Gyeongju was the capital of Silla, which, two thousand years ago, was a Korean kingdom located in the southern and central parts of what is now Korea. At one time, Silla was a wealthy country and Gyeongju was the fourth largest city in the world. Some of the remains of the Silla kingdom still exist … Continue reading / view photos Gyeongju – the “museum without walls”.
Tag: South Korea
The most beautiful temple in Korea
I was leaving Busan today and had booked my bus ticket for late afternoon so that I could spend a bit more time here. High on the list of places to visit in Busan is Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. It was about a 50-minute bus journey from my hostel. When you get to the temple, there’s … Continue reading / view photos The most beautiful temple in Korea
Haeparang coastal trail
There’s a scenic linear coastal path that starts at the south-western end of the “Diamond Bridge”. I took the metro to get close to the start then walked the rest of the way. It was a lovely sunny day and being a weekday, there weren’t that many people doing it. On this walk, in contrast … Continue reading / view photos Haeparang coastal trail
Gamcheon culture village
Sometimes popular tourist attractions live up to expectations. Gamcheon culture village is one of those. Its claim to fame is that it has colourful houses and art — and therefore photogenic and highly Instagrammable. The journey to the village (a small town, really) required two buses and took about an hour. I’d read about places … Continue reading / view photos Gamcheon culture village
Exuberance on Gwangalli Beach
Fairly close to where I’m staying (Haeundae) is Gwangandaegyo Bridge. It’s known as the “Diamond Bridge” because it glitters at night. I’d read that the best place to see the bridge was from Gwangalli Beach. After finishing my hike in Daecheon Park, I walked to the bus stop. I saw a small convenience shop that … Continue reading / view photos Exuberance on Gwangalli Beach
Hiking in Daecheon Park
Yesterday, I went into a bakery. There are many here and they sell mostly cakes. The bread is sweet and usually has milk. But there was some wholemeal/sourdough type bread. It was exceptionally good and may have been the best bread I’ve had on this trip. Today, I went back and got some more. After … Continue reading / view photos Hiking in Daecheon Park
Train to Busan
I left Seoul today but will return. My friend from Hong Kong told me that there’s a film about a train to Busan that features zombies. I left the Seoul hostel on time to catch one of several buses for the 10-minute journey to the station. However, there was a lot of traffic, and no … Continue reading / view photos Train to Busan
Bukchon Hanok Village
A hanok is a traditional Korean house. Bukchon, an area of Seoul, had a whole village full of them. I went to a two-room museum which described the transition from the older to the newer hanok — and one man’s attempt to keep traditional Korean culture alive against the threat of “Japanisation”, which the occupying … Continue reading / view photos Bukchon Hanok Village
Ikseondong, Insadong, and Myeongdong
After visiting two palaces, I wanted to see two districts known for their character. Ikseondong has lots of small alley ways with cute shops. I enjoyed getting lost in the maze of restaurants and shops. Insadong struck me as the creative quarter. There were antique shops but a lot of newer art shops and galleries … Continue reading / view photos Ikseondong, Insadong, and Myeongdong
Palace day
The are five palaces in Seoul and I went to two of them today: Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung. Changdeokgung Palace was built in 1405 as the backup palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Being in the east, it balanced the primary palace (Gyeongbokgung), which was in the west. Changdeokgung was destroyed by fire during the Japanese … Continue reading / view photos Palace day