Gunsan City: Where History Stays Alive

Located in the North Jeolla Province of South Korea, Gunsan is a quiet city that is best known for retaining historical Japanese architecture from the era of colonialisation. Being a slow city, and not quite as largely promoted as other more well-known cities in Korea, it is not a surprise that many, including Korean themselves, have not visited or even heard of Gunsan.

Here's what you can find in Gunsan, and why it might be worth a visit:

• Gunsan Modern History & Culture Street

On the Gunsan Modern History & Culture Street, you can find several museums, including the Gunsan Modern History Museum and the Jinpo Maritime Theme Park, as well as streets with well-preserved Japanese architectural buildings. Having been used as a port during the Japanese occupation, many wealthy Japanese families used to live in coastal cities such as Gunsan and Mokpo, and rice was largely grown and exported out to Japan.

In Gunsan, not only will you be able to appreciate its history through its architecture, but you will also feel the spirit of the Korean people. Almost every building along the street here carries the Korean flag, and you can easily see them all flapping in the wind.

• Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village

This railroad village is one that you cannot miss out on in Gunsan. Here, you can get a retro experience of Korea - from old sweets, knick-knacks and toys that Koreans played in the past, to renting old-school uniforms, playing traditional games and eating snacks from the past! You can get lots of souvenirs here, and there are also many beautiful spots to take some Instagram-worthy photographs.

The railroad itself was constructed in 1944 during the Japanese colonialisation era to carry newsprint materials from the Korea Paper Factory to Gunsan Station. Over time, a village was built around it in the 1970s, and as the railroad was abandoned, it was turned into the attraction you see today.

So what are you waiting for? From Seoul, it takes about 2.5 hours to Gunsan, and if you carefully plan the itinerary you could explore much of Gunsan even on a day trip. Being able to experience a new city while learning more about Korea's history makes Gunsan worth the time.