Ecotourism of Cities and Counties

Muju Fireflies Eco-Tourism

Natural Ecology Resources

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Fireflies Eco-Tourism

Gucheon-dong, Muju is famous for its abysmal ravine, scenery, and the ecosystem. In addition, there is a place called Bandi Land, which symbolizes clean and eco-friendly ecosystem, and more than 200,000 tourists every year visit Bandi Land to take a look at fireflies and rare insect specimens; pivoting around Bandi Land, the area is preparing to newly grow into an eco-tourist site. The Gucheon-dong valley, located in Seolcheon-myeon, Muju-gun, is a valley that flows 70 lis (1 li = 500m) from the north of Deogyusan National Park (1,614m), and including Rajetongmun Gate, the entrance to the valley, there are about 33 different attractions along the valley, such as Eunguam, Waryongdam, Haksodae, Susimdae, Gucheon waterfalls, and Yeonhwa waterfalls. This area is one of the most beautiful scenic spots in South Korea where the clear water among the virgin forest forms ponds and waterfalls, strange rocks and bizarre stones and rare animals and plants inhabit, and Muju is the only place where ‘the habitat of fireflies and its food (marsh snail)’ is designated and protected as the 332nd natural monument in South Korea.

Muju Bandi Land is a participatory learning and educational space where Bandi Stars Astronomy & Science Museum, a log cabin, Youth Training Center, Insect Museum, Youth Campsite, and Fireflies Laboratory exist. Especially the inside of the Insect Museum, there are not only specimens of fireflies, which are the pride of Muju, but also about 17,000 insects of 2,000 species of the world’s rare insects are displayed and provides the visitors with opportunities of direct exploration and experience.


Address
Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Seolcheon-myeon Museol-ro 1324
Inquiry
063-320-2331 (Environment Forest Division, Muju-gun)

Geumgang Mochi
(Rhynchocypris kumganensis)

Named Geumgangmochi because they first detected in Geumgangsan mountain’s valley. Standard length is about 10cm, classified as small type. Its body is cylinderical, yet flat in aside, the eyes are slightly ahead of the center of the head, attached to the back. Two nostril are close to each other, also placed near to front-tip of eyes.

Experience Program

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Gaegum Village Tour Visitors recover from fatigue in forest therapy at cypress forest while listening to various stories about the forest. Visitors can also enjoy the experience gratifying five senses with home-made noodle soup made by village residents.

- Target : All ages
- Period : Throughout the year
- Time Required : Half-day

Historical Culture Resource

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Rajetongmun Gate

Rajetongmun, which is also called as unity gate is a gate made by digging rocks between Seolcheon-myeon Dugil-ri Sindu village and Socheon-ri inam village(south of town) while moving from Seolcheon-myeon to Mupung-myeon. Far from Miuju-eup about 19km in east, Seolcheon was in boundary of old Silla, Baekje So two country made logistic base of boundary, which made Seolcheon a gateway where east-west culture of south korea penisula could interchange. From the period of three states to Korean dynasty many custom and culture are abundant in Seolcheon, and these are still remaing now in form of distinct feature of language, custom. You can sort out Muju’s Mupung peole by regional dialect when you visit in Seolcheon Market day.


Address
Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Seolcheon-myeon Socheon-ri 383-2
Inquiry
063-322-0665

Anguksa Temple

Anguksa Temple is said to be established by Wolin Hwasang in the 3rd year (1277) of King Chungyeol of Goryeo. In the 6th year (1641) of Gwanghaegun, the temple was expanded to establish Jeoksangsan Archive to enshrine The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and the temple was used as a place to pray by the Buddhist monk protecting the archive. Then, the Buddhist sanctuary was rebuilt in the 47th year (1771) of king Yeongjo and it was named as Anguksa with the meaning of “Temple bringing peace to the country”. Anguksa Temple protected thecountry before the Jeoksangsan Archive was abolished in 1910. In 1989, Anguksa Temple was included in the submerged area for dam construction above water power plant. Then, a Buddhist monk moved Anguksa Temple to previous site of Hoguksa Temple. Around Anguksa Temple, there are Jeoksangsanseong Fortress and restored ‘Jeoksangsan Archive’.


