I’m off to Seoul this coming weekend, which makes today’s blog post especially timely. Come along as I relive the sweet – and bitterly, bitterly cold – memories of another winter holiday in the Korean capital that took place almost exactly a year ago. Today’s mission: an afternoon stroll around Seoul’s historic Dongdaemun gate.
Tag Archives: Seoul
Flight Report: MNL-ICN-MNL on AirAsia Z2 884 and Z2 85 (February 2016 edition)
Unless an airline does something so phenomenally stupid that I slap them with a personal travel ban, I’d happily fly with them again – even on the same route and schedule as before. That’s why I found myself taking a third round-trip journey on Philippines AirAsia (Z2) this past Seollal weekend, between Manila’s Ninoy AquinoContinue reading “Flight Report: MNL-ICN-MNL on AirAsia Z2 884 and Z2 85 (February 2016 edition)”
Field Report: Seodaemun Independence Park, Seoul, South Korea (13 December 2014)
The last major stop of my winter 2014 visit to Seoul was an important monument raised to commemorate Korean independence – not from Japan, but from the nation’s centuries-old status as a tributary state of Imperial China.
Field Report: Seodaemun Prison, Seoul, South Korea (13 December 2014)
Seoul’s grandiose palaces and gleaming museums are a vital part of its urban fabric, and all have a key part to play in preserving the rich cultural endowment left to us by previous generations. However, the historical record would not be complete if we ignored those other relics that remind us of darker times …Continue reading “Field Report: Seodaemun Prison, Seoul, South Korea (13 December 2014)”
Field Report: Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul, South Korea (13 December 2014)
Stick a spade into the ground in central Seoul and you might strike a few stones from the city’s distant past. In the case of one massive contemporary landmark, those involved in its construction ran into more than just a few stones.
Field Report: Cheongwadae Sarangchae and Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (29 September 2015)
If things had turned out a little differently, and Korea were still a monarchy (albeit a constitutional one) in our own day and age, the king and the president would have ended up as next-door neighbours. Whether they’d have been the sort of neighbours to share a pint and swap power tools – or tradeContinue reading “Field Report: Cheongwadae Sarangchae and Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (29 September 2015)”
Field Report: Cheonggyecheon and Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, South Korea (29 September 2015)
Seoul is a splendid monument to its own long and rich history, with various features of the urban landscape bearing witness to the march of many centuries across the Korean capital. Today, let’s combine a refreshing morning stroll with an educational history walk as we learn more about this amazing city through the relics thatContinue reading “Field Report: Cheonggyecheon and Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, South Korea (29 September 2015)”
Field Report: Korean Folk Village, Yongin, South Korea (28 September 2015)
Visiting Seoul’s lavish royal palaces might help one imagine the lifestyles of kings and aristocrats … but what was the daily grind like for mere commoners and country folk of days gone by? Today, we’re off to see a theme park with a difference: one that transports people not to the Joseon of court ceremoniesContinue reading “Field Report: Korean Folk Village, Yongin, South Korea (28 September 2015)”
Rail Report: Seoul to Suwon on the S-train, South Korea (28 September 2015)
Regular visitors are probably well aware that Diego is something of a railfan. That said, in spite of all the train journeys I’ve taken through the years (particularly in Japan), I’ve tended to fold those accounts into Field Reports rather than write separate posts about them. Even though that pattern will continue for most ordinaryContinue reading “Rail Report: Seoul to Suwon on the S-train, South Korea (28 September 2015)”
Field Report: National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea (27 September 2015)
I had a great time at Namsangol Hanok Village, but with the sun high in the sky and the air getting a wee bit too warm for comfort, I took refuge in one of Seoul’s largest indoor attractions … deliciously air-conditioned, of course. Oh, and did I mention that it’s free?
Within striking distance 