Have you ever heard about Busan? This city became famous for being the title of a movie about the zombie apocalypse starring actor Gong Yoo.
Nowadays, South Korea's prestige is getting stronger as the country's entertainment industry develops. Images in films or dramas encourage many people from various parts of the world to want to set foot to enjoy the charm of the Ginseng Country.

Unfortunately, from many destinations there, Seoul and Jeju Island are often the main choices for tourists when visiting South Korea. Seoul is the capital city, and Jeju Island is known because of a Korean Drama series named Stairway to Heaven.

This country has other places that are no less interesting to visit. Some of them are Busan, Daegu, and Gyeongsangnam-do which are Glocal destinations. Glocal itself is an acronym for the words global and local. This term refers to the efforts of a country to further introduce its cultural diversity to the eyes of the world while maintaining its original characteristics.

Busan is a city bay or the largest port city in South Korea that connects the Eurasian continent to the Pacific Ocean. Like a metropolitan city in general, Busan is filled with skyscrapers and a variety of nightlife options that are open until the early hours of the morning. At night, the sparkling lights from these buildings make Busan look so beautiful. This panorama is certainly one you won’t miss.

During the Korean War, Busan became a destination for many refugees. At least half a million refugees descended on Busan between 1950 and 1951, causing major infrastructure problems for officials. Authorities cleared schools, churches, and factories to house refugees. Not only that, but the city also became the temporary capital under South Korean control.

The distance between the city of Busan and Japan is much closer than the distance from the city of Seoul which is the capital of South Korea. Japan's closest neighbor in Busan, Tsushima Island, is less than 48 km away.

No typhoon in South Korean history has caused more destruction than Typhoon Maemi. When the typhoon began to make landfall in Busan on September 12, 2003, winds reached nearly 100 mph. The typhoon forced officials to halt exports, as ports suffered severe damage, affecting the economy for months after the storm passed. Robust crane designed to lift twisted shipping containers and can't withstand hurricanes. Maemi left thousands homeless throughout the city and surrounding areas. 48 people lost their lives, with the national death toll reaching 117.

As previously written, Busan is a port city on the coast. This means that there are many beaches that you can visit while there. Here are some famous and recommended beaches:

1. Haeundae Beach

Many people often refer to the beach as vitamin sea. Running among the white sand, playing in the waves, and swimming on the beach is the best refreshing for your mental health. It is not surprising that the beach is a favorite tourist destination to visit with friends, partners, and family.

Haeundae Beach is a beach located in Haeundae District, Busan city, South Korea. This beach is a tourist attraction that is often visited by tourists in the summer. Due to its location close to downtown Busan, there are tall buildings and hotels lining this coastline.

There are many festivals held at Haeundae Beach throughout the year, including the Jeongwol Daeboreum celebration in February, the Polar Bear swimming competition in winter, sand sculpture in June, and the Busan Sea Festival in August.

2. Gwangalli Beach

To get to Gwangalli Beach, you can use the train and get off at Gwangan station. Then just walk for twenty minutes or about one kilometer. You will arrive at the beach.

Gwangalli Beach is one of the favorite beach spots for tourists in Busan, this beach is very popular because of its clean white sand and also because of the beautiful panorama of Gwangan Bridge which is awarded the number one tourist title in Busan.

In summer, many people choose to sit relaxed under the umbrellas typical of Gwangalli Beach. One thing to note, even though this beach is crowded, it is still clean and free of the trash.

3. Dadaepo Beach

Dadaepo is the most recommended beach to enjoy the sunset. The afternoon breeze lulls us and makes us comfortable. The view of the beach which is also decorated with colorful shophouses makes it look more fun.

4. Songdo Beach

According to Wikipedia, this beach is a man-made beach. It was created in 1913 and is only 3km away from the urban streets. This beach might not be as busy as another beach in Busan, but you must fall in love with the atmosphere there.

1. Beomeosa Temple

The best time to visit the Beomeosa Temple is in autumn. The journey you need to take to get here is quite easy. You can take subway Line 1 and get off at Beomeosa station and continue walking by taking bus number 90. You don't need to buy a ticket to enter this temple.

As a historical relic of the Silla Kingdom which is more than 1,300 years old, the structure of the building also displays the characteristics of Korean culture. There is a part of the temple which is used for worship and is also a home for monks. Beomeosa Temple provides a temple stay program, when compared to other temples the price is cheaper, which is around 50,000 KRW (Rp 600,000) per night. Besides going around the temple, visitors can also try hiking at Mount Geumjeongsan.

2. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Not many temples in South Korea are located by the sea. Usually, temples in Korea are located in mountainous areas, so this temple is quite famous for its location by the sea. This Buddhist Temple was built in 1376 by the teacher known as Naong during the Goryeo Dynasty and was originally known as Bomun Temple.

1. Jagalchi Market

This market is the most famous seafood market in Busan. So don't be surprised when you see giant crabs, fish, shellfish, and more. The fish are caught in the waters between Korea, China and Russia. Seeing the buying and selling activities in this market is very interesting. The nearest subway station is Jagalchi Station.

2. Gukje Market

Right next to Jagalchi Market there is a famous shopping area, namely Nampodong. Many shops line this area. You can find various types of clothes, beauty tools, and everything here. Another thing that makes the Nampodong area interesting is the Gukje Market Food Street. Here you can try Korean specialties, toys, and so on.

3. Haeundae Market

Just like the name, this traditional market is located near Haeundae beach. Here, you can find a lot of Korean traditional food kimbab, kimchi, rice cakes, and other mouth watering street food.

This tourist spot in Busan is famous for its colorful buildings. At first, Gamcheon Culture Village was just a place for refugees after the Korean War. But in 2010 this area was finally transformed into a tourist spot which eventually became very popular.

If you want to walk around this place and sightseeing to the fullest, you have to come in the morning because the more visitors come in the afternoon, the more crowded it is.

Wow, so many interesting places that are worth visiting right? Now, why don’t you go get your flight and book your hotel room in Busan and start your journey here. Happy traveling!