6 attractions in 여주시, including Birthplace of Empress Myeongseong, Mok-A Museum and Godalsa Temple Site. Map, details and practical tips before you go.
Historic sites & memorials
여주시
This is the house where Empress Myeongseong, queen of King Gojong of Joseon, was born in 1851 and lived until she was eight; she was assassinated by Japanese agents in 1895. The inner quarters built in 1687 still stand, and the restored ou…
Museums
여주시
Near the Namhangang River in Gangcheon-myeon, Yeoju, the Mok-A Museum is a private museum where a master Buddhist woodcarver shows the relics he collected over a lifetime, together with his own work. Its founder Park Chan-su was recognised…
Historic sites & memorials
여주시
Godalsa Temple Site is a vast former temple ground at the foot of Hyemoksan in Bungnae-myeon, Yeoju. Founded in 764, Godalsa grew into a major temple under the protection of the Goryeo kings, yet nobody knows exactly when or why it closed.…
Nature
여주시
On the bank of the Namhangang River in central Yeoju, right below the Yeongwollu pavilion, a great granite outcrop meets the water. This is Maam, "Horse Rock". Legend says a yellow horse and a black horse emerged from it, giving Yeoju its…
Churches & monasteries
여주시
Most Korean temples hide deep in the mountains, but Silleuksa in Yeoju leans against a rocky bluff right on the bank of the South Han River. A Goryeo-era brick pagoda overlooking the water, a marble multi-storey pagoda and the stupa of the…
Historic sites & memorials
여주시
In Yeoju lies Yeongneung, the tomb of King Sejong the Great, creator of the Korean alphabet, and his wife Queen Soheon. It was the first Joseon royal tomb where a king and queen were buried together under one mound, and the same grounds al…