Top 10 weirdest places in South Korea- Part 2
Last time I wrote an article about Top 10 weirdest places in South Korea. So let’s take a stroll on its second installment, where we will travel the other 5 places in Korea where it seems crazy and weird to see all these places. So how about starting with some LSD (Love, Sex & Destination)…..
- Loveland, Jeju-Do
South Korea has three sex related theme parks and one of them is in their favorite Honeymoon destination Jeju Island. Therefore it seems the most popular one and also have wide range of sculptures scattered across the park. The park is flocked by foreigners and local tourists alike. The park not only contains a sculpture garden which is filled with huge sex organs, erotically themed fountains and yeah copulating couples too but you can also find a small sex shop and a gallery of sexual dioramas. One can also pose with statues and make it look like that you are playing and getting dirty with them.
- Yecheon Space Center (Yecheon-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
It’s just not a field trip for some elementary school children. Yecheon Space Center gives us the chance to feel some gravity, bouncing and jumping like you’re on the moon. One can find the displays a bit outdated and most of the planet models outside are showing their age but when you’re jumping on the moon everything is just dandy! The pulley is adjusted to the person’s height and then the springs kick in. The Space simulator chamber can trick your mind into thinking that you’re going up high, all thanks to the videos and clever tilting. No English speaking staff but that doesn’t mean they are not friendly when guiding you around.
Directions: From Dong Seoul Terminal, get to Yecheon Intercity Bus Terminal. From there, take a bus for Gamcheon (감천), Oncheon (온천), Beolbang (벌방), or Punggi (풍기). These don’t come very often – about every 1 1/2 hours – so consider getting a taxi for the 15 minute ride.
- Bugok Hawaii AKA Buddhist hell (Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Established in 1983, Bugok Hawai is divided into territories which consist of one part amusement park, one part hot springs resort, one part outdoor attraction and the remaining part a unqiue display of old Buddhist Hell. What, Really??? No question please cause I also don’t know how all these parts come together in one place. Once you enter the hotel/hot springs resort area, one might pass by some life size sculptures of creatures from the Alien and Predator era. All you need is to head up the hill behind the resort to discover more graphic stone statues being caught between a huge musher. Hands cut off and many more. It’s bit brutal to see.
Directions: From Daegu’s Seobu Bus Terminal (Seongdangmot station, line 1, exit 3) or Busan’s Seobu Bus Terminal (Sasang station, line 2). 14 buses a day make the 1 hour 10 minute trip to Bugok. From Seoul’s Nambu Bus Terminal, (Nambu terminal station, line 3), 4 buses a day make the 4 1/2 hour trip to Bugok. Note that there may be a stop along the way to Changnyeong. Once at Bugok’s Bus Terminal, exit and make two quick lefts. Bugok Hawaii should be in front of you and one of the largest buildings around. Walk to the right for the entrance.
- Modo Sculpture Park (Incheon)
This particular destination in Korea requires four different forms of transportation (train-bus-ferry-bus) to reach the final destination where Lee Il-ho’s art is displayed. In the late 1990’s his work was exhibited in Miami and New York City and somehow many of his works found its way back home here. There is a small café which have the art guide along with coffee and sandwiches, while the hotel offers you a stay by the beach and a view of the art. Do not try swimming as it’s a not swimmable beach, instead you’ll sink into the mud making it more difficult either to get in or out of the water.
Directions: 1. Take the AREX (Airport Express) line to Unseo station on Yeongjong-do (the same island as Incheon International Airport). Take the only exit to street level, then walk down the main road away from the train station. You’ll see the Lotte Mart on your left. Cross the road, and take a left. 2. Hop on bus 710, ride for about 20 minutes, and then get off at the dock (삼목선착장 – Sam-mok-seon-chak-jang). 3. Ferries go to Sindo (신도) once an hour at 10 minutes past the hour. 4. Once on Sindo Island, get on the only bus around – the schedule is coordinated with the ferry schedule, so it’ll leave shortly after the ferry arrives. The bus takes about 15 minutes to the turnaround point – get off there. From the bus stop, it’s about a kilometer walk to the sculpture park – follow the road to the T, turn right, and follow the road some more.
- Great Stone Face Sculpture Park (Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do)
South Korea should thank Jeong-Geun-hui for his determinations to rehabilitate mental patients. He established Eumseong Mental Hospital and in the year 1991 it was completed along with Great Stone Face Sculpture Park. This project has put 400+ sculpture artists to work and filled the roughly 561,00sq/m park with more than 1,000 statues of human beings and around 700 or so animal sculptures. It’s an easy day trip from Seoul with bonus points if you can keep a score in the game of “who’s that?” or simply by playing” what do these people have in common ?”
Directions: From Seoul’s Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take a bus to Saenggeuk – they come about once an hour and take 1 hour and 20 minutes. From elsewhere in Korea, get to Cheongju’s Bus Terminal and take a frequent bus to Saenggeuk. Either way, be aware that it’s one of several stops the bus will make – be looking out the window and ensure you get off at the right bus stop! Once at Saenggeuk Bus Terminal, you can either catch a shuttle bus that goes to the aforementioned hospital (which is in the center of it all) or take a taxi. It’s about a 10 minute ride either way. The shuttle bus comes once an hour, at 20 past most hours, while the taxi costs about 7,000 won.
Again, the list doesn’t end here, there are many places in Korea where you feel asking yourself, “What the hell is this?”. Some places like The Chicken Art Museum, Psyche World, Imsil Cheese Village, The umbilical cord shrine for King Sejong’s children , Unjusa (weird stone statues ) and many more….
