Gimhae (김해시, 金海市, formally romanized as Kimhae) is a city west of Busan in the south-eastern province of South Gyeongsang, South Korea. Often overlooked as just the location of Busan's airport, Gimhae has plenty of historical sights. It was a significant city in the ancient Gaya confederacy (AD 42 to AD 562).
Understand
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It was the capital of Geumgwan Gaya, founded by King Suro, the founder of Gaya, and emphasizes that it was the capital of Gaya for 500 years at the city level.
It is bordered by Busan to the east, Changwon to the west, and Miryang and Yangsan to the north, but commutation between Busan and Changwon are mainly active.
Gimhae was by the sea for a long time, but all the coastal areas were taken away by Busan. It is one of Busan's satellite cities, but it is hard to say it is a simple commuter town. Many factories moved to Gimhae in the past due to cheaper land prices than Busan, so more people go to work from Busan to Gimhae in the morning and Busan in the evening.
Jangyu, a district in the southwest of the city, is considered a separate town closer to Changwon City because they mainly commute to Changwon. The Changwon Tunnel, which connects Jangyu and Changwon, is heavily congested in the morning in the Changwon direction and the evening in the Jangyu direction.
History
[edit]Gimhae (김해, 金海, literally "Golden Sea") holds a crucial place in Korean history as the capital of Geumgwan Gaya (or Garakguk), the leading state of the Gaya Confederacy that flourished in the lower Nakdong River basin from 42 CE to 532 CE.
According to the founding myth, the kingdom was established by King Suro in 42 CE, who was miraculously born from a golden egg that descended from the heavens onto Gujibong Peak. Gimhae is also famous for the legend of Queen Heo Hwang-ok, a princess who is said to have traveled by sea from the distant kingdom of Ayuta (often identified with parts of India) to marry King Suro, symbolizing Gimhae’s early role as a hub for international exchange and trade.
Gaya’s strength came from its strategic location near the Nakdong River and its advanced iron production technology, which allowed it to become a major trading power, exporting iron ore and artifacts throughout the region. The kingdom’s independent history concluded in 532 CE when Geumgwan Gaya was absorbed by the expansion of the Silla Kingdom.
Today, Gimhae’s past is visible through its numerous archaeological sites:
- The Royal Tomb of King Suro (수로왕릉) and the adjacent Tomb of Queen Heo Hwang-ok (수로왕비릉) are the city’s most significant historical landmarks.
- The Daeseong-dong Ancient Tombs (대성동 고분군), which reflect the wealth and power of the Gaya elite, are a central focus of the city’s history and are part of the broader Gaya Tumuli UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination.
- The Gimhae National Museum is dedicated entirely to the culture and history of the Gaya Kingdom.
- Evidence of older settlements, such as the Sugari Shell Mound (수가리 貝塚) and various other ancient Tomb Groups and Dolmen sites (e.g., in the Yulhari and Gwandong areas), confirms a continuous history of human habitation dating back to the Bronze Age.
Get in
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By plane
[edit]Gimhae is home to Busan's airport, Gimhae International Airport (PUS IATA). The light rail station will quickly connect you from outside the airport to the town itself.
By light rail
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The Busan Gimhae Light Rail line meets up with both the brown and green Metro lines. The light rail provides a convenient way to get to Gimhae town. The light rail ticketing is not integrated with the Busan Metro, and therefore a separate ticket is required to change between them.
By train
[edit]Gimhae has two Korail stations: Hallimjeong Station (한림정역) and Jinyeong Station (진영역). The nearest high-speed KTX station is Gupo, in West Busan.
Get around
[edit]Central Gimhae is fairly easy to walk, but there are also plentiful bus and taxi services. The primary method of transportation among locals is by car. There is a light rail line along the west and south perimeters of the central Gimhae area, but it is better suited for travel to and from nearby Busan.
See
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- 1 Royal Tomb of King Suro (수로왕릉), 312 Seosang-dong, ☏ +82 55-332-1094. 09:00 - 17:00. Legend has it that in AD48, Princess Suriratna of the Ayutah Kingdom in the city of Ayodhya in India was sent to Korea at the age of 16 to marry King Suro, and became Queen Heo Hwangok. Although it is not certain that these events happened, Korean historians believe that if true, the subsequent Kim clan can claim to have as many as 10% of Koreans as her descendants. It has been relatively rare in Korea to have foreign family connections, so the story is quite significant. Her tomb is situated in a nice park with other tombs.
