City guide
Located in the mid-west of the Korea peninsula, Incheon is the third largest city in Korea. It has the historically-rich island of Ganghwahdo, Sondo international business district, the country's longest Incheon bridge, Sondo Convencia and much more.
Learn more about the things you can do during your leisure time at the official Incheon Tourism website or i-Tour(Incheon Tour)
Fast facts about Incheon
History
Incheon was originally part of Gyeonggi Province, but was granted Directly Governed (now Metropolitan) City status on July 1, 1981.
Local economy
Incheon’s local GNP is KRW 25 trillion 517.7 billion, which is 4.7% of the national GNP. More than 1.2 million people in the region are involved in various economic activities. Incheon displays an urban-type industrial structure, which is characterized by the fact that tertiary industry is relatively larger than primary or secondary industry. There are seven industrial complexes in the region, including Namdong and Bupyeong, which host more than 7,400 companies altogether.
Area and population
The current administrative unit covers a total area of 986.45km², or 0.98% of South Korea. As of September 2005, the city has a total population of 2,628,000, with more than 872,000 households. Incheon is rapidly developing into the third largest city in Korea, following Seoul and Busan, the first and the second largest, respectively
Topography
Most mountains in the Incheon area are no higher than 300m above the sea level. With hilly mountains well-developed along the coast, there is only a limited amount of flat land in the area. Incheon has a ria coast, with a long and jagged coastline and numerous islands. There are 152 islands off the coast altogether, 113 of which are unmanned.
Sites in Incheon
Wolmido (Island) Sea, Sunset, Cruises, Clean Sushi Restaurants, and Scenic Cafes. With a youthful and romantic character, Wolmido is one of the most famous tourist spots near the Metropolitan area. As you walk along the 1km-long Wolmido Street of Culture, with the wide sea on your right and beautiful, exotic cafes on your left, you cannot help but have a free and romantic feeling. Seeing street performers, portrait artists, and couples whispering sweet nothings to each other, you will feel as free-spirited and romantic.
Chinatown Bukseong-dong Chinatown Chinatown, the only Chinatown in Korea, is truly a little China in Incheon. Chinese restaurants line both sides of the street, and the traditional Chinese gates (Paeru), Uiseongdang Chinese temple/Kung-fu hall, Jungsan School for Chinese children, the mural depicting Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the statue of Confucius overlooking the sea, and other traditional Chinese buildings, along with the Korea-China Cultural Center, all make for a very novel tourist course.
Sorae Pogu (Port) Sorae Pogu grew with the development of the largest salt field in the nation in the 1930’s, and the opening of the Suwon-Incheon Railway, the only narrow gauge railway line in Korea. When you visit, you are still greeted by the thick smell of the sea and fish, fish markets, and fishing boats. The port houses approximately 250 boats less than 10 tons in weight, and the fish market is home to about 350 fish vendors.
Compact-Smart City This is a gallery of Incheon's urban planning, showcasing the past, present, and future. It presents elaborate models of the city's urban planning for 2020 as well as multimedia shows. The 5D image hall allows you a special experience.Incheon Art PlatformThroughout renovation, thirteen old buildings were transformed into an art&culture complex for supporting the creation studios of artists and the cultural activities of citizens. Also it is energy supplier for pleasure and sensibility to promote international exhange of art and culture.
Bupeong Underground Shopping Mall Bupyeong Underground Shopping Mall is the biggest underground city in South Korea. Here has an area of 43,000m2 with 1,500 stores where handles fashion, shoes, cosmetics, health foods, accessories, jewelry, bag etc. (Location: Under Bupyeong Subway Station)
Baengnyeongdo (Island) Standing alone in the far north, Baengnyeongdo boasts beaches with crystal clear water, fine sand, and colorful pebbles. Sagot Beach, 2.5km in length, 300m in width, is one of only two diatomite beaches in the world, with the other one in Naples, Italy. It is a natural airfield, and can be used for landing or take-off during emergencies. 2 km of the Kongdol sea-shore is covered with small, colorful bean-sized pebbles, and taking a hot sand bath here is widely known to be helpful for chronic dermatitis.
Ganghwado (Island) You can visit thousand-year-old historical sites like Manisan Mountain & Chamseongdan, Ganghwa Dolmen, Five-Story Pagoda at Hajeom-myeon, The Buddha’s Stone Statue. Ganghwa Island is like a natural museum, where each stone or plant carries a special history. Ganghwa sanseong, Former site of Goryeo Palace, Yongheunggung Palace, Former site of Yeonmudang (martial arts hall) give you an opportunity to experience Korean history.
