Who doesn’t love a buffet? I surely do. You can pick and choose what you want to eat and try many different things. I’d always been curious about visiting the biggest cities in South Korea. So far, I’ve lived in Daejeon, and visited Seoul, Incheon, Busan, and Daegu. I had sampled the delights of the top five biggest cities in South Korea.

So far, I’ve lived in Daejeon, and visited Seoul, Incheon, Busan, and Daegu. I had sampled the delights of the top five biggest cities in South Korea.

Now I wanted to visit Gwangju, the sixth biggest city in South Korea and considered a “travel buffet,” with many kinds of tourist attractions. Gwangju is a city known for its strong political history, including the infamous Gwangju Massacre.

After booking two train tickets using the Korail English website, I boarded the southbound train to Gwangju after a transfer in Daejeon. I traveled about 2 hours on each train to reach Gwangju. The weather was cloudy, and rain seemed like it was on the horizon when I arrived mid-afternoon. Knowing that I needed to hurry if I wanted to beat potentially bad weather, I first took a bus to Mudeungsan Mountain, the first thing on the menu. Thankfully, I was able to use Naver maps in English to navigate myself to all my destinations.

The entrance to Chungjangsa Temple invites you in.

It was a 40-minute bus ride west toward Mudeungsan. The bus wound its way up the mountain and the ride provided scenic views as we climbed up higher. At one point, I could see a beautiful view of the mountain just as the light broke through the clouds for a moment, shining on the land.

This is the main part of Chungjansa Temple.

I opted to visit a temple on the mountain instead of going hiking, as I was already fighting a cold. After hopping off the bus, I walked down a small hill to Chungjangsa Temple. I was greeted by a Korean guide, who gave me a pamphlet in English and invited me to explore the temple. The temple felt a bit lonely, perhaps due to the cold weather, howling wind, and the door banging back and forth in the wind. Chungjangsa Temple is very lovely, and it was established to honor and memorialize General Kim Deok-ryeong, who led volunteer armies to fight invaders during the Imjin War. He was born in Gwangju in 1567 and died in prison in 1596 after being falsely accused. After I learned the history of the temple, I could sense a sort of sadness to it, but I was happy to learn that his honor was later restored and the temple was built to honor him and his good deeds. Gwangju is marked by a lot of historical places, and I was glad to visit this historical place.

After exploring the temple, I caught another bus to sample a different type of menu from the travel buffet: an artistic village called Yangnim-dong Penguin Village. This little village was built in the ‘70s and ‘80s and changed into an artistic, winding walking path.

Unfortunately, no penguins can be found in this village, but what you will find are tons of quirky artwork, sculptures, and other oddities. The Penguin Village is rumored to be named because of the penguin-like way the eldest man in the village walked. One entrance to the village welcomes you with penguin artwork and unique sculptures. As I walked through the village, I was entranced by the mishmash of art on the walls. There were many penguin-themed crafts and art, but there were also shoes, handbags, fish handcrafted out of buttons, and a lot more. In the middle of the village is a Penguin DJ box and a garden of junk art. This place really is a feast for the eyes, and a great place to take photos.

Penguin artwork and button fish made by local artists

This village is hidden away from the main street, but it’s a must-see in Gwangju, and a great place to experience something unique in Gwangju.

At the opening of the quirky Penguin Village.

Next, I wanted to learn more about the political history of Gwangju, so I traveled on a bus west to the 5.18 Memorial Culture Center. I thought I could learn more about the tumultuous and tragic past of the uprising here. However, I learned that this is mainly an event center, and the only thing for sightseeing is a small display about Jeju. They kindly advised me to visit the 5.18 Democratic Movement Archives to obtain more information.

A sign near the 5.18 Democratic Movement Archives shows of the darkness and light.

