Jeonju

South_Korea

Jeonju (전주, 全州) is the capital of North Jeolla province, South Korea.

  • DeokJin Park. You can see the bridge on the pond and Changpo herbs (창포) and you can take a duck boat. At night you can also see the music fountail and beautiful lights on bridge. At the middle of bridge there's a cafe and a convenience store.
  • Gaeksa Building. This building was built around 1471 and was used to accommodate important visitors. Rituals to honour the king were also held here. It's a meeting place for many as well as a hangout location for many old men. The downtown area surrounding is also referred to as Gaeksa.
  • Hansol Paper Museum. Records the history of paper making and usages since the age of the Egyptians. There is an interesting movie shown in English upon request. Most of the signs are in Korean only, but I found the museum quite interesting. There are some displays on traditional Korean paper making. You also have a chance to make a piece of paper there as well. On weekends and holidays, there are various workshops available.
  • Jeonju Hanok Village. This traditional village is comprised of more than dozens of Hanok. Most of Hanok were constructed in Joseon period (1392-1910). Here you can experience a variety of traditional Korean culture such as making traditional Korean paper (Hanji) or trying Korean liquor.
  • Jeonju Natural Ecology Museum, +82 063-281-2831. A plant and wildlife museum perfect for children.
  • Jeonju Traditional Wine Museum, 71 Hanji-gil, Wansan-gu, +82-63-287-6305. 9AM-6PM, closed Mondays. Opened in the Hanok Village in 2002, this museum aims to promote Korea's tradition of home brewing. Besides displays, there are classes and hands-on programs. They are reportedly eager to assist anyone wishing to brew Korea's traditional drinks for themselves. There are small fees for the programs: interestingly, teens get a discount on the "Local Wine-Drinking Rituals" class!
  • Ohmockdae. A small hill with a traditional house on top. The best thing about this spot is the night view of the city.

DeokJin Park. You can see the bridge on the pond and Changpo herbs (창포) and you can take a duck boat. At night you can also see the music fountail and beautiful lights on bridge. At the middle of bridge there's a cafe and a convenience store.

Gaeksa Building. This building was built around 1471 and was used to accommodate important visitors. Rituals to honour the king were also held here. It's a meeting place for many as well as a hangout location for many old men. The downtown area surrounding is also referred to as Gaeksa.

Hansol Paper Museum. Records the history of paper making and usages since the age of the Egyptians. There is an interesting movie shown in English upon request. Most of the signs are in Korean only, but I found the museum quite interesting. There are some displays on traditional Korean paper making. You also have a chance to make a piece of paper there as well. On weekends and holidays, there are various workshops available.

Jeonju Hanok Village. This traditional village is comprised of more than dozens of Hanok. Most of Hanok were constructed in Joseon period (1392-1910). Here you can experience a variety of traditional Korean culture such as making traditional Korean paper (Hanji) or trying Korean liquor.

Jeonju Natural Ecology Museum, +82 063-281-2831. A plant and wildlife museum perfect for children.

Jeonju Traditional Wine Museum, 71 Hanji-gil, Wansan-gu, +82-63-287-6305. 9AM-6PM, closed Mondays. Opened in the Hanok Village in 2002, this museum aims to promote Korea's tradition of home brewing. Besides displays, there are classes and hands-on programs. They are reportedly eager to assist anyone wishing to brew Korea's traditional drinks for themselves. There are small fees for the programs: interestingly, teens get a discount on the "Local Wine-Drinking Rituals" class!

Ohmockdae. A small hill with a traditional house on top. The best thing about this spot is the night view of the city.

Watch the local football team Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium. They are one of the most successful in Korea and have won the AFC Champions League twice.

Jeonju bibimbap Jeonju is famous for its cuisine. Bibimbap is one of the most famous Korean dishes native to this region. "Bibim" means mixing and "bap" means rice. Served in the traditional brassware, it consists of rice with seasonal stir fried vegetables (carrot, bean sprout, radish, spinach, zucchini, bracken), seaweed (gim), and hot pepper paste (gochujang). It is also available in a hot stone bowl (dol sot), which slowly cooks the egg as you stir the ingredients together. The characteristic thing about Jeonju bibimbap is that it comes with Korean beef tartar (Yukhoe), Hwang Po Mook (a yellow jelly made from mung beans) and raw egg yolk (most of other regions in Korea serve with fried egg). The price for a serving of bibimbap is about ₩10,000. Along with bibimbap, kongnamul gukbap (bean sprout soup with rice) is one of the most popular food in Jeonju. Also give mountain vegetable (san chae) bibimbap a taste, if you're at any of the local mountains.

