Busan is the second largest city located on the southern east coast of South Korea with a population of over 3.5 million residents. Busan is a harbor city lively and energetic with the beautiful environment including scenic mountains, beaches and rivers. Also, it’s a big tourism city that people all around the world continuously visit to enjoy its culture and delicious food.
Busan has a lot of museums and exhibitions that change year-round. In addition to all the museums, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is held annually and is considered one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Here is a list of our favorite museums:
Museum of Contemporary Art Busan
The Museum of Contemporary Art BUSAN (MOCA BUSAN) is a public art museum set up by Busan Metropolitan City. Located on Eulsukdo Island in the lower Nakdong River estuary, its building, which has a total floor area of 15,312m2, was completed in 2017 on a 29,900m2 site. The museum is the nation’s first public museum for contemporary art that aims to bring art of our time into the spotlight.
Website: http://www.busan.go.kr/moca_en/index
BEXCO Auditorium
BEXCO Auditorium is a multi-purpose international conference and exhibition facility. The 4,002-seat auditorium with tiered seating is capable of hosting not only exhibitions and conferences but also cultural, art and music events. The exterior of the building resembles a sailboat cutting through the waves.
Website: http://www.bexco.co.kr
Busan Cinema Center
Busan Cinema Center, the main venue of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), opened in 2012 and consists of three buildings—Cine Mountain, BIFF Hill, and Double Cone. The main building, Cine Mountain, has three theaters that screen films; the Haneulyeon Theater features the world’s best stage performances. Busan Cinema Center is said to be the first culture complex worldwide to combine movie theaters and a performing arts center in one facility.
Busan Art Center
Busan Art Center offers a workplace for local amateur and professional artists and art groups. The center consists of a 240-seat performing theater, two exhibition halls, three rehearsal rooms, 12 group offices for the Busan Federation of Arts Organizations, a parking lot and other convenient facilities.
Website: http://www.bsart.or.kr/
Busan Citizen’s’ Hall
The Busan Citizens’ Hall is open to the public for the enjoyment of performing arts—music concerts, musicals, dance performances, lectures, exhibitions, and movie screenings.
Website: http://citizenhall.bisco.or.kr/
Busan Cultural Center
Busan Cultural Center, located in Nam-gu District, is equipped with three state-of-the-art theaters with seating for 2,400 and hosts a variety of performing arts and cultural programs.
Website: http://www.bscc.or.kr/eng/main/
Busan Museum
Exhibits include Busan City cultural properties from prehistoric times to today to promote citizens’ understanding and study of our culture.
Since its founding in 1978, Busan Museum has taken the lead in the transmission of traditional Busan culture through collection, conservation, exhibition, research, excavation and education of our cultural heritage.
There are many nature parks in Busan where you can go on a picnic and walk around.
Busan Citizens Park
Busan Citizens Park was established under the five themes of Memory, Culture, Pleasure, Nature and Participation. As a new style of park, it provides people with a comfortable, healing environment that is full of possibilities.
Samnak Ecological Park
Samnak Ecological Park is the largest of the four ecological parks located along the left bank of the Nakdong River between Eomgung-dong, Sasang-gu and Samnak-dong, Sasang-gu (Gangseo Nakdongdaegyo Bridge). The park is situated within a migratory bird sanctuary designated as Natural Monument 179 and features marshland, a site to feed migratory birds, a lawn square, wild flower beds, walking trails, bicycle paths, automobile camping site, water sports center, and outdoor exercise equipment.
Eulsukdo Ecological Park
Eulsukdo Park includes two parks – Eulsukdo Migratory Bird Park, located at the lower part of Eulsukdo Island and Eulsukdo Eco Park, located at the upper part of Eulsukdo Island.
You can watch a spectacular array of migratory birds in different types of marshes, including salt and freshwater marshes in the park during the winter migratory season.
Daejeo Ecological Park
Daejeo Ecological Park is located along the right bank of Nakdonggang River between Gangseo Nakdongdaegyo Bridge and Gupo Nakdongganggyo Bridge. The park features wetlands, a waterway, grassland, Yuchae flowerbeds and various outdoor exercise equipment.
Yongdusan Park
The park is located on a hillside called Yongdusan in Jung-gu and has Busan Tower on the top. The 120 meter high Busan Tower is a famous landmark in Busan and loved by tourists. Busan’s unique beauty below is able to be viewed from the observatory. This park has been praised by Busan’s citizen for a long time as a tranquil downtown rest area.
A full list can be found here (https://english.busan.go.kr/parks)
Busan is surrounded by scenic mountains. There are great hiking courses you can enjoy.
Jangsan
Jangsan is a mountain of South Korea. It has an elevation of 634 metres Jangsan is located in Haeundae-gu in Busan. It’s a very popular hiking destination much of the year.
Geumjeongsan
Geumjeongsan is a mountain in the city of Busan in South Korea. With an altitude of 802m, it covers a large surface that extends into Dongnae-gu in the south, Buk-gu in the west, Geumjeong-gu in the east, and the city of Yangsan in the north.
Hwangnyeongsan
Hwangnyeongsan Mountain is located in the heart of Busan and stretches across Busanjin-gu, Nam-gu, and Suyeong-gu Districts. With an altitude of 427m, the mountain is the second highest mountain in the Geumnyeon Mountain Range. The mountain is mostly made up of andesite and the summit is relatively flat. Some parts of the mountain are also characterized by exposed bedrocks. If you visit Hwangyeongsan Beacon Fire Station on the top of the mountain, you can enjoy a beautiful night view of Busan city.
Busan is well-known for its beautiful beaches around the city. There are many things to enjoy at the beaches in Busan all year round. They include various water sports activities, sandy strolls, sunbathing, performances, festivals and more.
Haeundae Beach
Haeundae Beach is a wide sandy beach and the most popular and well-known beach in Korea. The 1.5 kilometer long beach pedestrian path widened to 4.5–6 meters wide. 11 small squares for busking performances and cultural events have been built on the beach pedestrian path.
Songjeong Beach
This beach is made from quality sand and weathered seashells, delivering a scene of a sandy beach which seems like spreading small beads. Songjeong Beach opened July 1965 and is open each year from July 1st to August 31st. The beach is 2 km long and is up to 50 meters wide in some places. Local people enjoy it as a resort area in the city.
Gwangalli Beach
Gwangalli Beach is 1.4 km long, 25~110 m wide, and is famous for its fine sand. The area has undergone a water cleaning program, and as a result, the water of the beach is pristine, drawing many young tourists. In addition to the beachfront, the Gwangalli area is filled with romantic restaurants and cafes, as well as stores selling famous fashion brands. The area has plenty to offer, but many people come in the evening to take in the bright lights of Gwangandaegyo Bridge, stretching across the horizon.
A full list can be found here (https://english.busan.go.kr/beaches)
For more information,
Living in Korea booklet produced by Institute for Basic Science (IBS) (Download)
Busan Metropolitan City Website (busan.go.kr)
Busan Beat (busanbeat.kr)
Korea4Expats (korea4expats.com)