Travel to the Elegant and Warm Playgrounds of Gyeonggi Province’s
Museums and Art Museums

The weather is still cold. So it does not sound pleasant to go out, but you cannot stay home the whole winter. Here are hot places in Gyeonggi Province where you can spend a meaningful day without worrying about time or money. Of course, all are warm, elegant and special like you!

The Age of Inventors and Innovations: The Samsung Innovation Museum

From the discovery of electricity to the emergence of the latest smart devices and digital convergence home appliances, the development of the electronics industry has changed many aspects of human life. The Samsung Innovation Museum looks back on the history of the electronics industry, visualizes the future, and examines innovations for humanity. On weekdays, museum tours are available upon reservation via the website and guided by professional docents, while visitors can tour the museum on weekends unguided and without a reservation

The museum tour begins with the section “The Era of Inventors” on the 5th floor. Great technologies, inventions and scientists are introduced, including the discovery of static electricity by Thales in Greece around 600 BC; the Leiden jar, the first device to store electricity; the voltaic cell, which became the prototype of the battery; and Edison’s early commercial incandescent lamps. It is also interesting that most of the 151 exhibits displayed here are authentic. The next section is where the development process and meaning of lighting, communication, and home appliances using electricity is explored. In the section “The Era of Corporate Innovations” on the 3rd floor, visitors can learn about semiconductors that speed up information processing and the display devices that brought about the popularization of information. Lastly, on the 1st floor, visitors can experience a smart home environment that is controlled by a mobile phone and try out the latest products of Samsung Electronics

• Address 129, Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

• Inquiries 031-200-3113, Parking Information 031-200-0200

• Website http://www.samsunginnovationmuseum.com/index.jsp

• Hours Weekdays from 10:00 to 18:00 (advance reservations necessary) / Saturdays from 09:00 to 17:00 (entrance closed at 16:00)

• Closed Sundays, holidays, substitute holidays, Labor Day, December 3

• Admission Free of charge

Not All Libraries Look the Same: The Naver Library

Office building lobbies are spaces that represent companies. Naver’s office building “Green Factory” has a lobby with a specialized IT & design library called the Naver Library that has attracted attention for its unique concept. Visitors can view rare books at any time, enjoy a cup of coffee, and also read. The characteristic bookshelves and spaces that complement the books also attract attention. Over 205 different magazines are located in this space that incorporates the concept of streets, 17,000 design books are arranged in bookcases reminiscent of a forest, and 1,300 encyclopedias covering the entire world are situated in a space similar to an attic. The 7,000 books on IT that formed the foundation of Naver are arranged in a way that visitors can read the flow of IT by strolling through stacked bookshelves.

The Naver Library was recognized at the Reddot, IDEA and IF Awards, the world’s top three design competitions. In particular, it won Reddot’s “Best of the Best” Award that is given to only a few outstanding entries.

In addition, the books are arranged by the elderly and, in the library coffee shop, young people with developmental disabilities make coffee. The Naver Library connects people and books while sharing an open space with neighbors as well as employees.

• Address 6 Buljeong-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do

• Inquiries 1588-3830

• Website http://library.navercorp.com/intro.nhn

• Hours Weekdays from 09:00 to 21:00 / Weekends from 10:00 to 17:00

• Closed Magazine Section on Holidays / Design, IT and Encyclopedia sections on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month, holidays

• Admission Free of charge

Remembering Deceased Patriots: The Anseong March First Independence Movement Memorial Hall

Among the resistance efforts that emerged in Korea during the March First Independence Movement, those of the Anseong residents are deemed most influential. Approximately two thousand farmers acted as the main force of the resistance, neutralizing Japanese governing bodies such as village offices and police stations and winning “Two Days of Liberation”, which was an unparalleled achievement in the nation at that time. Afterwards, the brutal retaliation of Japanese imperialism followed, leading to the largest number of lives lost in the nation with many of the movement participants being imprisoned and tortured to death. The Anseong March First Independence Movement Memorial Hall was established near Manse Pass, the main gathering place during the movement, to honor the sacrifice and independence spirit of the deceased patriots.

