The Stone Gate of Seopjikoji: Nancy Glass Art at the Yumin Art Nouveau Museum

From the 2008 ‘Genius Loci’ to the Yumin Art Nouveau Museum

The Yumin Art Nouveau Museum is located in the center of Seopjikoji, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The building was designed by Tadao Ando and originally began as a meditation space called ‘Genius Loci,’ completed in 2008.

Tadao Ando incorporated the primal nature of Seopjikoji into the architecture, designing the space so visitors could experience water, wind, light, and sound. Built on a basalt rock island, the building is introduced as ‘Gate of Stone’ and was designed as a series contrasting yang and yin, facing the Glass House.

Art Nouveau from 1894 and Hong Jin-gi’s Nancy Collection

The Yumin Art Nouveau collection here consists of French École de Nancy glass artworks collected over many years by the late Hong Jin-gi (1917–1986), former chairman of JoongAng Ilbo. Art Nouveau, the focus of the exhibition, was a craft and design movement that developed throughout Europe for approximately 20 years from 1894.

The exhibition features around 50 glass artworks by masters from the Nancy region, including Émile Gallé, the Daum brothers, and René Lalique. This place is defined not simply by transporting European crafts from beyond Jeju, but by combining them with the dark exhibition spaces and the stones and wind of Seopjikoji.

From Four Exhibition Rooms to Émile Gallé’s Mushroom Lamp

The permanent exhibition consists of the ‘INSPIRATION GALLERY,’ ‘MASTERPIECE GALLERY,’ ‘PEAK OF ART NOUVEAU GALLERY,’ and ‘LOUNGE GALLERY.’ The exhibition rooms are designed as pitch-black spaces with minimal lighting to create an immersive experience outside everyday life.

Émile Gallé’s mushroom lamp ‘Les Coprins,’ displayed alone, compares human youth, maturity, and old age to changes in nature. Four other examples of the same work exist around the world, and the museum’s piece is introduced as being in the best state of preservation among them. Gallé was active from 1846 to 1904 and presented works made with multiple layers of opaque glass and engraved poetry at the 1889 Exposition Universelle.

Open 09:00–18:00; Ticket Sales End at 17:00

Regular operating hours are 09:00–18:00, and the museum is listed as open year-round. However, ticket sales end at 17:00, so visitors arriving in the late afternoon must purchase admission before 5 p.m. The main contact number is 064-731-7791.

General adult admission is 20,000 won, while admission for teenagers and children is 17,000 won. Seniors, persons with disabilities, registered national merit recipients, and guests staying at Phoenix or Place Camp pay 16,000 won for adults and 13,000 won for teenagers and children. Individual and corporate members, Jeju residents, and groups pay 14,000 won for adults and 12,000 won for teenagers and children. Children aged six and under enter free, and groups are defined as 10 or more people.

Phoenix guests and individual or corporate members may bring accompanying children through elementary-school age in free of charge. Groups of 10 or more staying at Phoenix receive a 50% discount, paying 10,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for children. The official website is https://www.phoenixhnr.co.kr/static/jeju/architecture/yuminart1.

Private Vehicles Cannot Enter Seopjikoji; a Free Five-Minute Bus Ride from the Check-in Center

Private vehicles cannot enter Seopjikoji Tourist Site. If you are using a rental car, park in the lot in front of the check-in center and take the free shuttle bus within the complex. The bus ride from the parking lot to the museum takes approximately five minutes.

Free parking registration is available at the museum ticket office. Guests starting from Building B of Phoenix Island are advised that the museum is approximately an 11-minute walk away. Free transportation service is also provided for visitors with mobility needs and those who have difficulty traveling in severe weather.

Confirmed bus route numbers, the stop for getting off, and the interval between free buses have not been provided. Therefore, travelers planning to come directly from the airport or Jeju City using only public transportation should not base their plans on a route number and should instead call 064-731-7791 to ask about transportation options for the day.

Indoor-Shoe Reviews and Easily Missed Rules in the Dark Galleries

Visitor reviews include cases of following the designated route and spending approximately 40 minutes to one hour viewing the artworks. Another review mentions changing into indoor shoes during the visit, so travelers who may be uncomfortable taking off their shoes should prepare in advance.

Smoking is prohibited throughout the exhibition hall, and food, beverages, and pets cannot be brought inside. Because the artworks are viewed in dark galleries, the official information does not confirm whether photography is prohibited or whether the exhibition rooms are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.

An audio guide is provided free of charge through a QR code on the leaflet. Since the availability of a separate English audio guide or English-language information, as well as whether payment is cash-only, has not been stated, travelers for whom these conditions are important should confirm by phone before entering.

Monday–Friday 14:00 Docent Tours and Reservation-Based Museum Walks

The docent program operates from 14:00 to 14:40 every Monday through Friday. The fee is 30,000 won for adults and 20,000 won for children, including admission. Unlike general admission, it requires arriving at a set time, so it should be planned together with an afternoon itinerary.

‘A Museum Walk with the Curator’ takes place from 14:00 to 15:00. Advance reservation is required after contacting the museum by phone, and the reservation is confirmed after approval by the person in charge. The reservation inquiry number is the museum’s main line, 064-731-7791.

If you plan to view the artworks quickly on your own, the free QR audio guide is a practical choice. If you want explanations of the context surrounding Émile Gallé, the Daum brothers, and René Lalique, consider a docent tour or reservation-based program. Neither program allows automatic participation with only a same-day admission ticket.

In 2026, ‘Gate of Wind, Gate of Stone’ Will Be Held in the Glass House Annex

The 2026 special exhibition ‘Gate of Wind, Gate of Stone: A Record of Architecture’ runs from February 7 through December 31, 2026. It is held in the annex on the first floor of the Glass House, and admission to the special exhibition is free.

The special exhibition is based on materials provided by Tadao Ando’s architectural office and curator Ji-yeon Lee, and features more than 20 works. From an itinerary perspective, it is important that visitors can combine the paid permanent exhibition at the Yumin Art Nouveau Museum with the free special exhibition in the Glass House annex on the same day.

Night opening hours are 18:00–20:00 and are free for hotel guests. However, the interiors of the exhibition rooms cannot be viewed at night; visitors may only walk through outdoor spaces such as Samda’s Garden, the Wallcheon Waterfall, and the Sky Path. Night opening is not operated in bad weather.

Who Will Enjoy It at Seopjikoji—and Who May Find It Inconvenient?

This is a suitable place for travelers who want to see Art Nouveau glass craftsmanship and Tadao Ando’s architecture in one visit. Conversely, the general adult admission fee of 20,000 won and the dark indoor exhibition may feel burdensome for those who only want to see the outdoor scenery quickly, and the exhibition rooms cannot be viewed if you use only the night opening.

Rental-car users should first note that vehicles cannot be driven into the tourist site. Remember the sequence: park at the check-in center, take the free bus for approximately five minutes, and register for free parking at the ticket office. Guests can choose either an approximately 11-minute walk from Building B or the transportation service.

The address is 107 Seopjikoji-ro, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Phoenix Island Jeju. If photography rules, indoor accessibility, or public transportation route numbers not covered in the official information are essential to your trip, call 064-731-7791 on the day of your visit. When planning, distinguish between the 17:00 ticket-sale deadline and the 18:00–20:00 night operation.