Mountain and coastal scenery, World Heritage site draw visitors
Ulju-gun in Ulsan has been named South Korea's best travel city, recognized for its mountain scenery in the Yeongnam Alps, the coastal sunrise landmark of Ganjeolgot and the historical and cultural significance of the UNESCO World Heritage site Bangucheon Rock Carvings. The selection was made by the screening committee of the Korea Distribution Management Association.
Ulju-gun is home to a collection of attractions known as the "10 Scenic Spots of Ulju," including the Yeongnam Alps, Ganjeolgot, the silver grass plains of Sinbulsan, the four seasons of Gajisan, Paraesopokcpo Falls, Jakgwaecheon, Jinha Beach and Myeongseon Island, the Oegosal Onggi Village and Seonbawi Rock.
The Bangucheon Rock Carvings — encompassing the Bangudae Petroglyphs of Daegok-ri and the inscriptions and carvings of Cheonjeon-ri — represent 6,000 years of heritage spanning the prehistoric era through the Silla period. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July last year.
Ulju-gun draws on these tourism resources to run a range of festivals and programs, including the Ulsan Onggi Festival, the Ulsan Ulju World Mountain Film Festival and a New Year's sunrise event at Ganjeolgot.
A summit-completion certification program for the Yeongnam Alps, launched in 2019, has become a flagship tourism offering with steady participation from hikers nationwide. The Yeongnam Alps Summit Completion Day and the Ulju Trail Nine Peaks (UTNP), an international trail-running competition, have also drawn growing crowds.
To promote longer-stay tourism, Ulju-gun plans to build a base camp at Icheon Branch School and an extreme mountain sports center, and to develop the coastal road into a scenic tourism corridor.
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