Currently, the exhibition hall is holding a special exhibition entitled “The Independence Movement, the History of the Republic of Korea” in which relics housed by the nation’s four independence movement memorials are on display. The exhibits are composed of relics and records related to the Independence Movement collected from the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, Historic Site for Uiam Ryu In-seok and Mongyang Lyuh Woonhyung Memorial Hall. Of particular note, faded Korean flags and criminal lists compiled by the Japanese Government-General of Korea regarding the activities of Korean independence fighters will remind visitors of the noble sacrifices of the deceased patriots. The experience zone on the lower floor of the exhibition hall features exhibits that explain the development process of the Anseong Independence Movement and show the cruel tortures performed by the Japanese government.

• Address 868 Manse-ro, Wogok-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do

• Inquiries : 031-678-2475

• Website http://41.anseong.go.kr/index.php

• Hours From 09:00 to 18: 00 (entrance closed at 17:00)

• Closed : Mondays, January 1, Korean Thanksgiving Day (August 15 of lunar calendar), Korean New Year’s Day (First day of lunar calendar)

• Admission Free of charge

Street Scenes of Joseon Viewed by Kim Hong-do: The Danwon Art Museum

Ansan has long been one of the most artistic regions of Korea and is said to be the place where Danwon Kim Hong-do, a great painter of the Joseon Dynasty, spent his youth with his teacher Pyoam Gang Se-hwang until turning 19. The Danwon Art Museum was established to convey the artistic spirit of the painter and contribute to the development of local art culture, and has served as a cultural center of the region and a provider of various civic participation programs.

The Danwon Content Hall in the museum holds a permanent exhibition entitled “The Street Scenes of Joseon – Painted by Danwon and Written by Pyoam”. It is an exhibition designed to express appreciation for Danwon Pungsokdocheop (Album of Genre Paintings) and Haengnyeo Pungsokdo (Pictorial Records of Travel) in which the daily life and emotions of the people of the late Joseon Dynasty are examined through various media. Of particular note, Haengnyeo Pungsokdo features Danwon’s outstanding and realistic paintings representing the lives of ordinary people that he saw during his journey along with Pyoam’s humorous descriptions, which makes it both interesting and meaningful. In addition, diorama works and 3D visual works of contemporary artists who reinterpreted Haengnyeo Pungsokdo are also on display, offering fresh inspirations. The Imagination Art Factory, which provides artwork appreciation and creativity enhancement activities for children, runs the “Trip to the World of Paintings with Danwon” program in which children are provided with exhibition guides and then helped in writing their own reports.

• Address 422, Chungjang-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do

• Inquiries : 031-481-0505

• Website http://www.danwon.org

• Hours Weekdays from 10:00 to 19:00 (from July to August from 10:00 to 20:00)

• Closed Open all year round

• Admission Free of charge

Travel to the Paleolithic Age: The Jeongok Prehistory Museum

The Jeongok Prehistory Museum is a place where you can enjoy various archeological experiences and feel as if you have been transported back to the Paleolithic Age. The museum exhibits many artifacts under various themes, focusing on those dated to the Paleolithic Age, in order to help visitors systematically understand the evolution of mankind and Paleolithic culture. The permanent exhibition under the theme of “Time Travel” includes the section “The Great March to Human Evolution” in which 14 human fossils – including the Toumai man of about 7 million years ago to the Mandal man of about 10,000 years ago – are on display, catching the eyes of visitors.

Another interesting section, “Jeongok’s Stratum”, displays the records of the 30-year excavation project and reproduces excavation sites. The Archeology Lab is a space where visitors can explore various methods of archeological analysis and experience the making of fires and stone tools. In the planned exhibition room on the first floor, there are three ongoing special exhibitions: “Travel to the Prehistoric World with Textbooks,” “Trip to Joseon-A Scholar Going to Mt. Geumgangsan” and “Prehistoric Fossil Animal Exhibition”. Winter vacation education programs such as “I Am an Archaeologist” and “Making Leather Clothes” for children are also offered. In addition, the “2020 Event”, which provides free admission and gifts to the first 20 visitors on the 20th of each month, is being held until the end of the year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the museum’s opening.

• Address 443-2 Pyeonghwa-ro, Jeongok-eup, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do

• Inquiries : 031-830-5600

• Website http://jgpm.ggcf.kr

• Hours Weekdays from 10:00 to 18:00 (from July to August from 10:00 to 19:00)

• Closed January 1, Korean Thanksgiving Day, Korean New Year’s Day, Mondays (except when Monday is a national holiday)

• Admission KRW 4,000 won for adults, KRW 2,000 for students and soldiers, free for children under seven