We published over 2000 photos during our three months in Busan. That's a record for our site, and a testament to what an amazing city this is. As you'll see in our final batch of photos, Busan is strangely compelling and offers a little bit of everything, from the beautiful to the amusing, to the downright bizarre. Taking pictures here was always a blast... we're going to miss it.
The Gwangan Bridge opened in 2003, connecting the neighborhoods of Haeundae and Suyeong, and instantly became one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Also referred to as the Diamond Bridge, it's a beautiful structure, especially after dusk when brought to life by colorful lights.
Along with soju, makgeolli (막걸리) is one of the most popular beverages in Busan. The milky-white drink is made of rice and wheat, and only slightly more alcoholic than beer. We visited a factory in the mountain village of Geumseong-dong to learn first-hand how it's made.
After having such a great time in Gyeongju, we immediately planned out our second day trip from Busan -- Geoje Island. Unfortunately, this excursion was doomed to failure, thanks to the torrential rains of South Korea's summer monsoon season.
It's impossible to define Busan by just one trait. Is it the soaring architecture, the public artworks, the relaxed way of life, the beaches and relation to the water, or is the odd moments of eccentricity? All of these things and more are captured in this batch of photos. Each one might have been taken anywhere, but together? That's Busan.
Every region in Korea has different dishes, and we didn't realize how much we were missing out on until visiting Gyeongju, which was our first time outside of Busan. There, we tried out two famous specialties and loved them both. Taking a culinary tour of South Korea would be a blast.
Gyeongju is a small city 50 miles north of Busan, known as the "Museum Without Walls" due to its incredible wealth of historic treasures. This was the capital of the powerful Silla Kingdom which ruled most of the Korean peninsula for nearly 1000 years (57 BC – 935 AD) and is without a doubt the most rewarding excursion you can make from Busan.
One of South Korea's three horse-racing tracks is found just outside Busan, and we decided to check it out on a sunny Sunday afternoon. We knew that we'd have fun, since we have fun anywhere that gambling is involved, but the Busan Gyeongnam Racecourse Park exceeded our expectations.
With a prime location where the Nakdong River empties into the East Sea, the small, sandy island of Eulsukdo has long been a paradise for migratory birds. However, our trip there couldn't have been more poorly timed, since the birds only visit in the fall and spring. But we'll be gone by August, and didn't want to pass up a visit to this interesting bit of nature.
Straight across from Busan Station, a traditional Chinese-style gate welcomes you into Shanghai Street -- the nexus of the city's Chinatown. We visited this hectic and very un-Korean neighborhood during its annual celebration.
