Meow-tain and Sea

Hello, everyone!  Saturdays are usually webtoon day, but this week there's a very special visitor in Busan that everyone's talking about, so I'm bringing you a special edition instead. Don't worry, the webtoon will be back next week! So who's this famous visitor? It's a shark named Bukangi , who swam into a canal at Bukhang Waterfront Park (북항 친수공원, also known as North Port Waterfront Park)! 📍 Who is Bukangi? Bukangi was first spotted in the park's canal on September 18. It's about 3 to 3.5 meters long and is believed to be a copper shark (also known as a bronze whaler), a species in the requiem shark family. The name comes from "Bukhang" (북항), which means "North Port," the area where the shark was found. In Korean, people often add "-i" to the end of a name to make it sound friendly and cute, a bit like turning "Bob" into "Bobby." So the Busan Facilities Corporation, which manages the park, named t...

  A Heavy Metal Legend Lands in Busan: The 2026 Busan International Rock Festival If you're a rock fan, there's one fall festival in Busan you absolutely can't miss — the Busan International Rock Festival , known as Korea's longest-running rock festival. Remember the imaginary trip Namu and Grandpa took by bicycle two posts ago? The reed fields, the lotus ponds, the sunset — that was Samnak Ecological Park, and it's exactly where this festival takes place. If you only knew it as a peaceful walking spot, it might come as a surprise that it transforms into a rock festival stage every fall. Samnak Ecological Park , Busan | Photo: Busan Tourism Organization (visitbusan.net) It's now less than ten days until the festival opens! Held every year at Samnak Ecological Park, this year's lineup is generating buzz that fully earns the word "unprecedented." What is the Busan International Rock Festival? It's the longest-running rock festival in Korea, ...

  A Special Cultural Journey Under the Autumn Moon — Dalmaji Culture Festa When people think of Haeundae, they usually picture the beach — but there's another spot that truly comes alive on a fall evening: Dalmaji-gil (Moon-Greeting Road) . True to its name, it's the hillside road where moonlight falls most beautifully, and starting last Saturday, it's become the stage for a hands-on cultural festival called the Dalmaji Culture Festa . It runs every Saturday through the end of November, so it's not too late to join even if you're just hearing about it now. This festival is designed with tourists in mind, so if you're planning a trip to Busan, it's worth reading closely. Dalmaji Hill, Haeundae , Busan | Photo: Busan Tourism Organization (visitbusan.net) What is the Dalmaji Culture Festa? It's a program that combines the night views of Haeundae's Dalmaji-gil with a variety of hands-on cultural experiences — pottery, perfume-making, leather crafti...

  Ten Days When Busan Becomes One Big Movie Theater: The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) We gave you a little preview last Saturday through Namu's imaginary visit — remember the story where Namu's eyes lit up under the Big Roof, surrounded by the red carpet and the crowds? Today, following up on that preview, here's a full rundown of the actual Busan International Film Festival. If you're spending fall in Busan, there's one event you simply can't miss — Asia's leading international film festival, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) . It opens in exactly one month, so now's the perfect time to start planning. This year marks the 31st edition, and for ten days, the entire city of Busan turns into one giant theater. Cinema Center , Busan | Photo: Busan Tourism Organization (visitbusan.net) What exactly is the Busan International Film Festival? Founded in 1996, BIFF holds the top-tier accreditation from the International Federati...

Every October, Busan comes alive with movie fever — thanks to the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the largest film festival in Asia. Now in its 31st edition, the 2026 BIFF runs for ten days, from Tuesday, October 6th through Thursday, October 15th, centered around the Busan Cinema Center, with additional venues in Centum City and the BIFF Square in Nampo-dong. In an earlier post, we introduced the Cinema Center in detail — including its iconic " Big Roof. " Today's story picks up right where that left off, following Namu on an imaginary early visit to the upcoming festival. The real thing is still about a month away, but since this is an "imaginary adventure," we got a little head start. If you're planning to visit in October, think of this episode as your preview. Arriving beneath the Big Roof, Namu is once again awestruck by the sheer scale of the structure stretching overhead like a sky of its own. Before long, she notices something different i...