I decided to travel back eastward to the 5.18 Democratic Movement Archives. On the way there, we passed the World Cup Stadium, and many fans dressed in Kia Tigers uniforms were walking the streets. It seemed like a game had just finished. I think a visit to the stadium would be a great stop for other visitors wanting to try a sports-related activity. However, I was determined to visit the archives before they closed.

Historical artifacts and pictures are from the 5.18 Gwangju Democratic Movement Archives.

When I arrived at the archives, I could feel a solemnity to the place. The May 18 Democratic Uprising was the struggle of Gwangju’s citizens against the attempted seizure of power and brutality of the new military regime. The uprising was violently repressed and many citizens were killed by the regime’s troops. The city was kept in isolation following this tragedy, which would pave the way for the democratic movement. In the archives you can view records, memorabilia, and showcases to learn about the uprising. They also have a storage room, a reference library, and a seminar room for history research and reference purposes. One room is also dedicated to the significance of the May 18th Democratic Uprising being listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. They give examples of other struggles for democracy that occurred in places following Korea’s example, such as the Philippines, Thailand, and China, to name a few. You can really learn a lot about the uprising and what occurred after the tragedy and struggle.

I highly recommend this place to others who want to learn more about the Gwangju Massacre. Its historical and political significance is felt fully throughout the city and its echoes affected the whole history of Korea. This is another must-see on Gwangju’s menu.

After my travels, I checked in to the Venture Business Hotel, located in a prime location in Gwangju. The next morning, I felt really satisfied with the travel destinations that I had chosen to visit in Gwangju. Gwangju is a city chock-full of places to see and visit, and I knew that I would have to come back someday. The calm city of Gwangju has a lot to offer tourists and residents, including art, history, culture, sports, and so much more.

5.18 Memorial Culture Center

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The Venture Business Hotel boasts an excellent location. It’s between Gwangju-Songjeong and Gwangju Stations, about a nine-minute walk from the subway. When I entered the hotel, I was heartily greeted by three of the hotel staff. I had the easiest check-in; I just showed my id and mentioned my name. I inquired about local restaurants, and they kindly offered to order me takeout before one of the staff members mentioned a good place around the corner. I picked up my key and thanked them for their help. Then I went out to get some dinner before heading upstairs to check out the room. While exploring Gwangju, the weather was cold and windy, so I was ready to settle into my hotel room.

Clean bathroom with inspirational quotes on the walls.

The hotel room was one of the most spacious rooms that I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in. The room provided many amenities. The bathroom included a wide tub and shower. There was a couch and a coffee table in one corner where you could easily sit down, have a coffee, or put your feet up and relax. The bed was king-sized, and there was pretty floral artwork on the walls. There was a large-screen TV mounted on the wall and even a computer to use. The hotel also provided toiletries such as shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, a shower cap, a razor, and more. There were also nice robes and slippers, as well as complimentary water, tea, and coffee. This hotel was truly inspiring me to relax.

The hotel has a nice, clean bathroom with inspirational quotes on the walls.

Two unique features of the hotel were the mirrored windows and the hotel closet steamer. I had never encountered these features in a hotel. In one corner you could put your suit or other clothing in a small closet and it would steam your clothing. What an excellent feature for businessmen! Also, on the bathroom walls, there was a modern artistic inspirational quote. When I looked at pictures of other rooms on the booking website, it looked like each room was uniquely decorated and had a different quote. It really was a unique touch to the décor.

Bountiful array of Korean and American-style breakfast food included in their complimentary buffet.

After an excellent night’s rest, I woke up the next morning to partake in the complimentary breakfast. This breakfast was the best that I’ve encountered in Korea so far. It was a breakfast buffet, offering American and Korean style breakfast from 7:00 to 9:30 AM. They had foods such as rice, kimchi, cereal, eggs, toast, and sausage, in addition to lots of different drinks, including coffee and orange juice. It was a great way to finish off a relaxing stay at Venture Business Hotel. They truly know how to provide satisfaction for customers staying in the hotel.