Busan not only features a variety of antique and souvenir shops, but also unique restaurants, attractions and accommodations.
Parks, beaches, and highlights Busan is called the summer capital of Korea since it attracts tourists from all over the country to its six beaches. Luxury hotels and a carnival boardwalk line the beach at
Haeundae.
Gwangalli Beach has cafés, bars, and restaurants along the beach, and the Grand Gwangan Bridge. Other beaches include Dadaepo Beach on the west edge of the city and
Songdo Beach, south of central Busan.
Haeundae Beach is Busan's most famous beach. It is a staple setting for South Korean films and TV shows, such as the 2009 film
Tidal Wave.
Dongbaekseom is located at the southern end of
Haeundae Beach. This island is picturesque with a thick forest of camellias and pine trees. Tourist attractions on Dongbaek Island include a walking path and the Nurimaru APEC House, built for the 2005 APEC summit. Songjeong beach is the next beach north of Haeundae Beach.
Geumjeongsan to the west is a weekend hiking spot for Busan residents. To the north, the neighborhoods around
Pusan National University (also known as PNU, which is one of the most highly recognized national institutes of higher education in Korea) have student theaters, cafés, bars, and restaurants, as well as open-air cultural street performances on weekend nights. Nearby is
Beomeosa, the city's main
Korean Buddhist temple.
Yongdusan Park occupies 69,000m2/ and is home to the
Busan Tower, Yongdusan Art Gallery, and the
Busan Aquarium, the largest aquarium in South Korea. The park supports approximately seventy different species of trees and is a tourist destination, with various cultural events throughout the year.
Dongnae District is a wealthy and traditional residential area. Dongnae Oncheon is a natural spa area with many baths, tourist hotels, restaurants, clubs, and shopping areas. Many restaurants in the area use family recipes.
Chungnyeolsa is a Confucian shrine for soldiers who died during the 16th-century battle against the Japanese at Dongnae Fortress.
Taejongdae is a natural park with cliffs facing the open sea on the island of
Yeongdo. The area known as the "Foreigners' Shopping Street", but commonly referred to as "Texas Street" near part of the Port of Busan, and adjacent to the front entrance to the Busan Train Station () has many businesses that cater to the local
Russian population, as well as the crews of foreign ships. The area was originally the location of the local Chinatown and still contains a Chinese school. The area originally served foreign sailors and American military personnel, but in the 1990s, with the growth of South Korea's ties with Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, large numbers of Russian-speaking traders and migrants arrived. This led to the emergence of cafes, shops, and services with Cyrillic signage.
Haedong Yonggung temple is one of three sacred places related to the Goddess Buddha.
Gamcheon Cultural Village was created in the 1950s as a residential community along a mountain slope. The houses in the village are built in a staircase fashion. The village often dubbed the "Machu Picchu of Korea" attracts many tourists. In addition, the village received a special mention during the 3rd edition of the international award ceremony, "UCLG-MEXICO CITY-Culture 21".
Busan Citizens Park (formerly Camp Hialeah) is a former Imperial Japanese Army base and United States Army camp located in the Busanjin District.
Huinnyeoul Culture Village was created when Korean War refugees flocked to this area. It provides an unhindered view of both the Busanhang and Namhang Ports. A major backdrop of the 2013 film
The Attorney, the neighborhood was also featured in the 2012 film
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time. The small houses that stand shoulder to shoulder form the signature look of Busan, which is often remembered as a city of the sea and hilly neighborhoods. The village continues to attract an increasing number of visitors with its new cafes, workshops, and guesthouses. Millac Waterfront Park is the first waterfront park in Korea, combines the oceanfront with public leisure facilities. The park is located between
Haeundae Beach and
Gwangalli Beach. The waterfront park, with an area of 33,507 m3, can accommodate as many as 40,000 visitors. The floor of the park is decorated with colorful blocks, and the park provides visitors a perfect chance to relax and features flower gardens, gazebos and benches. If you sit on the 3,040–wide stand, you can dip your feet in the water during high tide.
