This is the first in a series of articles highlighting tourism spots in Seoul. The useful guide for planning weekend trips in the capital city will help readers rediscover Seoul. - Ed.
Insa-dong
----> Namsangol Hanok Village ----> Namsan (N Seoul Tower)
Meet Gareth`s family!
Before we start this journey, let me introduce my family.
I met my Korean wife Misha while studying at university in Nottingham, England. When Misha needed to come back to Korea in 2002, I did not want us to be apart, so I jumped on the plane too. We got married in 2003 in a wonderful traditional Korean wedding ceremony and now have two children. Our 4-year-old daughter Meghan is a real little firebrand and I want my baby son Owen to be the first Korean on the Welsh rugby team when he grows up. I work at the Korean branch of a major international publisher as an English language teaching book editor, and Misha works at the British Embassy in Seoul.
Now, I believe this journey about to begin will be a series of revisits for my family to bring back good old memories. But at the same time, it will offer visitors to Seoul a good chance to catch a glimpse into the wonderful attractions of this city.
Insa-dong: Mecca for Korean culture
This is the most famous souvenir shopping street in Korea. It is full of shops selling trinkets and art galleries showcasing pieces by Korea`s talented modern artists.
Occasionally you`ll be lucky enough to see one of the traditional parades. Meghan loved bouncing to the music of a marching band of traditional Korean instruments, and to see the king in his palanquin trailed by his loyal troupe of advisors and court attendants.
In the little alleys that dart off from the main street are some wonderful tea shops and great restaurants. The tranquil atmosphere of the restaurant we selected made it quite hard to believe that we were smack bang in the middle of a metropolis, and the whitewashed brick walls gave it a Southern European feel. I found that it was an excellent place to enjoy a delicious meal and decided to visit again ... without the kids!
Ssamji-gil: Landmark of Insa-dong
Just short of the northern end of the street, you`ll find the Ssamji-gil shopping arcade. It`s not really an arcade in the traditional sense, but a cool piece of architecture that spirals up four floors, taking you past shops that run the gamut - jewelry and accessories, hand-dyed textiles, ceramics and glassware, traditional Korean musical instruments, and clothes are all on offer here - and the spiral culminates in a roof top garden cafι and restaurant. The courtyard of the building is used as an art exhibition space and there is always something noisy and interesting going on. It is an odd place where old art forms meet with up-to-date modern design and I love it.
Namsangol Hanok Village: An arena to experience traditional culture
Located in the northern foothills of Namsan (Mt. Nam), this traditional village is a collection of restored traditional Korean folk houses where you can see how people from all walks of life lived in the past. Scattered around the village are traditional Korean games (think throwing horseshoes but with sticks going through standing rings instead) and other pastimes. Meghan`s favorite was hoisting the long wooden mallet used for pounding rice dough to make rice cakes, or tteok.
Namsangol Hanok Village is often used as a place for exhibitions of other traditional art forms, and on the day of our visit traditional music performances and a traditional liquor-sampling event were presented. In the "main square" of the village, high school students performed in a competition of samul nori, a Korean music form that incorporates dance and a lot of drumming. It was energetic and fun, and I was truly impressed that the kids put together such well polished performances.
N Seoul Tower: Symbolic structure of the city
For Misha and I, this place was a great opportunity to reminisce because it had been one of the first places we had gone to on a date during my first trip to Seoul in 1998. For visitors to Seoul it is probably the most memorable night-time landmark, as it really stands out from most parts of Seoul on a clear night, particularly from north of and along the Han River.
But since our first visit, so much had changed. Opened in 2005 after extensive refurbishing, now the outside of the tower is a small plaza used for events and art and design displays, and along the ground viewing platform, couples are invited to write down messages to each other on padlocks and to attach them to the chain link fence that runs around the edge.
The tower itself is 237 meters high and the elevator ride takes about 40 seconds to reach the top. At the top of the tower is a revolving restaurant, a cafι and the observatory. In my opinion, Seoul really shows itself off best when lit up at night, and the beautiful view from the observatory will not disappoint you. Along with a visit to Insa-dong, N Seoul Tower is a must see and well worth it to see the city at it`s best.
[출처 : 코리아헤럴드]
