The Sights of Seoul

Trailing, ever-present, behind Japan in the race for the world's most modern society is South Korea, a quietly-developing nation of quirky, intelligent fashionistas with a culture all their own. Seoul is the humming capital of South Korea - an enormous metro area of greater than 10 million people - one of the biggest cities on earth. Seoul teeters between its long historical past crowned by the temples and shrines which still give the city an air of serenity, and the modern buzz of international commerce which characterizes South Korea today.Gyeonbok PalaceFor hundreds of years, this sprawling ornate palace complex was the seat of Korea's Joseon imperial governments. The original palace was constructed in the 1390s and reconstructed in 1867. Sadly, the palace was terribly broken during war, so it's still going through repairs. Today, it is available for tourism as the Joseon Palace Museum, and houses the Korean Folk Museum, too. The palace consists of a number of stacked pago
da-style gates at various ends of the complex, and the interior comprises many courtyards layered within one another.Cheonggye StreamThough it has flowed through Seoul for centuries, this small river was converted into a public green space just five years ago, when it opened as a public park and recreation area in September 2005. When Seoul was 1st developing, Cheonggye Stream was covered by infrastructure, and later an elevated highway was built over it. When the government made a decision to reconvert the area to a green space, the highway was removed and parklands were installed down both sides of the river, as well as a walking path, bridges and gardens.BukchonTo get a feel for a more historic side of Seoul, wander through this neat series of suburbs exactly where imperial officials and royalty once resided. Some of the traditional Korean houses, known as hanok, are preserved well here - many still inhabited by local residents. This area is also a haven for fashion and f
ood and is developing into 1 of the best preserved cultural centers in Seoul.Namdaemun MarketOne of the biggest and most well-known markets in Seoul, this pedestrian-only shopping district nods to a time when Seoul was less car-friendly. Hundreds of shops, stalls and vendors line the narrow streets of the congested Namdaemun Market, and here you can find all types of goods, particularly handbags, shoes and clothing.Namsan TowerThis hilltop tower features fantastic vistas of the Seoul city scape from the vantage point of a small mountain near the city center. Namsan Tower, also known as N Seoul Tower, was once the tallest building in Asia and has an observatory deck that enables circular views of the entire city. The tower can be reached by a variety of modes, but the coolest is a cable car that speeds you up the south slope of the hill, with breathtaking views of downtown Seoul as you go.Chains of LoveWhile going to Namsan, you will definitely want to partake in this strange
ly romantic tradition, whereby lovers place padlocks along the chain link fence that surrounds the base of the tower. Each and every couple brings two locks and chains them together to the fence to represent their eternal love. The fence now has thousands of locks hooked to it, creating a truly unique creative installation that also has a great meaning.

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