Stand on the steps below the great bronze Buddha at Gakwon Buddhist Temple and the city of Cheonan opens out below you, with the ridge of Mt. Taejosan rising directly behind the statue's shoulders. It is one of the clearest views in the city, and it costs nothing to climb up to it.
Cheonan suits travellers who are passing through the Seoul–Busan corridor and want more than a station stop, and those based in Seoul who want a full day out on Seoul Subway Line 1. The city is a transport hub, so most of what is worth your time sits on a bus or taxi ride from Cheonan Station or the intercity bus terminal.
1. Independence Hall of Korea
The largest museum in Korea, the Independence Hall of Korea presents the Korean people's struggle through the modern period, in particular the Japanese colonial era, and also conducts research and education on that history. It is privately funded, so expect a strongly nationalist reading of events. As well as the exhibits you can see the Grand Hall of the Nation, the Monument to the Nation and the Unification Bell, set across landscaped grounds.
Most 3xx and 4xx-series buses pass by; board them at Cheonan Station or in front of the intercity bus terminal. A taxi from Cheonan Station costs about ₩10,000. Admission is free. It sits about 12 km east of Cheonan, so give it a proper block of time rather than squeezing it between other stops.
2. Gakwon Buddhist Temple
Gakwon Buddhist Temple sits on Mt. Taejosan and is a large temple complex whose main draw is a very large sitting Buddha. It is a good place to combine sightseeing with a hike on the mountain.
Admission is free. Pair it with the other Taejosan-area stops below, since they share the same mountain and the same approach.
3. ARARIO Small City
ARARIO Small City is a square in Cheonan with 28 contemporary installation artworks. In 2007 it was selected as the most beautiful square in Korea and received the Prime Minister Award for it.
It is on Mannam-ro, and the ARARIO Gallery sits on its right side, so the two are best seen together in one visit.
4. ARARIO Gallery
ARARIO Gallery holds significant artworks collected over years and internationally acknowledged, and it is also where BTS' RM visited. It is a compact, focused stop rather than a large museum.
It is open daily from 11:00 to 19:00. Adult admission is ₩3,000, youth ₩2,000, and preschool children are free. Go after you have walked the square outside.
5. Byeongcheon Sundae Street
Byeongcheon Sundae Street is a street of sundae restaurants near the Aunae (Byeongcheon) Market, where the patriot Yu Gwan-sun led an independence movement. When a ham manufacturing plant was established near Byeongcheon in the 1960s, people in the area began making sausages using vegetables and pork byproducts such as intestines and clotted blood, and restaurants grew along the street. Word of mouth built its reputation, and the "special restaurant" designation began to be given in 1998. Dozens of sundae restaurants now line the street.
It is in Byeongcheon-myeon, the same part of the city as the memorial hall below, so plan them as one trip out east.
6. Memorial hall of Patriotic martyr Yu Gwan-sun
Yu Gwan-sun was a Korean independence activist, and this memorial hall covers her life story from birth to martyrdom through exhibits, videos and various hands-on experiences.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and admission is free. It sits on Yu Gwan-sun-gil in Byeongcheon-myeon, so combine it with Byeongcheon Sundae Street for a meal afterwards.
7. Cheonan Museum
The Cheonan Museum presents artifacts and relics that shed light on the history of Cheonan from prehistoric times to the modern period through permanent exhibitions. It is the most straightforward place to get the city's own story straight before or after visiting the outlying sites.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and admission is free. It is on Cheonan-daero, along with the Cheonan Heungtaryeong Center below.
8. Cheonan Heungtaryeong Center
The Cheonan Heungtaryeong Center takes dance and liquor as its theme, and you can experience traditional liquor and traditional dance here. It is a participatory stop rather than a display case.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, admission is free, and it sits on Cheonan-daero, which makes it an easy pairing with the Cheonan Museum.
9. Postal Museum
The Postal Museum displays postal artifacts and material dating back to 1884, when the first postal services began, covering the entire history of the Korean postal service with photographs and letter-carrying paraphernalia. The museum was not built here but moved from Seoul in February 2004 to the Ministry of Information and Communication Officials Training Institute in Cheonan.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, admission is free, and it is easy to reach by bus. It is a good place for young children.
