JEONNAM-GWANGJU — Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City is offering an array of attractions blending nature and the arts for holiday travelers and returning residents during the Chuseok harvest festival. The city will keep major exhibition and viewing facilities open as usual or admit visitors free of charge during the holiday so families can enjoy the break together.
Nature's mysteries in the sea, rivers and forests
The city's Institute of Marine and Fisheries Science will open the Yeosu Marine and Fisheries Science Museum and the Gurye Seomjin River Fish Ecology Museum from Sept. 24 to 27. The marine science museum houses about 5,000 sea creatures across 100 species, including native fish from the South Sea and tropical ornamental fish, and visitors can explore the underwater world through a recently renovated 3D theater and hands-on content built with artificial intelligence.
The Seomjin River Fish Ecology Museum features some 150 species of freshwater fish and aquatic life, including the otter, a designated natural monument. Traditional game stations offering tuho arrow-throwing and top-spinning will run throughout the holiday, adding to the appeal for families. Both venues are hosting special exhibitions tied to the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo. Expo ticket holders can enter free, while museum visitors receive a 2,000 won discount on Expo admission.
Wando Arboretum, a repository of warm-temperate forest, will also open most of its facilities free of charge from Sept. 24 to 27, including its subtropical greenhouse and trails, with the exception of the forest museum. Across 2,033 hectares of woodland, visitors can take in scenery where warm-temperate forest meets the sea, alongside some 814 native plant species such as camellias and Japanese evergreen oaks.
An Byeong-seok, director of the Wando Arboretum under the city's Forest Research Institute, said, "We hope families will visit Wando Arboretum over the Chuseok holiday to enjoy the natural scenery of the warm-temperate forest and spend a relaxed, comfortable holiday."
A feast of culture and the arts across city centers
A wide range of cultural events will draw residents across the region over the Chuseok holiday. At Ocheon Green Plaza in Suncheon, the Agora Suncheon 365 Festa will run on Sept. 26 and 27 with performances and cultural programs.
At the Yeonggwang magic lily festival grounds, "Night of Blooming Love, Magic Lily Cinema" will run from Sept. 24 to 26, offering outdoor film screenings in the autumn evening air. Over the same period, the 2026 Samrak Street Arts Festival will unfold along Nammun-gil in Jindo with street performances and arts programs.
Other events reflecting local character are scheduled around the holiday, including busking at the music fountain along Hwasun's Flower River Trail, the traditional theater piece "Pungryu Ilga" in Boseong, "Gayageum on the Last Wednesday" in Yeongam, and Jangseong's "Culture Day" film screening at Hof.
Museums and galleries are also mounting a full slate of exhibitions. The city's Agricultural Museum is running "Wisdom of Working the Land," a special exhibition revisiting the value of Korea's farming culture, through Nov. 22.
The Jeonnam Museum of Art is presenting exhibitions surveying currents in contemporary art, including the Chung Guyon Collection and "AI Convergence Exhibition: Data Sapiens." Also not to be missed are "Masterpieces of Modern and Contemporary Korean Art: Gaze" at the Hampyeong County Museum of Art and the 9th "1,004 Islands Blooming Through Art" at the Sunset Museum of Art in Shinan.
Choi Byung-nam, head of the city's culture and arts division, said, "We hope everyone visiting their hometown for Chuseok will enjoy the cultural and arts events across the region with their families and have a warm and abundant holiday."