Address
Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Jeoksang-myeon Bukchang-ri 934
Inquiry
063-322-6162

Lodging

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Bandi Land Tree House
Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Seolcheon-myeon Museol-ro 1324
063-320-5666
Deokyusan Leisure Bike-tel
Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Seolcheon-myeon Gucheondong-ro 968
063-322-2882
Hyangrosan Natural Recreation Forest
Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Muju-uep Osan-ri 791
063-322-6884
Deokyusan Natural Recreation Forest
Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Mupung-myeon Gucheondong-ro 530-62
063-322-1097

Recommended Course

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Short cut for Mu-ju culture tour

Coordinate Tourism

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Deogyusan National Park

Deogyusan mountain is located in the middle of the way connecting Sobaeksan mountain and Jirisan mountain to south, overlooking Yeongnam and Honam area. The most tallest peak in mountain, Hyangjeokbong Peak is 1,614m in height and ranked 4th in highest famous mountain in Korea. Close to Gyeongsangnam-do Hamyang-gun and Geochang-gun in south and make boundary of country with Jeonbuk Jangsu-gun. it was called by Gwangryeosan mountain or Yeosan mountain once.

Address Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Seolcheon-myeon Samgong-ri
Inquiry 063-322-3174

Taekwondowon

‘Taekwondo’ is the proudest cultural heritage enjoyed by Koreans and world people.
‘Taekwondowon’ is the place of training, culture, and experience that world Taekwondo people have been dreaming of.

Address Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Seolcheon-myeon Museol-ro 1482
Inquiry 063-320-0114

A bio-resource Survey

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Biological Distribution Range

Booldaemaeul, The forest of healing, Wondangchun, Dukyoomaeul, Simgokmaeul, Goochundong

Remark

There are red-tongue pit-vipers around, so one must be careful.
You can observe a natural monument, mandarin ducks, at Wondangcheon.

  • Nuthatch
    Bird

    It is a common resident bird that breeds throughout Korea. The upper part of Male’s winter plumage is slate-grey, but eye coverts are off-white color. The eye stripe that passes under and over the eyes and down to the neck is black. Below the eye stripe, it is all white; but there are some variations such as having redish yellow chest or belly depend on the species.

  • Scutellaria pekinensis var. transitra (San-golmooggot)
    Plant

    A perennial plant belonging to Labiatae family, which grows well in sunny areas or semi-sunny areas with rich soil. It is about 15-30 cm long. The leaves have hair on both sides and teeth on the edges. The leaves are 2-4 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm wide; they grow in alternate leaf arrangement. Golmoo (thimble in Korean) is a tool used by women for needlework in the past. Golmoo was often used by mothers in the past to protect their fingers when they are sewing something; because this species resembles Golmoo, Korean have called it as, Sangolmooggot. Sloe Bug InsectIt is commonly found in Cruciferae, beans, flowers, and fruits. In particular, they live in paulownia trees. It spurts terrible smells to protect itself and the species and to attract mates. It sometimes draws other sloe bugs to make more powerful smell to protect themselves. Even though it smells awful, French often use the smell of sloe bugs, weaken the intensity of smell, to make perfume.

  • Sloe Bug
    Insect

    It is commonly found in Cruciferae, beans, flowers, and fruits. In particular, they live in paulownia trees. It spurts terrible smells to protect itself and the species and to attract mates. It sometimes draws other sloe bugs to make more powerful smell to protect themselves. Even though it smells awful, French often use the smell of sloe bugs, weaken the intensity of smell, to make perfume.

  • Birch
    Plant

    It is a broad-leaved tall tree that grows in valleys of high mountains. The stem is 15 to 20m long and the bark is light grayish white and glossy. The leaves grow in alternate leaf-arrangement; the leaves are oval-shaped, 2.5-7.0 cm long and 2-6 cm wide; the tips are sharp. The bark is rich in oil and is not easily rotten, so that it is a perfect material for kindling; it is also used for drawing and writing. Cheonmado (a painting of heavenly horses) that was found in Cheonma-chong Tomb in Kyungjoo was painted on paper made out of birch.

  • Roe deer
    Animal

    Only males have horns, and they lose their horns in late fall. Due to delayed implantation, its population is smaller than water deer. It lives in a higher place than water deer. We can check its habitat by its mark of territory with horns.

  • Monkey flower
    Plant

    The stem grows upright or slightly lying; the square-shaped stem is fragile and has no hair. It is 10 to 30 cm long. The leaves grow in opposite leaf-arrangement; they are egg-shaped, 1-4cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide and have scattered teeth on the edges. One flower blooms from the axils; the flower is yellow and 1-1.5cm long.

