Love Land - Jeju Island (South Korea)
Love Land is an outdoor sex-themed sculpture park. Opened on November 16, 2004 in Jeju Island (South Korea), Love Land is perhaps the most kinkiest destination of the world. Jeju Love Land breaks the traditional taboos involving sex, and is a place where the visitor can appreciate sexuality.
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Historically,
the small island with its beaches and mighty volcanic mountains and its
600,000 inhabitants has held this honorary
title of HONEYMOON ISLE since the end of the Korean War, thanks to a
double coincidence.
On the one hand, Jeju Island is the southernmost and hence warmest part
of Korea to have been properly settled. On the other hand, most South
Koreans were unable -- for financial and political reasons -- to travel
abroad until the early 1990s. The Jeju island thus became a popular
honeymoon destination for Korean couples wedded mostly through arranged
marriages. The lucky ones of the newly-weds might have had a brief
chance to meet each other -- under
the watchful eyes of relatives -- before exchanging vows. And then,
after their wedding, they were immediately flown off to the south -- to
Jeju Island so that they could get accustomed to the notion of being
bonded for life and could explore sexuality with some freedom before
returning to the day-to-day social life. According to an article in
Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, journalist and travel writer Simon
Winchester in the late 1980s reported that some hotel employees on the
island performed as
"professional icebreakers". In the evenings, the hotel would offer an
entertainment program
featuring erotic elements like lap dances and other raunchy or risqué
highlights. Its
purpose was to help the intimidated, freshly married novices relax --
and perhaps to give them some ideas for later. And in its new look,
however shy a newly-wed couple may be, one who has meandered about
between the gigantic stone labia and climbed
the 10 meter marble phallus of Jeju Love Land probably feels a
little less
repressed afterwards.
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In
2002, 20 graduates of Hongik University of Seoul began creating
sculptures for the park that opened on
2004. Encompassing an area the size of "two soccer fields", all of the
sculptures can be viewed in approximately one hour (about 40 minutes
during light hours and 50 minutes during night hours), and there is an
additional monthly rotating exhibit featuring works by different Korean
artists. The Love Land is not only crammed with soft porn memorabilia
-- statues, photographs and about 140 sculptures representing
humans in various sexual positions -- but also runs sex education films.
It
also has other elements such as large statues of human phallus, stone
labia,
and hands-on exhibits such as a "masturbation-cycle". The park's
website describes the location as "a place where love oriented art and
eroticism meet".
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Just
behind the entrance to Love Land, an acrobatic, oral-sex ensemble
greets visitors. It shows a man and two women -- one woman has her legs
wrapped around the man's neck and looks like she's going to break her
own neck any minute. The acrobatic threesome is illuminated at night,
just like the other exhibits here: the nipple mountain crowned with pink
nubs or the sturdy erect penises that rise up from the goldfish pond
like a fountain. The sculptures are so explicit that one can't help
stopping
in front of them with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Whoever has
meandered about between the gigantic stone labia and climbed
the 33 feet marble phallus probably feels a little less
repressed afterwards. Many shy young couples in their early 20s may be
seen idling through the love park,
glancing about and giggling nervously. They'll sit down next to each
other on the phallus bench, set up their camera tripod and use the
automatic release function to shoot a photo for the family album. Maybe
they'll even stop by the Love Land Store and purchase a few souvenirs to
use later.
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The
park remains opened from 9 am to midnight, though the admissions are
restricted after 11 pm. Visitors are required to be at least 18 years
old, though a separate play and recreation area is available for minors
while adults visit.
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Located
just 10 minutes away from the JEJU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JEJU LOVE
LAND is a place where imagination can run wild. Apart from the Love Land, the island houses a Folk-lore-themed-village and a Teddy Bear Museum. All these makes Jeju Island is an ideal tourist destination. Do visit...when it
matters!
With Love,
Raj Mitul
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