September's already here. The midday heat hasn't quite let go yet, but there's a little more coolness in the morning and evening air lately, which usually means fall is on its way. With that cooler weather in mind, I wanted to get ahead of the season and share a spot that's especially good once autumn settles in. I mentioned once before, when introducing Busan, that the city is now home to Korea's 24th national park, Geumjeongsan National Park. Today we're heading to the neighborhood right at its foot — Dongnae, one of the oldest and most historic corners of Busan. We'll cover Dongnaeeupseong Fortress, Geumgang Park, and Dongnae Hot Springs all as one day trip. ​ 📍 What is Dongnae? These days, "Busan" tends to bring to mind beaches like Haeundae or Gwangalli. But up through the Joseon dynasty, it was actually Dongnae — not "Busan" — that gave its name to this whole region. Dongnae served as the first line of defense against Japanes...

The Ridge Where Busan Shines Silver in Autumn When the mornings and evenings start carrying that first cool breeze, you just know the season is turning, don't you? It's still warm out, but with autumn on its way, I wanted to get ahead of it and introduce a spot that's absolutely worth the trip once the season turns. Did you know Busan has a mountain that turns silver every fall? Meet Seunghaksan, straddling Saha-gu and Sasang-gu, and in particular the wide silver grass fields spread out near its summit. It's rare to find a ridge this open and breezy so close to the city center, which is exactly why locals keep coming back every autumn. ​ 📍 What is Seunghaksan? Seunghaksan stands 496 meters above sea level, straddling Dangni-dong in Saha-gu and Eomgung-dong in Sasang-gu. It's often known simply as "the mountain behind Dong-A University," and it connects to Gudeoksan and Siyaksan to the east and Eomgwangsan to the north. There's a nice bit of le...

The temperatures have noticeably cooled down this week, haven't they? The heat that dominated all summer finally seems to be easing off. On weather like this, instead of jumping into the water for a swim, I found myself thinking a slow ride on the cable car over the sea sounded even better — no getting wet, just the breeze and an unobstructed view of the water. Today I want to introduce the Songdo Sky Cable Car in Busan's Seo-gu district, along with a few nearby spots worth pairing it with. The Songdo Sky Cable Car connects Songdo Base Station at Songdo Beach with Songdo Sky Park near Amnam Park. It first opened in 1964 as Korea's first sea-crossing cable car, closed in 1988 due to aging equipment, and reopened at a new site in 2017. Today it's considered one of Songdo's four major attractions, alongside the Skywalk, coastal walking trail, and the Yonggung Cloud Bridge. Once you're up, you get a sweeping view of Songdo Beach, Yeongdo Bridge, Namhang Bridge, an...

With daytime highs hitting 38°C — and 40°C in some areas — who wants to step outside these days? Add tropical nights on top of that, and the heat barely lets up even after dark. When even standing in the shade leaves you gasping, maybe the answer is to give up on daytime altogether and move when it's at least a little cooler. So today, I want to introduce a summer festival that proves walking at night can be its own kind of adventure: Busan Night Walk 42K . As the name suggests, this is an overnight walking festival with four course options — the full 42K, plus 24K, 16K, and a brand-new 8K added this year. It's not a race against the clock; the whole point is to walk at your own pace and take in Busan's nighttime atmosphere. Cool river breeze instead of blazing sun, quiet night views instead of daytime crowds — it's honestly a little surprising how special a night walk can turn out to be. Dates : Saturday, August 29 – Sunday, August 30, 2026 (overnight, two days) Lo...

Isn't the heat this summer just brutal? Day or night, it's hard to even catch a breath. So for this Imaginary Adventure, we decided to head somewhere cool — a seaside temple, Yonggungsa, that offers a completely different vibe from your typical beach. We actually mentioned this place briefly back in June, but that post only touched on Yongmungyo Bridge and the meaning behind the 108 steps. This time, since Namu and Halbae actually walk through it together, let me introduce it in more detail. Choosing Yonggungsa for this trip felt like a natural choice. Unlike Beomeosa, the quiet mountain temple Namu and Halbae visited back in Episode 6, Yonggungsa is a temple where waves crash right at your feet — and that felt perfect for Namu. You know that curious expression she gets, half-scared of water but unable to look away? I can only imagine how wide her eyes would go standing right in front of the sea. Right at the entrance, you're greeted by the Twelve Zodiac Guardians — impos...