  • Parrotbill
    Bird

    It's body size is about 13 cm. The overall body is light brown, but when it folds wings, it appears to be reddish-brown. The belly is brown. The beak is short and thick; its overall color is dark brown, but the tip is lighter. The tail is long and wedge-shaped. It lives in grass, shrubs, bushes, and reed fields.

  • Katoi
    Insect

    The shell is white with dark brown patterns, and has spiny hair around the edge. It has granule bumps all over the body; the front legs are long and large; the rear legs are dark black. The belly is dark brown or black-brown; mantis bumps with spikes are all over on the front side.

  • Badger
    Animal

    A badger excretes on the mountain path and eat insects like beetles that gather to its feces. Just like a weasel, it has a voracious appetite and eats almost everything – insects, snakes, fruits like mulberry and Siberian gooseberry. Similar to boar, it digs a pile of leaves to eat earthworms and makes traces. It gathers fallen leaves to its cave to hibernate.

  • Eucarabus sternbergi sternbergi Roeschke
    Insect

    It is 16 to 22mm long and its body color varies depending on the mountain that it lives in. Elytrons are usually long oval-shaped, but the front side is slightly narrow; they have a narrow groove, which looks like three rows of bold dotted lines.

  • Mandarin duck
    Bird

    It is a resident bird and a winter migratory bird in Korea which is 45 cm long. Males have green feathers on the front of head, while elongated reddish-brown feathers are placed at the back. It is white around the eye; the wide area around the shoulders and flanks are yellow. There is an orange ginkgo leaf-shaped plumage on the flanks.

  • Korean dark chub
    Fish

    It is an endemic species of the Korean Peninsula; it is usually found in the West Sea, Namhae and a river that starts from Maeupchu and flows to the East Sea. It is 10 to 15 cm long. It usually lives in clean stagnant water, in the upper and mid sections of the stream, however it sometimes makes its way to the rapid stream. It usually eats aquatic insects or insects that fall on water. The spawning season is estimated to be from June to August.

  • anthoxylum piperitum
    Plant

    It is a shrub that grows on the edge of forests and low hills. The stem is upright and stands 2 to 5 m high. The thorns grow in opposite leaf-arrangement. The leaves grow in alternate leaf-arrangement; they grow in a compound leaf, 13 to 21 leaves connected together, and have tiny wings on cladohylls; they have strong scent. Although small leaves grow in opposite leaf-arrangement in upper part, they grow in spiral leaf-pattern slightly in lower part.

  • Minnow
    Fish

    It is about 15cm long and flat. The upper jaw protrudes the lower jaw. The body is dark blue, dark on the back and light on the belly. There are 10 to 13 dark blue lateral strips on the side of the body. The male’s stripes are red. They flock in the mid-section of the river and are omnivorous. It spawns from May to August. The males form sphere of influence to protect their eggs.

  • Source by

    National Institute of Biological Resources
    (https://species.nibr.go.kr)

    Korea National Arboretum
    (https://www.nature.go.kr)

A bio-resource Survey

ㅡ

Biological Distribution Range

Booldaemaeul, The forest of healing, Wondangchun, Dukyoomaeul, Simgokmaeul, Goochundong

Remark

There are red-tongue pit-vipers around, so one must be careful. You can observe a natural monument, mandarin ducks, at Wondangcheon.

  • Nuthatch
    Bird

    It is a common resident bird that breeds throughout Korea. The upper part of Male’s winter plumage is slate-grey, but eye coverts are off-white color. The eye stripe that passes under and over the eyes and down to the neck is black. Below the eye stripe, it is all white; but there are some variations such as having redish yellow chest or belly depend on the species.

  • Scutellaria pekinensis var. transitra (San-golmooggot)
    Plant

    A perennial plant belonging to Labiatae family, which grows well in sunny areas or semi-sunny areas with rich soil. It is about 15-30 cm long. The leaves have hair on both sides and teeth on the edges. The leaves are 2-4 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm wide; they grow in alternate leaf arrangement. Golmoo (thimble in Korean) is a tool used by women for needlework in the past. Golmoo was often used by mothers in the past to protect their fingers when they are sewing something; because this species resembles Golmoo, Korean have called it as, Sangolmooggot.

