Attractions of South Korea

Jongmyo Royal Shrine was built by T'aejo (founder of the Choson Dynasty 1392-1910) in 1394 after he transferred the seat of government to present day Seoul. It is the oldest and most authentic of the Confucian royal shrines that have been preserved and contains the spirit tablets of four generations of T'aejo's ancestors, bearing their teachings. The complex has existed in its present form since the 16th century and comprises three sets of buildings. Ritual ceremonies of music and dance that date to the 14th century are still performed here.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Jongmyo Shrine

The Changdeokgung Palace Complex was constructed in the 15th century by Emperor T'aejo, known as the Palace of Illustrious Virtue. The complex comprises the palace, market, three gates, three courts (administrative, royal residence and official audience) and the Piwon royal secret garden. Changdeokgung is an excellent example of Korean palace design and its harmonious integration into the natural landscape.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Changdeokgung Palace Complex

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty comprise 40 tombs in 18 separate locations which were built between 1408 and 1966, completing over 5,000 years of Korean royal tombs. The tombs are located in areas of outstanding natural beauty, typically facing south towards water with hills behind. In addition to the burial area, the tombs contain a T-shaped wooden shrine, a shed for stele, a royal kitchen, a guards’ house, a red-spiked gate and the tomb keeper’s house.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

Hwaseong Fortress at Suwon was constructed in the late 18th century by the Emperor Chongjo to protect his father's tomb. Designed by the military architecture of the time, it comprises 6km of huge walls which contained 48 defensive features such as gates, observation towers, firearms bastions and beacon towers. The fortress was badly damaged during the Japanese occupation and the Korean War but the availability of the original archives of construction have allowed it to be restored to its original form.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Hwaseong Fortress

The Tripitaka Koreana, the most complete collection of Buddhist texts, were engraved on 80,000 woodblocks between 1237 and 1248. They are stored in the Temple of Haeinsa on Mount Kaya, built in the 15th century to house the woodblocks and remarkable for the conservation techniques used to preserve them. The Tripitaka Koreana are regarded by Buddhist scholars for their outstanding accuracy and quality.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks

Gyeongju was the capital of the Shilla dynasty which ruled much of the Korean peninsula for over 1,000 years until the 10th century AD. This area contains numerous examples of Korean Buddhist art in the form of sculptures, reliefs and the remains of temples and palaces, primarily dating from the 7th-10th centuries AD. Sites of note include the ruined palace of Wolsong, the Ch'omsongdae Observatory and the royal tombs. Excavations of the tombs have identified treasures that can be seen in the Gyeongju National Museum.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Gyeongju Historic Areas

The Seokguram Grotto and the Bulguksa Temple were built in the 8th century on the slopes of Mount T'oham. Seokguram contains a monumental statue of the Buddha, 3.5 metres high, looking at the East Sea in the bhumisparsha mudra position, used by the Buddha to summon the Earth as a witness to his realisation of the Enlightenment. Surrounding the statue are 39 engravings of gods, Bodhisattvas and disciples.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple

The dolmen sites at Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa are the most concentrated example in the world of these neolithic burial chambers. They comprise two or more stone slabs supporting a huge capstone, erected over the remains of the dead. There are many hundreds of dolmens at these sites which date cack to the 1st and 2nd millennium BC.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites

Jeju Volcanic Island is located off the southwest coast of Korea, covering 188 km². The semi-tropical island is an area of spectacular scenery and features some distinctive volcanic features. Mount Hallasan, South Korea's highest peak at 1,950 metres, is a volcano with a lake-filled crater, noted for its waterfalls and unusual rock formations. The lava tube caves at Geomunoreum are some of the finest in the world. The Dragon's Head Coast is famous for its dragon rock, cliffs, caves and Jeongbang waterfall which falls directly into the sea.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes

The historic villages of Hahoe and Yangdong were founded in the 14th and 15th centuries are representative historic clan villages that reflect distinctive aristocratic Confucian culture of the early part of the Joseon Dynasty. They comprise residences of the head families and other clan members as well as pavilions, study halls, Confucian academies for learning, and clusters of one story mud-walled, thatched-roofed houses used by commoners. The locations were specifically chosen for physical and spiritual purposes to be sheltered by forested mountains and facing rivers and open agricultural spaces.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong