Summer Escape in the Valley

iwonderkorea
Aug 6, 2020
2 min read

iwonderkorea started the first day of August by organizing a group tour in Wanju and making the most out of the last days of summer.

This Summer in Korea and the months prior came with gloomy days not just because of the persistent rains but also because of the global pandemic. However, with the improving conditions in Korea and booming local travel, iwonderkorea set out to de-stress, get some inspiration and healing in nature with locals and expats who live in Jeonju.

Before we started our one-hour drive to the valley, we gave away summer essential kits that included face masks, alcohol swabs, bandaid, tissues, and a cooling K-beauty mask.

Exploring art in Wanju

Our first destination in the morning was 산속등대 or literally, Lighthouse Keeper, which is an art and cultural complex located in Soyang. It was first opened to the public on May 2019, after three years in the making. 40 years ago, it used to be an old manufacturing factory that is now restored and transformed into an inviting cultural space tucked within the backdrop of Wanju's colorful mountains. Today, it is considered as the largest private art museum in Jeollabuk-do.

At the time of our arrival, a special exhibit was available for public viewing featuring the works of Park Jung Young entitled "Stone People."

We then headed over to the Seunseun Cafe (슨슨카페), which has its own roasting room where they make fresh coffee every day. The wide glass windows surrounding the cafe gave us a full view of the art installations and the famous red lighthouse on the sprawling grounds. We were lucky to have enjoyed the place to ourselves since we arrived quite early before the cafe started to become busy.

Nature valley experience

Korea is surrounded by mountains and low areas with bodies of water between hills, making these destinations the perfect spot to cool off during summer. These are called "Korean valleys," where visitors can chill by the waterside and relax in nature. That's exactly what we did at the Blue Dragon Garden, a hidden destination about one and a half hour away from Jeonju. It has dining and resting sheds conveniently tucked in between man-made indoor pools and a nature valley so people can choose either options.