- 2 Gimhae National Museum (국립김해박물관), 190 Gayaui-gil, ☏ +82 55-325-9331. 09:00 - 18:00. Historical exhibits about the ancient Gaya kingdom. Gimhae, which was the capital of Geumgwan Gaya, the leading Gaya Confederation, is displayed mainly in Gaya relics.
- 3 Bunsan Fortress (분산성), 경상남도 김해시 어방동 산 964. Built in the Gaya Period and demolished after the Japanese Invasion in 1592. It has been reconstructed and is a popular hiking stop.
- 4 Inje-ro (인제로). The stretch of Inje-ro from the light rail northward to Bunseong-ro is popular in September when its plots of red spider lilies bloom, and in October, when festive lanterns are hung to line the walking trail.
- 5 Daeseong-dong Tombs Museum (대성동고분박물관). 09:00-18:00. Relics excavated from a nearby ancient tomb in Daeseong-dong, Gimhae, are being stored and displayed. Daeseong-dong Tombs, which surrounds the museum, is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Korea.
- 6 Gujibong Peak (김해 구지봉), 81-2, Gusan-dong. Aa place related to the founding myth of Gaya. It was designated as Historic Site No. 429 in 2001. According to the Garak Flag of the Three Kingdoms, King Suro came down to Gujibong Peak in 42 AD, and the name Gujibong Peak came out because the shape of the mountain resembles a turtle. At that time, when the chief and the people who ruled the area gathered here and sang Gujiga and danced a golden box came down from the sky, and people born from six eggs in boxes each became kings of six Gaya. The first person born was King Suro, the founder of the Geumgwanguk.
- 7 Archaeological Site in Bonghwang-dong (봉황동유적), 253 Bonghwang-dong. It is a relic of Geumgwan Gaya during the Bronze Age from the 1st to 4th centuries. It was designated as Historic Site No. 2 in 1963. Historic Site No. 2 used to be the Shell Mound in Hoehyeon-ri, Gimhae. Next to it was the Bonghwangdae Ruins (formerly Gyeongsangnam-do Cultural Heritage Material No. 87) and it has been pointed out that these two ruins are related to each other, and in 2003, they were combined to be re-designated as the historical site No. 2 Bonghwang-dong, Gimhae. Shell mounds (shell tombs) and Bonghwangdae became part of the ruins of Bonghwang-dong, Gimhae.
- 8 Tomb of King Suro (수로왕릉), 26 Garak-ro 93beon-gil. Historic Site No. 73. According to legend, King Suro, the owner of this tomb, is the first king of Garakguk and the founder of Gimhae Kim. It is a circular mound tomb with a height of 5 m. The surrounding area of 18,000 pyeong was designated as Royal Tomb Park. Within a 20-minute walk, there are Surowangbirung, Gimhae National Museum, and Gimhae Passenger Terminal. Since ancient times, it has also been nicknamed Nareung. In the royal tomb area, there are buildings such as Sungseonjeon Hall, one of the eight temples dedicated to King Suro's ancestral tablet, Anhyanggak, Jeonsacheong, Jego, Nalneungjeongmun, Sungjae, Dongjae, Seojae, Sinbigak, Hongsalmun, Sunghwamun, and stone monuments, as well as stone monuments such. Originally, there was a building built after the death of King Suro during Gaya and a shrine built during King Munmu of Silla, but hundreds of years later, many old facilities disappeared during the Joseon Dynasty, but various facilities were added to match the royal tomb.
- 9 Jillye-myeon (on the west side of Gimhae.). This village, nestled in the plains of a valley, is famous for showcasing the area's history and for making all types of pottery and clay pieces. An encouraged short trip "off the beaten path" is to walk the main street and shop the numerous pottery and craft stores. Also in Jillye-myeon is the Clayarch Gimhae Museum, which exhibits many works of art by local and regional artists, as well as some history.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]As with much of Korea, there are many good places to eat — especially in the central district.
- 1 Milyang Pork Soup (밀양돼지국밥), ☏ +82 55 337-1790. 09:00-22:00. Warm Pork Soup.
- 2 suson jjajang (수손짜장), ☏ +82 55 336-0331. 10:30-22:00. It is a Korean-style Chinese restaurant. Japchaebap and sweet and sour pork are delicious. ₩4500-27000.