10. Ligak Museum of Art
The Ligak Museum of Art is a contemporary art museum that honours the memory of sculptor Lee Jong-gak, and there are many sculptures in the park around it.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and it is on Taejosan-gil, so it fits naturally into a Mt. Taejosan day alongside Gakwon Buddhist Temple.
11. Jung-ang market
Jung-ang market is a traditional market with plenty of good food, and its hotteok store is especially famous. Some stalls close after 18:00, but the food trucks open then and you can eat something different from what is available during the day.
It is open daily from 08:00 to 18:00 in Sajik-Dong. Come in the late afternoon if you want to catch the changeover from stalls to food trucks.
12. Statue of Peace
The Statue of Peace was made to address the problem of the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery. Such statues have been the focus of regular protests every Wednesday since 1992, and the first was built in front of the Japanese Embassy in central Seoul on 14 December 2011, the 1,000th such demand rally. There are 129 statues in the country and several abroad; the one in Cheonan is among them.
It stands in Sinbu-Dong. Approach it as a memorial with ongoing political meaning rather than as a photo stop.
13. Cheonhoji Lake
Cheonhoji Lake, also known as Dandae Lake Park, is a nice place to see the night view. It is the one stop on this list that is better after dark than in daylight.
It is in Anseo-dong, so treat it as your evening finish rather than a daytime stop.
14. Hyeonchung-sa Temple
Hyeonchung-sa Temple in the southwest of the city, near the border with Asan, is a large complex with a main temple and an elaborate garden. It was built by Confucian scholars and is a shrine to Admiral Yi Sun-sin, whose grave is on the grounds. The temple and grounds also house a number of National Treasures.
Because it sits on the far southwestern edge of the city, give it its own half-day rather than tacking it onto a central Cheonan itinerary.
15. Samgeori park
Samgeori park has long been a strategic point of transportation and a place where culture has spread. The Samnamdaero, which starts in Seoul, parts here: one branch leads to the Yeongnam region, the other to the Honam region. Haneulgeori, within Cheonan Samgeori Park, is a resting area for the park's animal residents and offers scenery with its willow trees and small pond.
It is a place to understand why Cheonan grew where it did, so read up on the Samnamdaero split before you go, or visit after the Cheonan Museum has given you the background.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Independence Hall of Korea, about 12 km east of the city, taking a 3xx or 4xx-series bus from Cheonan Station or in front of the intercity bus terminal, or a taxi from Cheonan Station. Admission is free and the grounds are extensive, so this is your main morning block.
Afternoon: Head to Byeongcheon-myeon and visit the Memorial hall of Patriotic martyr Yu Gwan-sun, then eat on Byeongcheon Sundae Street nearby. If time allows on the way back, stop at the Cheonan Museum and the Cheonan Heungtaryeong Center, both on Cheonan-daero and both free.
Evening: Finish at Jung-ang market, arriving in the late afternoon so you catch the food trucks that open after the daytime stalls close, or go straight to Cheonhoji Lake in Anseo-dong for the night view.
Do I need a car to see Cheonan's sights?
No. The Independence Hall of Korea is reachable by 3xx and 4xx-series buses from Cheonan Station or in front of the intercity bus terminal, and the Postal Museum is easy to get to by bus. Taxis are also an option, for example about ₩10,000 from Cheonan Station to the Independence Hall.
Which sights are free?
Admission is free at the Independence Hall of Korea, Gakwon Buddhist Temple, the Memorial hall of Patriotic martyr Yu Gwan-sun, the Cheonan Museum, the Cheonan Heungtaryeong Center and the Postal Museum. ARARIO Gallery charges ₩3,000 for adults and ₩2,000 for youth, with preschool children free.
What should I eat in Cheonan?
Go to Byeongcheon Sundae Street, where dozens of sundae restaurants line the street near the Aunae (Byeongcheon) Market. Jung-ang market is the other option, and its hotteok store is especially famous.
When is the best time to visit Cheonan?
Cheonan has four distinct seasons, with moderately high summer temperatures and moderately low winter temperatures with snowfall. If you are planning around specific sights, note that the Independence Hall of Korea opens 09:00–17:00 from March to October and 09:30–16:00 from November to February, and most museums here are closed on Mondays.
Check the bus routes from Cheonan Station and the opening days that fit your dates, then build your own day around the stops above.