  • If you travel from Mipo (fyi, Mipo is in the Dalmaji area. The bottom entrance to the Dalmaji area near the Haeundae Beach is called “Mipo”) to Cheongsapo, it takes about 15-20 minutes.
  • The sky capsule car comes in four different colors: yellow, green, red and blue. Recently a few cute designs featuring Boogi, the mascot for the World Expo 2030 Busan, have been added.
  • Initially, I wanted to travel from Mipo to Cheongsapo by the sky capsule train and walk back to Mipo along the track, which I think is the best option. However, when I went, the weather was a lot colder than I expected, and I ended up taking the beach train back.
  • The beach train was a good choice, after all. As the beach train accommodates more people, I had no problem finding a ticket. The beach train fare is 7,000 won for adults and 4,900 for children. All the seats face the beach and the auditorium styled seating provided an excellent view. The arch shaped window made the view a bit more special.

When the train got to the Haeundae Beach, many people were wowed by the scene.

  • If you want to walk along the track, you better bring a jacket, as it is sometimes windy.

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The Firework Festival to Pray for the 2030 World Expo Busan

Posted in Busan News, Festivals & Events, Living, Travel1 Comment

A large firework show will be held in support of the host of the 2030 World Expo Busan.

The Busan Metropolitan Government will hold a firework show at Gwangalli Beach from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm on April 6th. The large-scale event will be held in time for the International Expo Organization (BIE)’s diligence team, due to check the preparation status of the 2030 World Expo.

This 30-minute firework show is “K-Wave” themed and will start around 8:30 pm.

The band, Cardy, a goodwill ambassador for the Busan Expo, will also perform.

The city will partially close the Gwangan Bridge from April 2nd – 7th to facilitate the firework show. On April 6th, the day of the event, the upper part of the Gwangan Bridge will be closed from 3:30 pm and the lower part will be closed from 6:30 pm until the end of the show.

Vote For Your Favorite Drone Show!

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The Suyeong-gu District, Busan announced that it will hold a drone show finalist voting event to mark the first anniversary of the “Gwangalli M Drone Light Show.”

Gwangalli M Drone Light Show is a weekly performance that has a different theme each weekend. There has been over 250 different drone shows since April of last year.

The district will let citizens vote for their favorite drone shows and select special shows with a chosen theme for May.

The voting period will last until April 7th.  Anyone is welcomed to choose five of their favorite drone shows via their website: gwangallimdrone.co.kr.

The five themes, which receive the most votes, will be redesigned by adding more detail with 1,500 drones.

The winning show will be displayed at 8 pm only on May 27th at Gwangalli Beach.

In addition, gifts will be presented through a lottery for voting participants.  

For more information, visit the Suyeong-gu website, official social media and website for the drone show.

Tanaka is Coming to Busan for His Tour!

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Tanaka will be going on a tour in April, called “Tanaka over Flower.”

Starting in Daejeon on April 1st, the tour will go to 10 cities, including Incheon, Seongnam, Busan, Suwon, Changwon, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan and Jeju.

Tanaka is a YouTuber who has gained so much popularity for acting Japanese and being interested in Korean culture. He is currently active on YouTube and TV.

The Seoul concert which was held from January 27th to 29th was sold out and was also broadcasted live to 12 theaters nationwide.

His Busan concert will be held on Saturday, May 13th and Sunday, May 14th at 6 pm and 3 pm, respectively.

Ticket prices may vary depending on the venue, but the Busan tickets are 77,000 won or 88,000 won, depending on where you sit. Reservations can be made at www.interpark.com.

  • Fyi, “Tanaka” is a character played by Korean comedian, Kim Kyoung-wook.

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Restaurants and Cafes with a View of the Cherry Blossoms

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As the cherry blossoms will soon be in full bloom, many may wonder where to go to get a better glimpse of the scene. Some may recommend Damaji, while others may suggest the street of Samik Beach Apartment near the Gwangalli Beach.

My recommendation is Oncheoncheon. This is located along the Oncheon Stream that runs through the city. In this area, there is a track lined with beautiful cherry blossoms. There is also a strip called “온천천 카페거리,” which can be translated to “Oncheoncheon Café Strip.” While you eat there, you can enjoy the view of cherry blossoms and their petals falling.

Here are the lists of restaurants and cafes to check out!

  • Lessai

Lessai is one of the cafes located in the Oncheoncheon café strip. It’s a small, but cozy two story café. If you get a table on the 2nd floor, it may feel like you are in a sea of cherry blossom. Don’t forget to order a piece of cake here at Lessai!