  • Sloe Bug
    Insect

    It is commonly found in Cruciferae, beans, flowers, and fruits. In particular, they live in paulownia trees. It spurts terrible smells to protect itself and the species and to attract mates. It sometimes draws other sloe bugs to make more powerful smell to protect themselves. Even though it smells awful, French often use the smell of sloe bugs, weaken the intensity of smell, to make perfume.

  • Birch
    Plant

    It is a broad-leaved tall tree that grows in valleys of high mountains. The stem is 15 to 20m long and the bark is light grayish white and glossy. The leaves grow in alternate leaf-arrangement; the leaves are oval-shaped, 2.5-7.0 cm long and 2-6 cm wide; the tips are sharp. The bark is rich in oil and is not easily rotten, so that it is a perfect material for kindling; it is also used for drawing and writing. Cheonmado (a painting of heavenly horses) that was found in Cheonma-chong Tomb in Kyungjoo was painted on paper made out of birch.

  • Roe deer
    Animal

    Only males have horns, and they lose their horns in late fall. Due to delayed implantation, its population is smaller than water deer. It lives in a higher place than water deer. We can check its habitat by its mark of territory with horns.

  • Monkey flower
    Plant

    The stem grows upright or slightly lying; the square-shaped stem is fragile and has no hair. It is 10 to 30 cm long. The leaves grow in opposite leaf-arrangement; they are egg-shaped, 1-4cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide and have scattered teeth on the edges. One flower blooms from the axils; the flower is yellow and 1-1.5cm long.

  • Parrotbill
    Bird

    It's body size is about 13 cm. The overall body is light brown, but when it folds wings, it appears to be reddish-brown. The belly is brown. The beak is short and thick; its overall color is dark brown, but the tip is lighter. The tail is long and wedge-shaped. It lives in grass, shrubs, bushes, and reed fields

  • Katoi
    Insect

    The shell is white with dark brown patterns, and has spiny hair around the edge. It has granule bumps all over the body; the front legs are long and large; the rear legs are dark black. The belly is dark brown or black-brown; mantis bumps with spikes are all over on the front side.

  • Badger
    Animal

    A badger excretes on the mountain path and eat insects like beetles that gather to its feces. Just like a weasel, it has a voracious appetite and eats almost everything – insects, snakes, fruits like mulberry and Siberian gooseberry. Similar to boar, it digs a pile of leaves to eat earthworms and makes traces. It gathers fallen leaves to its cave to hibernate.

  • Eucarabus sternbergi sternbergi Roeschke
    Insect

    It is 16 to 22mm long and its body color varies depending on the mountain that it lives in. Elytrons are usually long oval-shaped, but the front side is slightly narrow; they have a narrow groove, which looks like three rows of bold dotted lines.

  • Mandarin duck
    Bird

    It is a resident bird and a winter migratory bird in Korea which is 45 cm long. Males have green feathers on the front of head, while elongated reddish-brown feathers are placed at the back. It is white around the eye; the wide area around the shoulders and flanks are yellow. There is an orange ginkgo leaf-shaped plumage on the flanks.

  • Korean dark chub
    Fish

    It is an endemic species of the Korean Peninsula; it is usually found in the West Sea, Namhae and a river that starts from Maeupchu and flows to the East Sea. It is 10 to 15 cm long. It usually lives in clean stagnant water, in the upper and mid sections of the stream, however it sometimes makes its way to the rapid stream. It usually eats aquatic insects or insects that fall on water. The spawning season is estimated to be from June to August.

  • anthoxylum piperitum
    Plant

    It is a shrub that grows on the edge of forests and low hills. The stem is upright and stands 2 to 5 m high. The thorns grow in opposite leaf-arrangement. The leaves grow in alternate leaf-arrangement; they grow in a compound leaf, 13 to 21 leaves connected together, and have tiny wings on cladohylls; they have strong scent. Although small leaves grow in opposite leaf-arrangement in upper part, they grow in spiral leaf-pattern slightly in lower part.

  • Minnow
    Fish

    It is about 15cm long and flat. The upper jaw protrudes the lower jaw. The body is dark blue, dark on the back and light on the belly. There are 10 to 13 dark blue lateral strips on the side of the body. The male’s stripes are red. They flock in the mid-section of the river and are omnivorous. It spawns from May to August. The males form sphere of influence to protect their eggs.

Source by

National Institute of Biological Resources (https://species.nibr.go.kr)

Korea National Arboretum (https://www.nature.go.kr)