Taejon Travel Guide, South Korea

Taejon Travel Guide: General Information

Taejon (also known as Daejeon) is known as the ‘Silicon Valley of Korea’ and many good things were said about it like being “the cradle of Korea’s cutting-edge science sector” because of the presence of the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (in the Daedeok Science Town) and hosts other research and education institutes. This massive change from a mere village in the early 1900s to a high-tech hub in less than a century has not only placed Taejon in the league of ‘Independent Cities of South Korea.

It has also brought waves of tourists to the city that already boasted attractions like the Donghaksa Temple, the Kyerongsan National Park, etc. and is blessed with a very inviting climate. The Taejon Expo ’93 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup further boosted tourist-footfalls to the city by adding new city-landmarks like the Expo Bridge, Hanbit Tour and the World Cup Stadium.

This Taejon travel guide, however, does not deal with the city’s sights and landmarks, it rather focuses on aspects like city-planning and transportation, so that you know what not to expect before you take a trip to this central South Korean city.

Taejon Travel Guide: Statistics

Area: 539.84 sq km

Population: 1,442,857

Currency: South Korean Won (KRW)

Language(s): Korean

Taejon Travel Guide: City Planning

As already said, Taejon has long overcome its image as a grassland, a countryside (for the name Daejeon literally means ‘large field’) to become the hub of science and technology along with Seoul. This change of image has brought with it other changes like the establishment of the Daedeok Science Town in the 1980s in the Yuseong district. The Daedeok Science Town is now home to over 230 research institutes and science/technology parks. Taejon has 4 other administrative districts apart from Yuseong.

The city center (which has a number of government-owned and private/corporate R&D facilities) was transformed into a hip urban pocket, getting busier because of the high concentration of residential complexes, hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés in addition to the buildings housing government departments and offices.

Taejon Travel Guide: Transportation

Well connected to both Seoul and Busan, Taejon is a transportation hub of South Korea. Although, the Cheongju Airport (that serves the city) receives only select direct international flights, the city enjoys good transportation links because of its position at the junction of two key expressways (Gyeongbu Expressway and Honam Expressway) and two major railways (bearing the same names as the expressways). Taejon is an integral part of the South Korea’s high-speed railway network and is served by the KTX bullet-trains. Buses and metro-services are available for touring the city.

Taejon Travel Guide: Culture

Taejon is deeply-rooted in culture – culture that is manifested in a variety of festivities celebrated in the city all year round. The city is the venue of cultural fests like Dongchundang Cultural Festival, Hanbat Cultural Festival, Uam Cultural Festival and other celebrations like the International Balloon Fiesta, Sintanjin Cherry Blossom Festival. The Science Festival that helps create scientific awareness is a not-to-be-missed annual event.

Taejon has an art museum and also a Philharmonic Orchestra.

Taejon Travel Guide: When to Visit

Before we conclude this Taejon travel guide, we would like to advise you about the best time to be in Taejon – the best-time is undoubtedly late-March or early-April – it is the time of the year when the city metamorphoses to a dreamland with its multi-hued blooms and the occasional season-ending snow-falls. A number of festivals and cultural events are also held during this period.