Visiting South Korea’s Most Unique City

Pohang is an industrial city on South Korea’s east coast and is proudly recognized as the easternmost point of the Korean peninsula. Although it is not as well-known as other major cities like Seoul, Gwangju or Busan, Pohang is a historic and cultural gem waiting to be discovered.

Getting on an intercity bus from Busan’s Haeundae Bus Terminal, I arrived at Pohang Bus Terminal by mid-morning, excited and ready for a day’s exploration! The city is home to many of South Korea’s most unique attractions and monuments.

Topping my list is Daewon Temple or Daewonsa. Located at the northern end of the city, Daewonsa isn’t a typical attraction that can be found on a map, or in a tourist guidebook. It took some effort to accurately locate the temple as well as a 2.5 hour bus ride to realize the bus doesn’t go there anymore, returning on the same bus, then changing to a taxi with the driver not knowing of my destination.

After all this hassle, I arrived at the temple and yes, it was completely worth it. The 90 meter dragon-shaped temple twists through trees and rocks on top of a hill. The coiled body of the dragon is a hallway that takes you through the Buddha’s lifetime, from birth to Enlightenment. To enter the temple, you’ll have to pass through the dragon’s mouth — it’s quite the experience!

Next on the list is Guryongpo. Referring to ‘gu’ — nine — and ‘ryong’ — dragons’ — this district offers a glimpse into Korea’s colonial past. The Guryongpo Modern Culture and History Street is lined with Japanese buildings from the colonial era and has kimono rental services along with Japanese restaurants.

I climbed up a formidable flight of stairs to find a nine-dragon statue overlooking the themed street along with a few other art installations. Following the path, I found myself at Guryongpo Gwamegi Culture Museum. Gwamegi is Pohang’s regional delicacy — dried mackerel.

The museum has a hologram aquarium, photo zones, and a Marine Experience Hall with a touch pool. The Culture Hall showcases exhibitions on the city’s maritime history, haenyeo (female diver) culture, as well as the process of preparing gwamegi.

After the museum, I retraced my steps and got on the shuttle bus from Guryongpo to Homigot. Also known as the Tiger’s Tail, Homigot is a small fishing village that has been transformed into the city’s must-visit tourist attraction with national significance!

The ‘Hands of Harmony’ is a pair of massive bronze hands — the right hand stretching out from a small cove and the left hand stretching up from the opposite on Homigot Sunrise Square. The statue out at sea is famous among photographers who travel all the way here to capture rays of sunlight filtering between the fingers, especially during the annual sunrise festival on New Year’s Day!

While I couldn’t be here for sunrise, I witnessed the beautiful sunset from Homigot Sunrise Square accompanied by colonies of seagulls. I caught the last bus back to the city and passed by POSCO, Pohang’s renown steel factory situated by the bay. My day trip to Pohang was an educational, spiritual and eye-opening experience. Plus, I never knew I could fit that much into one day!

I hope you have been inspired by my travel experiences to explore Pohang’s unique spots for yourself. Plan a trip to this ‘off the beaten path’ destination the next time you visit South Korea!