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Places of Interest - South Korea
Despite being a country full of skyscrapers and modern industries, Korea has much to offer in terms of quality sightseeing. Seoul and Busan are the only cities which would interest people visiting the country. Generally sight-seeing in Korea is cheap. You will only shell out around 1000 won for most places. There are quite a number of places in and around Seoul that are worth visiting. Some of them are:
COEX Aquarium: largest aquarium in Seoul with over 40,000 fish
and other sea-creatures in over 90 tanks. You can see live turtle,
corals and sharks. If you are lucky you can get a glimpse of jellyfish,
glassfish or sea-horses.
63 Building: has a small aquarium and houses Seoul’s only IMAX
Cinema. It has an observation deck on the 60th floor. This place has
lost its popularity somewhat. The Sea World Aquarium inside has
penguins, reptiles and seals. For foodies there is the Plaza Fountain
Buffet.
Jogyesa: the largest Buddhist shrine Seoul. There is a tradition
of lighting a candle or incense stick and then walking around a
seven-tiered pagoda to make a wish. The temple is hugely popular and
much visited during the celebrations to celebrate Buddha’s birthday in
early May. Around the temple are shops that sell Buddhist images, beads
and candles.
Chonggyecheon: this is an artificial stream that runs through the
heart of downtown Seoul. A perfect place for evening strolls among the
citizens.
Korean Folk Village: the village is located near Suwon. The
museum is popular is as it re-creates the life of Chosun Dynasty.
Nansan-gol: the place famous is for exhibitions, performances and
cultural events. It does offer an insight onto traditional Korean
housing.
War memorial of Korea: located near Itaewon. The war memorial is
the largest in the world. Not surprising really when you consider the
Korean history which is full of wars. The museum houses over 8000 war
relics and weapons. You can also have a look at the black and white film
footages, photos, relics and artifacts of the famous and bloody Korean
War (1950-53). The other main attraction of the museum would be Admiral
Sun-Sin’s famous turtle warship. It takes around three hours to see the
full museum, so you need to come early. Please remember that only snacks
are available.
Seoul Tower: the tower on Nissan mountain offers a panoramic view
of the city of Seoul. The observation desk is located at the top along
with a couple of world-class restaurants. The tower has been recently
revamped and is easily accessible by cable car, yellow bus or a simple
walk from the Seoul subway station.
Busan is the 2nd largest town in South Korea and the largest port
city. It has its fair share of attractions for the tourists which would
include:
Busan Aquarium: the fish tank, located by the Haeundae beach, is
home to 50,000 creatures. It also holds shark diving class for the
non-divers to enable them to come as close to the marine life as
possible. Those interested in fish feeding can take a boat ride which is
a quite popular.
UN Memorial: located at Nam-gu the cemetery was built to remember
the soldiers who died during the Korean War in 1951.It was built by the
UN in 1951. The place may appeal to history enthusiasts but the photo
exhibition is nothing to write home about.
Beomeosa Temple: situated in the Kumjong mountain this Buddhist
temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Korea. According to a Korean
legend the temples water is said to have magical properties. Otherwise
it is a very healthy mountain spring water. The convention is that
before entering the temple you take a sip of the famed water. The temple
was founded in 678 AD but much if the original temple was destroyed by
Japanese invasion of 1592-93. The temple is definitely worth a visit but
before heading back to the city don’t forget to taste the tasty green
onion pancake in one of the many restaurants near the bus stop.
Haeundae Beach: the most famous beach of Busan is 1.5 km in
length. It is an ideal place for a family outing. Winter is a beautiful
sight with all the seagulls hovering around. Summertime is a bit harsh
with sun smiling down at you with full intensity. The beach is also
popular for all kinds of water sports.
Daegu is the 3rd largest city of South Korea known for its textile
manufacturing. The tourist attractions are very few in this city.
Bullo-Dong Tumuli Park: located near the Daegu airport, the place
is actually a cemetery. Across the valley you will see grass elevations
which are known as tumuli or tombs. A person of higher status will have
his tomb on a higher location on the hill.
Daegu National Museum: situated in Suseon-gu and well serviced by
bus lines the museum has a fine collection of potteries and Buddhist
icons.
Woobang Tower Land: this theme park is very popular among kids
and children alike.
Gwangju or the ‘city of life and light’ has been blessed by natural
landscapes and a sylvan atmosphere. The main attractions are:
Gwangju National Museum: it has a fine collection of Chinese
ceramics which were discovered in 1975 inside a 14th century ship-wreck.
May 18th National Cemetery: the cemetery which opened a decade
back is a fitting tribute to the 325 civilians who laid down their lives
in the 1980 Gwangju uprising. It is a small museum but gives a vivid
account of the traumatic events that unfolded 28 years ago through video
films and photos.
Jeju-Si is not actually a glamorous city but there are a few
historical structures, a large park, a few restaurants and bars.
Fantasia: A small and disappointing theme park.
Folklore and Natural History Museum: it has exhibits on volcanic bombs and lava tubes. There are some excellent wildlife films and the bizarre oar fish.Shopping in Seoul can be a unique experience where you can get anything from dried squids to DVDs’. The locals markets are perfect place for bargain shopping and you can get a whole lot of discount if you buy anything of the Korean produced consumer goods such as clothing, shoes and leather goods.
Testimonials
This
project fulfilled many of my passions, the most prevalent being
travel in different cultures and teaching. It is an opportunity that
I find inspiring and wanted to take advantage of it.
