7 Sights in Gwangju, South Korea (with Map and Images)

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Explore interesting sights in Gwangju, South Korea. Click on a marker on the map to view details about it. Underneath is an overview of the sights with images. A total of 7 sights are available in Gwangju, South Korea.

1. Namhansanseong Fortress

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Namhansanseong FortressKhitai (a flickr user) / CC BY-SA 2.0

Namhansanseong is a historical mountain fortress city 25 km southeast of Seoul, South Korea. It sits approximately 480 m above sea level and is aligned with the ridges of the mountain for maximum defensibility. The fortress, stretching 12 km in length, protects a vast area used as an emergency capital city during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea (1392–1910). The design is based on fortress architecture of East Asia, embodying aspects of four historical cultural styles: the Joseon of Korea, the Azuchi-Momoyama Period of Japan, and Ming and Qing China. It was extensively developed during the 16th to 18th centuries, a period of continuous warfare. The technical development of weaponry and armaments during this period, which saw the use of gunpowder imported from Europe, also greatly influenced the architecture and layout of the fortress. Namhansanseong portrays how the various theories of defense mechanisms in Korea were put to form by combining the everyday living environment with defense objectives. The fortress indicates how Buddhism played an influential role in protecting the state, and it became a symbol of sovereignty in Korea. It stands on the Namhansan, containing fortifications that date back to the 17th century and a number of temples. It can be accessed from Seoul through Namhansanseong station of Seoul Subway Line 8.

Wikipedia: Namhansanseong (EN)

2. 5.18 Gwangju Democratic Movement Archives

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The Gwangju Uprising, known in Korean as May 18, was a popular uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980. The uprising was a response to the coup d'état of May Seventeenth that installed Chun Doo-hwan as military dictator and implemented martial law. Following his ascent to power, Chun arrested opposition leaders, closed all universities, banned political activities, and suppressed the press. The uprising was violently suppressed by the South Korean military. The uprising is also known as the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, the Gwangju Democratization Struggle, the May 18 Democratic Uprising, or the Gwangju Massacre,

Wikipedia: Gwangju Uprising (EN), Website

3. Owen Memorial Hall

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Owen Memorial Hall

The Owen Memorial Hall (Owen Memorial Hall) is a Japanese Colonial Period building built at the Christian Nursing University in Yanglim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, to commemorate Clement Owen and his grandfather, William Owen, who were martyred while working in Gwangju as a missionary. On May 7, 1998, it was designated as Tangible Cultural Property No. 26 of Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Wikipedia: 오웬기념각 (KO), Website

4. Sungyeoljeon Shrine

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Sungyeoljeon Shrine 문화재청 / KOGL Type 1

Chonglie Hall is located in Nanhan Mountain City, facing Nanhan Mountain City, Kwangchow, Gyeonggi Province. It is dedicated to the ancestral hall of Wen Zuwang (BC18 ~ AD28), the ancestor of Baekje, and Li Rui (1580 ~ 1637), the head of the city in 1624 (Renzu 2 years). On May 4, 1972, it was designated as Gyeonggi Province Tangible Cultural Heritage No.2.

Wikipedia: 숭렬전 (KO)

5. Im-dong Cathedral

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The Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju is a particular church of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, one of the three Metropolitan sees of the Catholic Church in Korea. The Archdiocese covers the city of Gwangju and entire South Jeolla Province.

Wikipedia: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju (EN)

6. Memorial stone for Jo Hyeong

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Yuhebi (翠屛 趙珩 遺墟碑) is a Joseon Dynasty Yuhebi in Dochon-dong, Gwangju Metropolitan Mining District. On November 15, 1990, it was designated as Tangible Cultural Property No. 18 of Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Wikipedia: 취병 조형 유허비 (KO), Url

7. Sueojangdae

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The Seo Fisher Pole (守禦將臺) is a Joseon Dynasty castle facility in Namhansanseong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. On May 4, 1972, it was designated as Tangible Cultural Property No. 1 of Gyeonggi-do.

Wikipedia: 수어장대 (KO)

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