Situated on the most south-eastern portion of the Korean peninsula, Busan is Korea’s second largest city and the number 1 trading port. Busan also boasts being home to Korea’s largest beach and longest river, and is home to the world’s largest department store, theShinsegae Centum City.
Tourists often come to this region to hike and to visit the Buddhist Temples located deep within the region’s mountains. The Beomeosa Temple, founded in 678 AD, is perhaps one of the most frequented temples in the area and is always packed with worshipers and tourists. For art buffs, Busan offers several museums and historical buildings and if scenery is your thing, try visiting the Dongbaek Island, or bird watch at the Nakdong river estuary.
The city itself is sprawling with shops, fruit stands, eateries — both local and fast food joints — and snack bars.
Those who follow the Olympics will know that Busan has hosted such international events as the 2002 14th Asian Games, the final match of the Korea/Japan World Cup, and since 1995 has annually hosted the Pusan International Film Festival. Additionally, the Bexco Exhibition and Convention Center in Busan brings in people from all over the world for international conventions and exhibits.
I only spent a day in this sprawling Korean city which is also btw, known for its shopping — Lotte Department Store, Choryang Arcade for Foreigners, Nampo-dong Street, Gukje Market, and Seomyeon market are a handful of the places people come to see.
I was there in the summer although they have a great fish market in the fall — the Jagalchi Fish market — which is as much about the culture of the area as it is the fish. The Nakdong Estuary Seasonal Bird Migration Site is a famous tourist spot in the winter. Since the release of the movie ‘Chingu’ (friend), which was filmed in Busan, Yongdusan Park and Jagalchi Fish Market have become popular areas for tourists as well.
I walked down Dongnae Pajeon where they have a plethora of Korean style pancakes and raw fish restaurants. While I didn’t have time to take in any of the local museums, recommended ones for your list include the Busan Marine Museum, Bokcheon Museum, Busan Metropolitan Art Museum an d the Busan Museum.
As for me, I took in the shopping and food scene while I was there. Have a walk with me through the city center.
Note: I was hosted by Princess Cruises to Japan which stopped over in Korea at the port of Busan — all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
For more posts on South Korea, check out our South Korean Culture section.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
