[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Gyeonggi's best architecture offers the perfect photo opportunity

Cities in Gyeonggi are popular travel destinations for people living in Seoul, as they are relatively easy to get to in terms of distance and transport options. Here are four travel destinations for the architecture fan to visit this December.

Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion from afar in the winter. Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion was used as a military facility but was also loved by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty as a place to practice archery and write poems about its scenery. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

Cities in Gyeonggi are popular travel destinations for people living in Seoul, as they are relatively easy to get to in terms of distance and transport options. There are several travel destinations in the region offering especially picturesque buildings, either popular historical attractions, such as Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion in Suwon, or great photo opportunities, such as Neungnae Station in Namyangju.

Here are four travel destinations for the architecture fan to visit this December, as recommended by Gyeonggi Tourism Organization.

A woman sits inside Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion and observes the surrounding area. [GYEONGGI TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion

Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion is considered to be the most beautiful pavilion inside Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi. It’s also historically known as King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty's favorite spot to visit to practice archery and write poems about the surrounding area.

Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion was actually the northeast watchtower of Hwaseong Fortress and was built primarily for defense purposes. However, it incorporates some features of a garden pavilion, as it is in harmony with the surrounding nature. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, the name “Banghwasuryu” was inspired by a verse from poet Cheng Mingda, which means “Around noon, with white clouds in the sky and light breeze in the air, walking along a willow-lined brook in search of flowers.”

The pavilion was used as a military facility in case of an emergency — and as it is situated on top of a hill, it had great visibility and a good range of fire. On regular, uneventful days, it was used as a place to enjoy the arts and scenery, just like King Jeongjo. Nowadays, it has grown popular as a photo spot for people in their twenties and thirties. At night, it looks even more beautiful as lights subtly light the pavilion.

@suwonhwaseongfortress 44-6 Suwoncheon-ro 392 beon-gil, Paldal District, Suwon Phone number: 031) 290-3600 Website: http://www.swcf.or.kr/

Chang Ucchin Museum of Art, in Yangju, Gyeonggi. Its plain but beautiful white walls make it a popular photo spot. [GYEONGGI TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Chang Ucchin Museum of Art

Chang Ucchin Museum of Art is the perfect example of “simple beauty,” as even though the building is completely white, it still looks quite remarkable.

A visitor at Chang Ucchin Museum of Art walks down the museum's staircase. Its all-white interior is one factor that makes the museum unique. [GYEONGGI TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

A bird's eye view of Chang Ucchin Museum of Art. The museum is said to have been motivated by one of Chang's most famous artworks, ″Hojakdo.″ [JOONGANG ILBO]

Chang Ucchin is a modern and contemporary Korean artist. The Chang Ucchin Museum of Art, located in Yangju, Gyeonggi, features many of Chang’s most famous works. The museum displays more than 230 works by Chang, including murals, oil paintings, engravings and black ink paintings.

The uniformity of the museum’s roof and exterior walls, made with white polycarbonate panels, is what makes it look so simple but also impressive. In 2014, the museum received the Kim Swoo Geun Preview Award and has been recognized as one of the “Eight Greatest New Museums” by BBC.

The museum was built with inspiration from Chang Ucchin’s infamous tiger painting “Hojakdo,” and consists of a range of facilities other than its exhibition halls, such as video rooms, lecture halls and an archive lounge. Unlike typical art galleries that have a rectangular shape, the exhibition halls are placed in a courtyard and in different rooms, resembling a hanok (traditional Korean house).

A big window takes up one side of the museum and is also quite aesthetically pleasing to the eye. When sunlight shines through the window and reflects on the museum’s white walls, it looks like the sun is drawing its own painting.

@changucchin 193 Gwonyul-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju, Gyeonggi Business hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Closed every Monday, January 1, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holiday. Tickets are sold one hour before closing time.) Admission fee: 5,000 won for adults, 1,000 won for children and adolescents (ages 8 – 18) Phone number: 031) 8082-4245 Website: https://www.yangju.go.kr/changucchin/index.do

Gusan-sungji's entrance has unique features, such as its roof made of Japanese giwa carefully stacked on top of each other. [GYEONGGI TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Gusan-sungji

Gusan-sungji is located in Hanam, Gyeonggi in the city’s Misa Gangbyeon neighborhood. Misa is a Korean word that means “a ceremony of worship conducted in a Catholic church,” and Gusan-sungji has kept its place in the city since Catholics were persecuted during the late Joseon Dynasty. The Vatican also declared it a World Pilgrimage Site in 1980, which made it a popular travel destination for Catholic visitors.

One of Gusan-sungji’s unique features is its entrance, as it's built with giwa — or traditional Korean tiles — that are almost as big as an adult’s hand. The giwa are carefully stacked on top of each other, making a huge tomb-like entrance.

Inside Gusan-sungji, surrounded by neighboring buildings and pine trees. [GYEONGGI TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Once you pass through the main gate, Andangmun, you will be able to see the graves of nine martyrs by the nearby pine trees and Gusan Cathedral. If you like to enjoy the peace and quiet from time to time and would like to escape the hustle and bustle of a city like Seoul, Gusan-sungji may be perfect, as everything in the area is quite calm. You can take time for yourself with a stroll around the site, reflecting on personal events and contemplating various thoughts while walking along bronze statues dotted around the area.

387-16, Mangwol-dong, Hanam, Gyeonggi Phone number: 031) 792-8540 Website: http://www.gusansungji.or.kr

A woman sits outside of Neungnae Station. The wooden benches and the red mailbox outside the station are popular photo spots. [GYEONGGI TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Neungnae Station

Neungnae Station is actually a former station, but it used to be the link between Seoul’s Cheongnyangni station and the city of Gwangju. It started operations in 1956 but closed in 2008 after the Jungang Line was upgraded. The station is small, as it is only 164 square meters (1,765 square feet), but it remains entirely unchanged from the days when it was in operation.

The station’s roof was built using Japanese tiles. The pointed gable at the station’s entrance, the station’s wooden doors that look like they could make creaking noises at any moment and its old-school signs truly help visitors reflect on the station’s history. The one thing that has changed is the station’s waiting area, where travelers used to wait for trains in groups. This waiting area has now changed into a small exhibition hall, where visitors can get a sense of what Neungnae Station looked like back in the day.

A man examines the black-and-white photos hung up on the walls of Neungnae Station's waiting area. [YONHAP]

As retro became the new trend amongst many young Koreans, several travel destinations that reflect this trend also became popular. Neungnae Station was one such destination. The wooden bench and the red mailbox that sit outside the station have become popular photo spots, and the black and white photos that visitors can find in the station’s waiting area have become something fun that people enjoy seeing and photographing.

Neungnae Station is also a good rest spot for bike riders heading out along the Namhangang Bike Path.

566-5, Dasan-ro, Joan-myeon, Namyangju, Gyeonggi

BY LEE JUNG-JOO, BAEK JONG-HYUN [lee.jungjoo@joongang.co.kr]