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PLACES OF INTEREST
in 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.
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