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Aport city, Gunsan, opened to foreign vessels on May 1, 1899 according to the Ganghwa Island Treaty in 1879 following Busan, Wonsan, Incheon, Jinnampo and Masan. More than half of the population in Gunsan was Japanese at the time, with the city becoming an economic center for Japanese business people there. Most of the downtown area around the inner port was originally a residential area for Japanese people, with 20% of buildings in the old downtown area built during the colonial administration of imperial Japan. The majority of these buildings remain.
Gunsan is a city with many modifiers - a city of modern cultural assets and a sad history, a city of rich marine tourist attractions, and a city which is the economic center of Northeast Asia. Gunsan is aiming at growing into an international tourism and business city of 500,000 people.
Saemangeum Seawall and Bieung Port
The Saemangeum Seawall project has expanded the Korean peninsular by 397 square meters by building a 33.9km-long seawall, the world's longest one, from Bieung Island and Shinsi Island to Daehangri, Byeonsan-myeon in Buan County. Floodgates are located in the middle of the seawall in order to control the flow of water. 36 floodgates are built on both the sea side and the lake side, with each measuring 30 meters wide, 15 meters high and weighing 500 tons.
Floodgates on Shinsi Island were selected as one of the ten best local resources in Korea by the Ministry of Government Affairs and Home Affairs. Bieung Port, the first multi-purpose port in Korea, has an observation tower that commands a fine view of the sunset over the West Sea. Furthermore, a line of ten wind power generators at a nearby wind power generation complex offer a grand sight.
Geum River Estuary and Obser-vation Tower for Migrant Birds
A bank at the Geum River Estuary built in 1990 measures 1,841 meters long, has 20 floodgates, and is able to contain 130 million tons of water. The bank prevents the Geum River from flooding and supplies industrial water to a complex more than 132 square meters wide. A four-lane road on the bank connects North Jeolla Province and South Chungcheong Province. The observation tower features a high magnification telescope and an advanced panorama camera, both of which allow visitors to better see the many flying birds, as well as the Geum River and West Sea.
Gubul Road
Gubul Road was created to offer people the opportunity to see the culture and ecology of Gunsan through its many interesting historical and cultural stories. The course began with four paths Silver River Path, Sunshine Path, Big Field Path and Marble Mountain Path. At present, the road has a total of ten courses covering downtown of Gunsan, including the downtown’s old area, Wolmyeong Park, and Eunpa Tourist Resort, as well as the Saemangeum area, including Bieung Port and Shinsi Island. People can experience the courses either on foot or on a bicycle.
Modern Cultural Assets
The Gunsan Modern History Museum, located in the inner port of Gunsan, consists of the Marine Logistics History Hall, Experience Hall for Children, Modern Life Hall and Special Exhibition Hall. The House of Hiros is a location made famous in the movies. Hiros made his money by running a linen shop and served as a local representative. The house boasts a beautiful Japanese-style garden. Meanwhile, the old Gunsan Customs Service Building which was built in 1908 by a German architect, features classic European-style architecture and is made of red bricks from Belgium.
Inside the building are photos of Gunsan Port and the Gunsan Customs Service building. The House of Dr. Lee Yeong-chun is where Dr. Lee, considered a pioneer in agricultural hygiene, lived for 40 years. The house was originally built as a villa for Kumamoto, the local owner of a large farm, and features Korean, Japanese and Western influences.