This itinerary starts at downtown Naju (where the intercity bus terminal and train station are located) where you can see the Geunseongwon, Naju Confucian school, enjoy Bear Soup for lunch, then cool off on the Hwangpo ferry tour and end the day with a sunset at the Bitgaram observatory.
You can read all about the visit to the Naju ImageTheme Park in a separate article.
How to get to Naju
From Gwangju, Naju is a good half hour away by Intercity bus, (Naju terminal or Yeongsanpo terminal which is 10min further down) You can also get there with intra-city buses 160 or 999 from Gwangju, but expect a long journey. Naju also has its train station at the center of town, so it is reachable by Mugunghwa train from Seoul and other cities.
Naju- some facts
The capital of South Jeolla was located in Naju until it was moved to Gwangju in 1895. The name Jeolla actually originates from the first character of Jeonju (์ ) and the first character of Naju (๋ผ). In 1986, the governmental name was changed from Geumseong to Naju. Regionally famous for its beef soup – GomTang (๊ณฐํ), skate (ํ์ด), and pears (๋์ฃผ๋ฐฐ), the city holds its Pear Blossom festival in April, Canola flower festival and Skate Festival in May. The heart of Naju county (๋์ฃผ์์ฑ๊ถ) is framed by 4 gates โ ๋ถ๋ง๋ฌธ(north gate), ๋จ๊ณ ๋ฌธ(south gate) ๋์ ๋ฌธ (east gate), and ์์ฑ๋ฌธ(west gate).
Within those gates you can find:
- Naju hyanggyo confucian school (๋์ฃผํฅ๊ต)
- Geumseonggwon (๊ธ์ฑ๊ถ)
- Traditional culture center (๋ชฉ๋ฌธํ๊ด)
- Shimhyangsa temple (์ฌํฅ์ฌ)
- Gomtang (beef soup) street (๊ณฐํ ๊ฑฐ๋ฆฌ)
- Choe Seok Giโs House โ (the main house built by Choe SeungHwan, at the end of the Joseon dynasty)
- Naju Student Independence Movement Memorial Hall (๋์ฃผํ์๋ ๋ฆฝ์ด๋๊ธฐ๋ ๊ด)
- And other facilities such as the local library, church, police station, the new and old Naju station and bus terminal.
- Further down is the Naju National Museum, but would need a bus ride or taxi to get there.
Itinerary
HwangPo Ferry
For the HwangPo Ferry (ํฉํฌ๋๋ฐฐ), stay on the bus an extra 10 min and get off at Yeongsanpo terminal, not Naju terminal. From there, it is a 10-15min walk to the ferry dock. The ferry runs 5 times a day, every hour except lunch: 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm. A minimum of 3 people are needed for the ferry to run, otherwise you have to wait for the next trip.
The dock is decorated with a lighthouse, beautiful murals and great photo spots.ย A vast open space, you can see the occasional cyclist riding by.ย Apart from that, you can experience the solitude of Naju.ย An old-fashioned wooden boat is docked to meet your โPirates of the Eastโ expectations.
Tickets
The ferry costs 8,000 per adult.ย A form must be filled in when buying a ticket, for security measures. (especially during these corona times)ย You are handed a life-jacket upon boarding.
Once you are all on the ferry, the speakers play the historic explanation of Naju and the YeongsanPo River. The views are a lush green, with the occasional bridge. It is the ideal escape on a hot or humid day. The wind in your hair makes you forget all your troubles. Once you reach the textile dying factory, the boat makes a U-turn and you are headed back to the deck. The tour lasts about 50 minutes.
Other than the Skate road (ํ์ด๊ฑฐ๋ฆฌ), aligned with skate restaurants just in front of the dock, there is nothing else to visit in that area. You can walk back to YeongsanPo terminal, perhaps find the market along the way, or an occasional restaurant. The quiet streets are misleading, but if you see a passer-by, donโt be shy. The people in Naju are extremely friendly and will help you on your way for whatever you are looking for.
Downtown
Once back downtown Naju, you will see the North gate at the end of the main road.
Take a right down the shopping street, then a left. Geumsongkwan on your right, and the main drum ahead. This drum is played to welcome the new year. So if youโre ever in the neighborhood on 31st of December, be at the drum by 10 pm for a thundering New Yearโs eve.
The unique building looks like 3 buildings, as they seem to be painted at 3 different times. The contrast of old wood vs fresh paint is striking. The wide area in front reminds you of Jongmyo shrine.
Gomtang Street
Just around the corner of the drum, are 2 GomTang restaurants. Doubting which one to enter, the elder man on the street pointed toward the Hanok-shaped one and Iโm glad he did. I did not regret taking his advice! It might seem less crowded, but the food is delicious, the soup is filled with beef, and served immediately.
Bitgaram Lake Park Observatory
Thereโs the Bitgaram Lake Park Observatory a short bus/taxi ride away. End the day with a beautiful sunset before heading back home. Think, โThe sun sets in Jeollaโs capital once again.โ
*An alternative would be to start with the ferry boat, then visit the Naju Theme Park, and end up in downtown Naju to walk around the Geumsongwon, and have delicious GomTang beef soup for dinner.
Depending on what your interests are, and how much energy you have left!
Read More: A Day in Gwangju: Pretty Neighbourhood of Yangnim-Dong
