Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Those on tighter budgets should head for the Pusan National University and Kyungsung
University neighborhoods, which are full of largely low-rise villas divided into smaller
apartment units that rent fairly cheaply, as well as lively low-cost eateries and clubs set up to
cater to the student-heavy population. Rents for one- and two-bedroom units in these areas
range 400,000-800,000 won, with minimal deposits of 5 million won, and they can be pur-
chased for 100-150 million won or so. Both locations are about equidistant from Haeundae
Beach and the old city center and are also quite convenient in transportation terms with
good subway connections.
Culture
City authorities have spared no expense over the past few years in their effort to make
Busan an arts as well as a maritime center, and while it's far too early to say whether they'll
succeed, the results are encouraging. The biggest event on the Busan cultural calendar is
the Busan International Film Festival held each fall, which in the last decade has become
one of the more prominent gatherings on the global film circuit. When it's happening, it's
nearly impossible to escape, with movies screened all over the city, the famous and their
fans crowding all the top hotels, and a laundry list of premieres and parties thrown each
night.
The city also stages a contemporary art festival every two years, the Busan Biennale,
and has several well-stocked galleries and museums, including the Busan Museum of Art.
It has also managed to maintain a handful of historic assets, including Beomeosa, a tranquil
mountaintop temple compound, and sections of the Geumjongsanseong, a partially restored
fortress that dates back some three centuries and provides some fantastic hiking opportun-
ities.
BUSAN'S “LITTLE RUSSIA”
One of the first things that strikes many visitors to Busan, especially if they arrive by
train and wander the streets near the station, is the abundance of Caucasians walking
the street and the signs in the Cyrillic alphabet. This area, Jungang-dong, is the heart
of Busan's Russian community.
While only a few hundred Russians reside here permanently, their numbers are
boosted substantially by sailors and traders who travel on the ships that now run reg-
ularly between Busan and the ports of the Russian far east. Many make a living by