Nampo-dong is a central shopping and café district. The area around
Pukyong National University and
Kyungsung University also has many cafés, bars, and restaurants attracting college students and youth. With a length of and a size of , designated as Natural Monument No. 179, Daejeo Ecological Park is a habitat for migratory birds at the
Nakdong River Estuary. The estuary was chosen as a trial project for the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project. The sports facilities were partially built on the upper and lower parts of the park only, while the rest of the park underwent a restoration of its wetlands and natural grassland. In the garden inside the park, you can find a large-scale habitat for prickly water lilies, which are part of the Endangered Species Level II classification. Many interesting festivals, such as the Nakdong Riverside Cherry Blossom Festival, the Busan Nakdong River Canola Flower Festival, and the Daejeo Tomato Festival are held around this park every year. Ilgwang Beach is a long white-sand beach, extending for about 1.8 kilometers, and is particularly popular among families with young children as a vacation spot because the waters are quite shallow. Every summer, the Gaetmaeul Outdoor Drama Festival is held on this beach. The festival features diverse performances of traditional Korean music, outdoor dramas, mime shows, and other performance art forms. Kiswire Museum offers its visitors a chance to better understand wire, a key material for industrial development, and central to Kiswire's corporate philosophy. The museum won the 2014 Busan Architecture Award for its aesthetic design. In addition, the roof of the museum is supported by only 38 cables without any pillars or beams, which makes the museum quite unique. In addition, the museum features special art pieces, including artwork made with wires. Jeonpo Café Street in
Seomyeon, Busan is one of the busiest areas, with a variety of entertainment, restaurants, and stores. Across Seomyeon 1 Beonga (Seomyeon 1st Street), the busiest street in the area, there is a quiet and tranquil street with about 30 unique cafés. The Bujeon-dong and Jeonpo-dong areas were full of hardware stores and machine part suppliers, but since 2010 the area has been transformed into a street full of cafés. Busan is planning to build the first floating city in the world. So-called Oceanix City will be finished and ready for settlement by 2025.
Temples, religious and historical sites •
Beomeosa Temple •
Busanjinjiseong Fortress (or Jaseongdae) •
Cheonseongjinseong Fortress •
Chungnyeolsa Shrine •
Dongnaeeupseong Fortress • Dongnae Hyanggyo Confucian shrine-school • Dongnaebu Dongheon •
Dongsam-dong Shell Mound •
Fortress site of Jwasuyeong •
Geumjeongsanseong Fortress •
Haedong Yonggungsa • Janggwancheong • Gungwancheong • Songgongdan Altar • Jeongongdan Altar • Samgwangsa Temple •
Tumuli in Bokcheon-dong, Dongnae •
United Nations Memorial Cemetery •
Waeseong in Jukseong-ri, Gijang •
Yeongdo Bridge • Yeonggadae Pavilion • Yungongdan Altar
Arts , Dureraum. Busan hosts the
Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)—one of the most popular international film festivals in Asia—at the
Busan Cinema Center every fall. Busan is also the home of the Busan Biennale, as an international contemporary art biennale that takes place every two years. The city also hosts the One Asia Festival, the largest K-pop festival in Korea beginning in 2016, positioning itself as the center of K-pop culture. In 2012, German artist Hendrik Beikirch painted Asia's tallest mural entitled "Fisherman Portrait" on a building near Millak Raw Fish Town. Busan is home to 80 performance facilities consisting of 30 public ones, including the Busan Cultural Center, Busan Citizens' Hall, Busan Cinema Center, and Busan National Gugak Center. There are 40 private facilities, such as KBS Art Hall Busan, Sohyang Art Center, MBC Samjoo Art Hall, Kyungsung University Concert Hall, and Shinsegae Department Store Culture Hall.
Festivals A variety of festivals are held in the Busan throughout the year. Following the Joseon Tongsinsa Festival (Registration of Documents on Joseon Tongsinsa on the
UNESCO Memory of the World Programme in 2017) and Busan Port Festival in May, the Busan Sea Festival at
Haeundae Beach, the largest beach in Korea, and the Busan International Rock Festival takes place in August. In particular, October is the perfect month to enjoy a variety of festivals, such as the
Busan International Film Festival, the largest film festival in Asia, the Busan Fireworks Festival, and the One Asia Festival, a global K-pop music festival. In addition, G-Star, the largest gaming exhibition in Korea, and the e-Sports World Championship are hosted in November, followed by the Busan Christmas Tree Festival in December.