- 3 gaya milmyeon (가야밀면 장유본점), ☏ +82 55 314-1885. Delicious Wheat Noodles. Warm pork dumplings.
- Samil Dwitgogi (삼일뒷고기), 277, Jeonha-ro, Gimhae-si (next to Gimhae Bus Terminal), ☏ +82 55 334 4138. M-Sa 17:00-23:00. It sells a regional variation of Korean barbecue, called 'Dwitgogi', using unusual cuts of pork, such as jowl. 'Dwitgogi' means meat from behind, named because the cuts used to be traded unofficially from butchers, but such cuts are now legally traded and very popular among citizens. KRW 6000.
- 4 Dohyeongmin Restaurant (도형민 식당), 9, Gyeongwon. 11:30AM - 8:30PM (7:50PM Last Order). The main dishes of the restaurant inside and outside Gimhae, which is also famous for its Gimhae rice restaurant, include beef steak, pasta, and salad.
- 5 Whatfor Restaurant (왓포식당), 117-2 Bonghwang, ☏ +82 0507-1307-1638. 11:30AM - 9:00PM (Closed every Wednesday).
- 6 Jangwonjeong (장원정), 1097-17 Eobang. 11:00AM - 10:00PM (9:00PM Last order). Jangwonjeong, a famous restaurant in Gimhae, is where you can enjoy hot pot rice and meat together. In particular, if you order hot pot rice, you can enjoy a generous amount of 7 side dishes made with homegrown ingredients, pork bulgogi, and grilled fish at Jangwonjeong.
- 7 Haeru sushi (해루스시), 1120-5 Nae, ☏ +82 055-339-8082. 11AM - 9:30OM. Harusushi is a rotating sushi restaurant located in Nae-dong, Gimhae, and is famous for its fresh ingredients and various kinds of sushi.
Drink
[edit]- 1 bonghwang1935 (봉황1935), ☏ +82 55 329-1935. 11:00-23:00. A cafe with comfortable seats and delicious coffee. The atmosphere is so good. Quiet conversation in a sedentary room. ₩4500-7500.
- 2 Cafe Dahlia (카페 달리아), ☏ +82 55 325-9001. 11:00-23:00. It is a cafe building that won the Grand Prize in architecture. You can enjoy tea, coffee, and bread while looking at the mountain scenery.
- 3 Poven (포븐), 850-1 Daecheong, ☏ +82 0507-1421-6777. 9AM - 10PM (9:30 Last order). Poven is a specialty bakery cafe baked by Gyeongsangnam-do masters.
- 4 Fruits Forest (과일의숲), 474-9, Gwandong, ☏ +82 055-724-3002. 10:30AM - 11PM. The main branch of Fruit Forest is a cafe in Gimhae that offers a variety of desserts and drinks using fresh fruits.
Sports
[edit]It is the seat of the semi-professional Gimhae City Hall soccer team that participates in the K3 League, the third-division Korean football league. In 2020, it is a strong team that won both first place in the regular league in the K3 League and the K3 League Championship, and the home game will be held at Gimhae Stadium, and there is also a barren derby against the Changwon City Hall soccer team. It is also the location of Gimhae Jamies FC, which participates in the K5 League in the fifth division of Korea, which is an amateur level, and is famous for being a considerable power in the region. He won the K5 League Championship in the 2022 season.
Sangdong Baseball Stadium, a home stadium for the second and third divisions of the Lotte Giants and a training ground for the club, is located in Daegam-ri, Sangdong-myeon, Gimhae. There is Gimhae High School, one of the local farms of NC Dinos. Before the founding of the NC Dinos, it was a local farm for the Lotte Giants. Miryang, an upper neighbour, is also adjacent to Cheongdo in the last part of Gyeongsangbuk-do, so there are many Samsung Lions fandom, but this is definitely adjacent to Busan and Changwon, so it is mainly Lotte and NC fandom. Surprisingly, it is one of the areas where little baseball is very well played. The name is Gimhae Angels.
It is considered to be the hockey capital of South Korea. Gimhae High School's hockey team was the number one team in the country. Busan Gyeongnam Horse Racing Park was jointly built to obtain taxes across Gangseo-gu and Gimhae-si, but its recognition is low because the entrance is in Gangseo-gu, Busan. It succeeded in hosting the National Sports Festival in 2023. Various sports facilities and foundations will be laid in the future.