Sajik Forest of Light (사직 빛의 숲)

Sajik Forest of Light (사직 빛의 숲)

Located within Sajik Park, the Forest of Light is a popular night view spot with a fantastic media art that incorporates historical themes of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City. The space features a combination of lighting, video, and music to create multimedia contents, offering a variety of experiences and attractions through interactive art that responds to people’s movements. The observation tower hosts a light show, and visitors can enjoy video contents through an AR telescope.

– Address : 49 Sajik-gil, Nam-gu, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City

※ Presentation Information
– Experience Guide
Observation tower

– Information and Guides
+82-62-613-6123

– Parking
Available (within Sajik Park)

– Day Off
N/A (Open all year round)

– Operating Hours
November-March 18:30-22:30 / April-October 19:30-23:00

◎ Nearby Tourism Infobox

⊙ Yangnim Art Center (양림미술관)

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– Homepage
blog.naver.com/yangrimart: Visit site

Yangnim Art Center takes its name from its location in Yangnim-dong, the center of modern history and culture. Designed in hanok style, the building features exhibition rooms on each floor, offering both artists and visitors a creative space to connect and immerse themselves in the art.

⊙ House of Choi Seung-hyo (최승효가옥)

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– Homepage
www.cha.go.kr: Visit site

The House of Choi Seung-hyo is a traditional residential building located on the southeastern slopes of Yangnimsan Mountain. The rectangular building is open to the east, has 8 kan (the space between two pillars) in the front and 4 kan to the sides, and is graced by a traditional hipped and gabled roof. Since the building was constructed in the 1920s, it offers a valuable glimpse into the architectural style of Korean houses at the end of the Japanese colonial period. Choi Sang-hyeon was an activist who offered his attic as a place of refuge for other activists.

⊙ Han Hee-won Art Museum (한희원미술관)

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– Homepage
@hanheewon_museum: Visit site

Han Hee-won Art Museum is a small hanok art museum in the back alley of Yangnim-dong.
Painter Han Hee-won grew up in Yangnim-dong, where he was influenced as a painter. In July 2015, he purchased a small hanok between the House of Yi Jang-u and the House of Choe Seunghyo and transformed it into an art museum to preserve and show the spirit of love, comfort, and art in his hometown, Yangnim-dong. An art museum with a low threshold approaching citizens with a humble mind, Han Hee-won Art Museum is open to anyone. Feel free to visit, appreciate the paintings, and be comforted through art.

⊙ Lee Jang-woo’s House (이장우 가옥)

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– Homepage
Visit site

Designated the first Gwangju Folk Material on March 20, 1989, Lee Jang-woo’s House is an upper-class, tile-roofed house with a gate, storeroom, servants’ quarters, detached building, and main building. The building is estimated to have been constructed in 1899 and is overall a sturdy example of Korean architecture, well-preserved in its original state. The L-shaped main hall of the historic building is rather large and consists of (left to right) a wooden verandah, a small room, a hall, the main room, a kitchen, and another small room. The room doors are double doors with a sliding door on the inside and a hinged door on the outside. The hall also has partitions that can be hung up as necessary.

◎ Travel information to meet Hallyu’s charm – movie “Meet the In-Laws”
This hanok served as Hyeon-joon’s (played by Song Sae-byeok) family home in Jeolla-do in the movie “Meet the In-Laws.” With its well-preserved architecture and traditional Korean garden, it captures the elegance and charm of early modern Korea.

⊙ Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street (양림동 펭귄마을공예거리)

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– Homepage
www.instagram.com/yanglim_craft_street: Visit site

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street is a narrow alleyway located behind the Yangnim-dong Community Center. The village, named because of the way the elderly residents appear to waddle like penguins, has become an exhibition space of life in the 70s and 80s. Villagers cleaned up empty houses that had been burnt down and left unattended in the past, brought discarded items, and began displaying them on the village walls. “Let’s be thankful for living at that time” was engraved on the village wall. It also has historical culture, such as the House of Choe Seunghyo, the House of Missionary Uilsa, and Owen Memorial Hall. The Penguin Jumak in the middle of the village was the residents’ gathering place, selling small but necessary items. Various workshops, such as leather workshops, textile workshops, and carpentry workshops, are located on Craft Street, so you can purchase pretty crafts or experience upcycling crafts with a retro vibe in which the historical and the modern coexist.

⊙ Art Polygon Horanggassinamu (호랑가시나무 아트폴리곤)

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– Homepage
www.horang-c.com: Visit site

Located in Yangnim-dong, Art Polygon Horanggasinamu  is a multi-purpose cultural space that hosts various programs such as exhibitions, lectures, and performances. In 2021, it was used as one of the venues for the Gwangju Biennale. The space was created by preserving and expanding the original structure of a missionary’s garage. Yangnim-dong is home to many modern historical cultural heritage sites and art galleries that connects the past and the present.

⊙ Gwangjuhyanggyo Confucian School (광주향교)

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– Homepage
www.hyanggyo.or.kr: Visit site

Hyanggyo was a national educational institution during the Joseon dynasty, where the tablets of distinguished Confucian scholars were enshrined, and rituals were held in their honor. In spring and fall, it hosts Seokjeon, a ritual honoring Confucius, along with Seodang (traditional Confucian school) experiences and traditional weddings, offering opportunities to immerse in Confucian culture. In summer, crape myrtle flowers bloom, and in fall, the old ginkgo tree turns golden yellow, beautifully contrasting with the traditional Joseon-style hanok architecture.

⊙ Gwangju Park (광주공원)

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Gwangju Park, an urban Park in Gwangju, is a popular recreational spot among residents. Home to a memorial tower honoring the victims of the April 19 Revolution, Gwangju Municipal Museum, and a citizens’ hall, the park is a space where traditions and modernity coexist. Filled with trees and flower plants, it boasts beautiful scenery, especially in April, when cherry blossoms adorn the park. Nearby attractions include Gwangju Sajik Park, Asia Culture Center, and Gwangju Yangdong Market, with a stream flowing in front of the park.

⊙ LEEKANGHA Art Museum (이강하미술관)

View detailed guide on Korea Trip Guide →

– Homepage
lkh-artmuseum.com: Visit site

The LEEKANGHA Art Museum, opened in 2018, offers a range of exhibitions, educational programs, and a research center. Visitors can explore the life and art world of Lee Kang-ha in different eras through various exhibitions and gain a deeper understanding of art with performances and educational programs. The museum aims to foster empathy and communication to enrich cultural knowledge by using diverse art-culture experience programs.  

⊙ Ramada Plaza By Wyndham Chungjang (라마다플라자 충장호텔)

View detailed guide on Korea Trip Guide →

– Homepage
www.ramadaplazachungjang.com: Visit site

Ramada Plaza By Wyndham Chungjang is the second Ramada Plaza in Gwangju with a view of Mudeungsan Mountain and Gwanjucheon Stream. The hotel has spacious 95 rooms with facilities including a fitness center, male-only sauna and more. Convention Center with a view of Mudeungsan Mountain, lounge and entertainment facilities with a trendy style provide guests with the comfort for any type of travel.