Cheongju, a Healing and Emotional Travel Destination



Heal your mind at the Culture Factory’s creative arts space and take some time for yourself by soaking in the hot springs in Chojeong-ri, Cheongju. You can also create your own book to remember your trip to Cheongju. Through the smart tourism platform 'Cheongju Yeogi,' you can access various services necessary for traveling to Cheongju, from recommendations for destinations, restaurants, and accommodations to audio guides and AR experiences.

Cheongju Tourist Center, the Beginning and End of Your Trip to Cheongju

The Cheongju Tourist Center is a convenient place for tourists, providing both travel information and helpful facilities. The luggage storage area near the entrance makes traveling easier. When you enter the center, the first thing you see is a large touch-screen tourist information kiosk. Here you can search for various travel-related information, such as attractions, transportation, and experience programs in Cheongju.

There is a reason to stop by the Cheongju Tourist Center at the end of your trip. You can create a digilog book to record your precious travel memories. Upload photos taken during the trip and select a skin (book design) you like to create your own photo book. The finished digilog book can be delivered to your home, and best of all, it is completely free.

Culture Factory, a Former Tobacco Factory Transformed into a Cultural Complex

The Culture Factory, originally a tobacco factory established in 1946, was closed in 2004 and abandoned since then. It was later remodeled as a cultural complex as part of the urban regeneration project and renamed as the Culture Factory in 2019. The buildings, which were a factory and a warehouse, have become a cultural complex consisting of the main building of the Culture Factory, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Cheongju, the Cheongju Urban Hi-Tech Cultural Industrial Complex, and Dongbu Warehouse.

The first floor of the main building of the Culture Factory is a commercial space, the third and fourth floors are the Korean Craft Museum and exhibition hall and the fifth floor is the Cheongju Open Library. There is no better place for solo travelers to get rejuvenated, as they can stop by the exhibition hall to appreciate artworks, have a meal and a cup of tea, and then enjoy reading at the Open Library.

The Dongbu Warehouse was once a tobacco leaf warehouse that was transformed into a space for citizens to engage in culture and the arts. There are various spaces for citizens to use, including a cafe, a woodworking room, a gallery, a multipurpose hall, and a food lab for cooking classes. The graffiti that blends in with the old warehouse building makes it a great photo spot.

Temporary Palace of Chojeong (Chojeong Haenggung Palace), where King Sejong the Great Stayed to Treat his Eye Disease 

It is believed that King Sejong stayed at the Temporary Palace of Chojeong for around four months in March and September 1444 to treat an eye disease. Based on this story, the palace, which was destroyed in 1448, was restored and reopened in 2020. Each building in the palace, including Jiphyeonjeon, Pyeonjeon, and Chimjeon, is used as an exhibition hall or experience center. There's also a teahouse and hanok accommodations on site.

The smart tourism platform for Cheongju lets you explore Chojeong Temporary Palace with AR characters. You can even see King Sejong, brought to life through augmented reality, step out of your smartphone screen. Capture a souvenir photo by matching the pose and composition for a natural two-shot. Finally, don’t miss the chance to unwind at the outdoor footbath while exploring the temporary palace.

Chojeong Wellness Village for a Gift-like Break for Yourself

Chojeong-ri is one of the three major mineral springs in the world, along with Apollinaris in Germany and Shasta in the United States. The Chojeong Wellness Village is a wellness facility that uses the hot spring water from Chojeong-ri in Cheongju. The Chojeong-ri hot spring is known for its high carbonic acid content and lots of bubbles. The carbonated water isn't too hot, so there's a dry sauna to help you keep your body temperature up. It offers bubble therapy, which uses rice and sulfur to improve the skin; thermal therapy, which enhances natural healing power through hot water and hot steam; and a media therapy facility that allows you to relieve stress while listening to natural landscape videos and music. It's also a great idea to take part in a meditation program to help you unwind.

Written and photographed by Oh Won-ho (Travel writer)