I always then try to take in some of the historical sites. I’ve been to the royal tombs of the Shilla dynasty down in Kyongju; the tomb of Sejong the Great near Yoju; and numerous mountain top temples throughout the country. Places like these show the thousands of year of history on the Korean peninsula. If your time is limited, the Korean National Museum in the Yongsan section of Seoul shows the history of the Korean people through the millennia.
It is a huge museum that can take days to go through (a far cry from the small national museum that was located on the grounds of Kyongbuk palace in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In addition to the National Museum is the nearby War Memorial Museum. This is a must for anyone interested in military history. Of course my favorite historical places have always been castles. Seoul does have the old royal palaces of the Chosen Dynasty. In the old days the city was surrounded by a wall. All that remains of the wall are three of the four main gates (North, South, East, and West). Bukdaemun, Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and Seodaemun.
To highlight two, Namdaemun is being rebuilt after a recent catastrophic fire; however, it is near a major shopping district and Seoul’s main train station. An interesting side trip is Seodaemun. While the gate is gone, a prison used by the Japanese to imprison Korean patriots is there as a museum that pays tribute to the heroism of the Korean people in resisting the Japanese occupation from 1910-1945. It is an interesting historical stop. If you go to the top of Namsan (South Mountain) were Seoul Tower is locate, you can see the old smoke signal tower used in the old days.
If you want to see a large walled city you can go down to Suwon and walk the old walls. This is a great way to see history and get some exercise. My favorite place to see old forts is Kanghwa Island. Here, the Korean government has restored and rebuild the string of forts that guarded the Kanghwa Straits (called the Salee River in the 19th Century) that was the main water avenue of approach to Seoul. These forts were involved in pitch battles against the French (1866); Americans (1871); and Japanese (1876). They are beautifully restored and are situated with great vistas and they are not far from Seoul.
After eating and touring historical sites gets old, sometimes you just want to walk around. There are three places in Seoul I like to go. The first is in Kangnam. This is the part of Seoul south of the Han River. No much was there in the 1970’s. Now it is the newest part of the city. I like going to Dosandaero (one street south of Apkujeongdong). This are has bars, clubs, Korean and western restaurants and upscale shopping. It also has great movie theaters and if a fun place to walk around. The next place is Insadong. This is the cultural street where you can get Korean crafts. It is also near Sejeongro and Kyongbuk Palace. It is near Myongdong that is still hopping but not as much as in the 1970’s.
It is in the center of Seoul. It is a good walking area with lots to see. The last and probably best area is Cheonggyecheon. Here, in the center of Seoul, the government has peeled back and old expressway built during the headlong rush towards modernization and restored and old stream. The stream has walkways, stepping stones to allow people to cross, and is a great place to just walk and relax. I remember walking down the Cheonggyecheon during the Christmas holiday season and remember being greeted by a wonderful holiday light display at the end of the walk. The restoration of Cheonggyecheon is just one example of how Seoul is become a more pedestrian and people friendly city.
I’m off to Korea again in three weeks from New York. It is the perfect place to adjust to Asian time zones and get you thoughts together before going to other locations in Northeast Asia. My plan is to get off the plane, get some chicken and beer and a hof, sleep, get some Kalbi, see some friends, then discover some new sights.
By Mr. William C. Harlow The military and economic historian who specializes in U.S
history in Asia during the last half of the 19th century.
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한국관광공사 제공 사진 Copuright@한국관광공사
