City Adventures: Seoul

     
      The metropolitan area of Seoul is home to over 25.6 million people and serves as home to over half of all Koreans in South Korea.  The city is surrounded by mountians and filled with tourist attractions from ancient temples to modern wonders, so it is no wonder that every year it serves as a destination for over 12 million international visitors.  

Palaces

      Seoul was first designed as a capital in the 14th century when the Joseon Dynasty built the five grand palaces.  Visitors searching for palaces should look in the Jongno district and Jung District.  One of the most spectacular of these palaces, Changdeokgung has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site.  It was added to the list because it is an "outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design." Visitors to the place should also be sure to see the 78 acre rear garden with its lotus pond and pavilions.

Mountain Hiking

      Seventy percent of Korea's landscape is mountains and they ring Seoul providing visitors with plenty of outdoor hiking adventures from which to choose.  The quintessential Seoul mountain hike is a climb up Bukhansan.  The hike up Seoul's highest peak takes most people around three hours.  To reach the begining of the climb follow line three on the worlds largest subway system to Gupabal Station and head to the Bukhansanseong Hiking Support Center.  For another good option, try Bugaksan.  If you do make sure to bring your passport, as it is checked at the trailhead.  The hike will take you along ancient fortress walls to stunning views of the city.

Temples And Shrines

      For some of the most interesting temples and shrines in Seoul, go to the top of Mount Inwang.  The mountain is home to both the Inwang temple and the famous shamanist shrine Guksedang.  For another option, visitors should check out Bonguen temple, the biggest, richest and most visited temple in Seoul.

COEX Mall

      The COEX mall is Asia's largest underground shopping mall with over 85,000 square meters of space.  It is home to hundreds of shop, two food courts, a movie theater, aquarium, and the Kimchi field museum.   The mall can be reached via a ride on the Subway system's line 2 and is served by Samseong Station.

N Seoul Tower

      Commonly known as Seoul Tower, this landmark is a communication and observation tower located on Namsan mountain.  The tower sees 8.4 million visitors a year, and many of them take the Namsan cable car up to the top of the mountain to see it.  The tower itself houses several shops and attractions for visitors to explore.  The tower contains four observation decks, one of which is a slowly rotating restaurant that allows diners a full 360 degree view during the course of their meal.  The tower is also home to such attractions as the teddy bear museum and the "locks of love" a place on the tower where people hang padlocks to symbolize eternal love.

Lotte World

      Lotte world is the world's largest indoor theme park.  It is also connected to an outdoor theme park, "Magic Island," located on an artificial island.  Lotte world is divided into four main floors, Adventure 1F through Adventure 4F.  Adventures include water rides such as log flumes and boat rides, several roller coasters, a monorail, and plenty of rides for kids and adults alike.

Noryangijin Fish Market

      This extensive wholesale fish market is located in the Noryangjin-dong neighborhood.  It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is Seoul's oldest and largest indoor fish market with over 700 vendors.  Most large tansactions actually occur in the early hours of the morning between 1:00 A.M. and dawn at the wholesale auctions, however good deals and fish can be found at all times of day.  Visitors to the market can also get cooked food at some of the restaurants located in the warehouse.

Silent Disco

      Every few weekends in Norita Park, visitos can find the Silent Disco where dancers don headphones and have a party that appears silent.  The first 300 people to arrive receive headphones, so come early.

Seoul Museum Of History

      This museum depicts the evolution of Seoul from its prehistoric roots to its current modern status.  Admission to the museum is free and it is open all days except for Monday.

T.um Tours

      This future technology museum is run by SK Telcom, Korea's largest telecommunications provider.  The tour is interactive and meant to provide a look into our technological future and the lifestyle it could provide.  The museum is divided into two sections: Dream and Play.  One section shows how technology will affect us in the future and the other shows how new technologies are being used right now.  Displays show you the future home, the future of shopping, and the future of driving.  The museum is open to the public everyday at 11 A.M.

Banpo Bridge

      The Banpo Bridge is a major bridge in downtown Seoul and has the world's longest bridge fountain.  The bridge itself is a double decker bridge designed to have the lower deck submerged during periods of high rainfall.  The fountain, known as the moonlight rainbow fountain has 10,000 LED nozzels that shoot out 190 tons of water per minute.