Jeju City offers different ways to experience Jeju: a distinctive rock formation on the north coast, specialties at a traditional market, and exhibitions about nature, culture and traditions. If you are considering which themes should shape your stay, you can choose between observing nature, learning about the island’s history and exploring its cuisine. These places represent different sides of the island, rather than just one kind of outing.
Yongduam Rock: Rock Formation, Legends and Haenyeo
Yongduam Rock on Jeju’s north coast is a stone formation estimated to be 10 meters high. Strong winds and waves have shaped it like a dragon’s head. Two legends are also associated with the rock. One tells of a dragon that stole precious jade from Hallasan and was struck by an arrow from the mountain deity. In another, a white horse dreams of becoming a dragon; a soldier catches it, and it turns to stone in the rock. These stories place different mythical themes alongside the shape formed by wind and waves.
From Yongduam Rock, visitors can watch Haenyeo, or women divers, gathering seafood. This makes the visit an opportunity to observe activity at sea as well as to see the distinctive rock formation. Those particularly interested in coastal landscapes can get a different view of Jeju here than they would from exhibitions about the island’s history and folklore.
Dongmun Market: History and Specialties
Dongmun Traditional Market was established shortly after Korea’s liberation in August 1945. Jeju specialties are sold at Jeju Dongmun Market, including Omegi rice cakes, buckwheat pancakes filled with radish, sliced raw fish and bread-shaped octopuses. These examples differ in ingredients and form, showing the variety of the market’s culinary offerings. Individual offerings may change.
The market’s founding story and its present-day culinary focus offer two different points of interest: a specific historical context and foods associated with Jeju. Those particularly interested in regional cuisine can therefore consider the market as a destination in its own right, rather than simply an addition to a nature- or culture-focused visit.
Museum: Natural History, Folklore and Marine Life
The Jeju Folklore & Natural History Museum showcases the island’s traditional culture and natural environment. Its exhibitions cover Jeju’s natural history, folklore and marine life. The Sea Exhibition Hall features the 13-meter-long skeleton of a Bryde’s whale; the museum also includes an interactive Jeju Experience Center. The subject matter ranges from nature and the sea to the island’s traditions. The museum thus offers a different perspective from the market with its specialties or Yongduam Rock with its legends and opportunities to observe Haenyeo.
Jeju Samseonghyeol and Its Traditions
Jeju Samseonghyeol is a revered site with three mythical openings in the ground. They are considered the origin of Jeju’s mythical founders: Go, Yang and Bu. An exhibition hall and media gallery present the traditions associated with the site. The focus here is on stories about a particular revered place, while the Folklore & Natural History Museum presents a broader range of island themes. This distinction can help you decide whether you are more interested in the traditions surrounding Samseonghyeol or in the connection between natural history, folklore and marine life.
A Seonbi experience, as well as Tuho and Gulleongsoe, are associated with Jeju Samseonghyeol. Check whether these activities are available before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Seogwipo
Return to the main travel overview: Jeju-do.