Major Public performance facilities Museums Museums in Busan include: •
Busan Museum •
Busan Museum of Art •
Museum of Contemporary Art Busan • Busan Museum of Movies •
Busan Modern History Museum •
Busan Marine Natural History Museum •
Korea National Maritime Museum •
Bokcheon Museum • Kiswire Museum •
Provisional Capital Memorial Hall •
Trickeye Museum •
United Nations Peace Memorial Hall •
40-step Stairway Culture Center • Dongnae Eupseong History Museum
Traditional cuisine Busan was once a center of military affairs in the southern region of the peninsula and therefore was an important site for diplomatic relationships with Japan; high-ranking officers and officials from the court frequently visited the city. Special foods were prepared for the officers such as
Dongnae pajeon (), a variant of
pajeon (Korean savory pancakes), made with whole scallions, sliced chili peppers, and various kinds of seafood in a thick
batter of wheat flour, glutinous rice flour, eggs, salt and water. During the Korean War, Busan was the biggest refugee destination on the peninsula; people from all regions of Korea went there. Some of these refugees stayed and adapted the recipes of their local specialties. One of these foods is
milmyeon () () a version of
naengmyeon, cold buckwheat noodle soup, but using wheat flour instead. (Naengmyeon is originally a specialty food of
Hamhung and
Pyongyang, now part of North Korea.)
Dwaeji gukbap () () is also a result of Korean War. It is a hearty pork soup and is becoming more popular nationwide. Pork trotters served with vegetables such as cucumbers, onions, and mustard sauce is popular and is called Nangchae-
Jokbal. File:Korean pan cake-Dongnae pajeon-01.jpg|Dongnae
pajeon File:Milmyeon.jpg|
Milmyeon File:돼지국밥.jpg|
Dwaeji gukbap Hot spring resorts and spas Busan has the largest
hot spring resorts and facilities in Korea. Busan's Oncheon is the oldest hot spring spa in Korea. • Spa Land (Haeundae District) • HurShimChung Hot Spring Resorts and Spa Town (Dongnae District) • Haeundae Hot Spring Resorts and Spa Towns (Haeundae District) • Dongnae Hot Spring Resorts and Spa Towns (Dongnae District) • Gwangalli Spa Towns (Suyeong District)
Media In popular culture Although Seoul remains the de facto film and television capital of South Korea, Busan shares more in common with
Cannes,
France than just its reputation as
seaside resort town. The
Busan International Film Festival is often referred to as the "
Cannes of Asia", attracting thousands of entertainment personalities from both Eastern and Western cinema every year, honoring and recognizing international luminaries such as
Mike Leigh,
Shōhei Imamura,
Wong Kar-wai, and
Kim Ki-duk. It is frequently used as a
film location, best known in the west for Marvel's
Black Panther and Apple's
Pachinko, but also for the Korean market productions of
Train to Busan,
Old Boy, and
Decision to Leave, as well as the popular K-Drama
Reply 1997, highlighting the distinct
Gyeongsang dialect, which is comparable to a
Scottish English in relation to standard
British English. Works set in Busan tend to be crime noirs. Additionally, Busan often appears as an escape location or disaster area. Stories where characters escape to Busan to flee accidents or disasters in Seoul and then escape overseas are quite common clichés in Korean disaster films. Train to Busan carries out an escape to Busan, as the title suggests. Until the late 1990s, most dramas, movies, commercials, and music videos were filmed in the Seoul area, making filming outside Seoul quite rare. In the early 2000s, it was relatively easy to obtain permits for road closures and explosion scenes in Busan that would have been impossible in Seoul. Thanks to active support from the city, word of mouth started in the film industry, leading to a preference for filming in the Busan area. In particular, the film
Haeundae was a box office success, achieving 10 million viewers. == Demographics ==