Some famous Bibimbap restaurants include:

  • Ga Jok Hoe Gwan, +82 063-284-0982. 11:30AM-9:30PM.
  • Loving Hut, Seosin Store 295-24, Seosin-Dong, Wansan-Gu, +82 063-274-7025.
  • Veteran, 84-10, Gyo-dong, Wansan-gu (From the SE corner of Gyeonggijeon, go half a block south. The building is metallic gray and on the east side of the road., +82 63-285-9898. A noodle restaurant with a limited but worthwhile menu. It is always busy.
  • Taste of bumpkin, 23, Taejo-ro, Wansan-gu, +82 063-535-5555. It sells meatballs on a stick. Meatballs is made grilled Short Rib Patties. meatballs on a stick: 3,500won.
  • Gyodong croquette, 126, Gyeonggijeon-gil, Wansan-gu, +82 063-283-5555. It is a croquette store. It serves many different types of croquette. Cream cheese croquette: 2,500won, Jeonju bibimbap croquette: 2,500won, Potato croquette: 2,000won.
  • Daurang, 33, Taejo-ro, Wansan-gu, +82 063-285-5000. It is a dumpling store. It serves many different types of dumpling. Shrimp pan-fried dumpling is one of the most popular food in this store. Shrimp pan-fried dumplings: 1ea-2,000won/1package-8,000won, Shrimp dumplings: 1package-5,000won, King-sized Dumplings: 1,500won, Pan-fried dumplings: 1,500won.
  • two aunts(Duimo), 21, Jamandong 2-gil, Wansan-gu, +82 063-274-1212. This café is famous for a bibimbap waffle. And it serves various homemade juices.
  • Jeondong Korean pancake, 75, Eunhaeng-ro, Wansan-gu, +82 063-232-3778. It serves Korean pancake that is baked in a firepot. Korean pancake is chewy and mild. Soybean milk honey Korean pancake: 2,000won, Cream cheese Korean pancake: 2,500won, Garlic Korean pancake: 2,500won, Ice cream Korean pancake: 3,500won.

Jeonju-style Bean Sprout and Rice Soup Jeonju is known for its delicious food. Bean sprout and rice soup is called 'kong na mul kuk bap'. Various ingredients make delicious kongnamulkukbap. Bean sprouts are a basic ingredient for this. Jeonju-style bean sprout and rice soup is used a specially-made seasoning in food.

Watery black-bean-sauce noodles(Muljjajang-myeon) Jeonju has had special jjajang-myeon. Original jjajang-myeon is dry and savoury, on the other hand muljjajang-myeon is something spicy and watery. It had transparent soup in the old days, but now it become reddish and spicy soup as per Jeonju people's taste.

Homemade chocolate pie This chocolate pie is different to other chocolate pies. It is much bigger and sweeter than others. Also there is no marshmallow. It is popular all over the country including Jeonju.

Ga Jok Hoe Gwan, +82 063-284-0982. 11:30AM-9:30PM.

Loving Hut, Seosin Store 295-24, Seosin-Dong, Wansan-Gu, +82 063-274-7025.

Veteran, 84-10, Gyo-dong, Wansan-gu (From the SE corner of Gyeonggijeon, go half a block south. The building is metallic gray and on the east side of the road., +82 63-285-9898. A noodle restaurant with a limited but worthwhile menu. It is always busy.

Taste of bumpkin, 23, Taejo-ro, Wansan-gu, +82 063-535-5555. It sells meatballs on a stick. Meatballs is made grilled Short Rib Patties. meatballs on a stick: 3,500won.

Gyodong croquette, 126, Gyeonggijeon-gil, Wansan-gu, +82 063-283-5555. It is a croquette store. It serves many different types of croquette. Cream cheese croquette: 2,500won, Jeonju bibimbap croquette: 2,500won, Potato croquette: 2,000won.

Daurang, 33, Taejo-ro, Wansan-gu, +82 063-285-5000. It is a dumpling store. It serves many different types of dumpling. Shrimp pan-fried dumpling is one of the most popular food in this store. Shrimp pan-fried dumplings: 1ea-2,000won/1package-8,000won, Shrimp dumplings: 1package-5,000won, King-sized Dumplings: 1,500won, Pan-fried dumplings: 1,500won.

two aunts(Duimo), 21, Jamandong 2-gil, Wansan-gu, +82 063-274-1212. This café is famous for a bibimbap waffle. And it serves various homemade juices.

Jeondong Korean pancake, 75, Eunhaeng-ro, Wansan-gu, +82 063-232-3778. It serves Korean pancake that is baked in a firepot. Korean pancake is chewy and mild. Soybean milk honey Korean pancake: 2,000won, Cream cheese Korean pancake: 2,500won, Garlic Korean pancake: 2,500won, Ice cream Korean pancake: 3,500won.

Jeonju contains some areas for going out for drinks. The area by Jeonbuk National university, referred to by students as the Old Gate, is full of bars, restaurants, and Korean-style pochas catering to those in their 20s.

Another popular zone is Sinsigaji located in front of the provincial government building. This area is relatively new and has more variety of restaurants, bars, and clubs than the Old Gate. This area caters to university students and older audiences as well.

Foreign bars in Jeonju include J.R.'s Saloon, Deepin, Art & Travel, Tombstone and Mad Hungry.

Crude liquor(Moju) Crude liquor is a alcohol used as a hangover-chaser. It is made from makgeolli which mixed 8 medicinal herbs. Medicinal herbs are ginger, jujube, cinnamon, pear, etc.

Just like in the rest of Korea, internet cafes, known as PC Bang (look for signs showing PC방) are plentiful in Jeonju, these provide high speed internet acces and modern desktop usage for around ₩1,000 an hour.

Buses regularly leave for Busan and other cities. The intercity and express bus terminal are very close to each other on the river.