  • Bubbas

Bubbas is well-known for its brunch menu. There is a variety of dishes to choose from, from salad, to pasta, to pizza. Of course, you get a view of cherry blossoms.

  • Café Odaldang

This is also a small but cozy two story café. During cherry blossom season, the café is crowded with people who want to get a seat on the 2nd floor.

  • Café Onu

This is also a small but cozy two story café. The view of the cherry blossoms from the 2nd floor is just unbeatable.

  • Musee Cabanon

Musee Cabanon is one of the few cafes that has their own parking lot. This three story building has a café located on the top floor. During the spring time, they have a special “Spring Natural Wine Promotion Menu” that features a sandwich with a wine of your choice. If the weather is good, I would recommend eating on the terrace. But keep in mind that you are not allowed to switch tables after being seated. They also have a no-kid policy.  

How to Get to the Oncheocheon Stream

If you would like to visit the Oncheoncheon Stream area, I recommend taking subway line 1. Get off at the Busan University of Education Subway station and take exit 6. Oncheoncheon is about 900 meters away from the subway station. From there, it takes about 15 minutes to get to Oncheoncheon.

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BMA to Extend the Period of Takashi Murakami’s Exhibition

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World-renowned pop artist, Takashi Murakami’s exhibition at the Busan Museum of Art has received an unprecedented response. Therefore, the BMA has decided to extend its exhibition period by one month, until April 16th.

This exhibition, titled “Takashi Murakami; Murakami Zombie” was originally scheduled to end on March 12th, however, it drew so much attention before the opening. It attracted more than 94,000 visitors between January 26th and March 7th, along with an average of 2,500 visitors on the weekdays and over 4,000 on the weekends.

The exhibition features nearly 170 works made by Takashi Murakami, from some of his early works to his more recent paintings, sculptures, videos and NFT digital works.

Five Pet-Friendly Restaurants in Haeundae

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1. Restaurant Cielo, Rooftop

The restaurant Cielo is located on the 26th floor of the Youngmu Parade Hotel. This is a pet-friendly hotel in Haeundae with a four star rating and they understand that your pet is a part of your family, too. Restaurant Cielo offers a special menu for dogs, which includes beef tenderloin steaks.

Where: Haeundae Haebyun-ro 298 gil – 25, Haeundae-gu District

Hours of operation: 7 am – 10 pm daily

 (7 am – 10 am breakfast / 12:00 pm – 10:00 lunch/dinner) 

Pricing: around $20 per plate

2. Kangaroo Point

This is a famous Aussie restaurant in Busan, so you know the food will be top-notch. If you are a foodie and looking for a dog-friendly restaurant, this place should be on your list. 

Where: The Sharp Haeundae Adelis 111, Marine City 3-ro, 51

Hours of operation: 9 am to 10 pm daily/ 3 pm to 5 pm break 

Pricing: around $15 – $30 per plate

3. Gudeokpo Kkutzip Gogi

As the name suggests (if you understand Korean), this restaurant is located at the end of Songjeong Beach, in the “Gudeokpo” area. It is a little difficult to get here by public transport, but the view is just unbeatable. The good thing about this restaurant is that it’s pet-friendly. You are more than welcome to take your puppies with you to lunch or dinner.

4.Portana

Famous for its savory pizza, Portana also sells burgers and fried chicken. Bring your fur baby with you as they are more than welcome on the 2nd floor – just be sure to put them in a diaper. If you don’t have one, you can buy one for 1,000 won.

5. Hasuk-zip

Hasuk-zip is a pork-belly BBQ place located in the Centum area. The interior of the restaurant resembles Korean schools from back in the 70s, decorated with blackboards and metal tables.

As there are many offices in the Centum area, the restaurant is normally the busiest on the weeknights. There are three pet-friendly Hasuk-zip branches in Centum, each with outdoor seating.

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Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Busan

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Krispy Kreme is nothing new in Korea, but the Yeonsan branch in Busan has become the talk of the town. At this location, customers can watch as the doughnuts are being made, it’s like being in a “doughnut theater.”

It is becoming a popular attraction with visitors coming to see the action. Visitors can watch their doughnuts being made until around 12 pm each day.

Location: Bansong-ro 32, Yeonje-gu, Busan

  • It’s about a 10-minute walk from the exit 12 at the Yeonsan subway station.

Hours of operation: 8 am to 11 pm through Sunday to Thursday / 8 am to 12 am on Friday and Saturday

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