Seoul - A Cultural Immersion

Seoul is immersed in cultural activities. So many times I've visited what they affectionately call The Land of the Morning Calm, yet never had the time to truly indulge myself in its rich culture. Most of my activities in the past have been limited to the occasional Korean BBQ restaurant, a trip down Itae-Won market for some cheap knock-off American products, an OB or Hite beer with other government colleagues, a summer night walk by the Hahn River or working overtime, never having the chance to leave the government installation. This trip was different in that I had the opportunity to stay over the weekend and immerse myself in a little bit of Korean culture, like the Kyongbok Palace, Korean National Folk Museum, Chogyesa Buddhist Temple and the Korean Folk Village.

Quick Tips:

You think Los Angeles or Silicon Valley has a conjestion problem. Seoul is conjested all day and all night. Imagine that almost all the adult population has a car and they are all driving at the same time. Street lights are geared totally for through-way traffic. Left turns are always OK as long as no on coming traffic is present, in fact, they have special areas along the road for cars to make left and U turns near the middle of blocks. At any moment you can find 5 cars lined up perpendicular to the flow all ready to turn the moment the road clears (or a car can be avoided). It's simply amazing. I have seen a car trying to merge into traffic from a side street that bumped a pedestrian (a group of 6) crossing. The driver got out to apologize immediately. But no one was hurt and everyone simply went on along their way. No insults, no screaming, just a simple Ooops! Sorry. No harm, no foul. Most intersections do not have cross walks.

Best Way To Get Around:

If walking around Seoul, there are special areas along the main roads that allow pedestrians to cross 8 lanes of traffic, but they are few and far between. I figure people walk and eat and work only on one side of the street as it takes too long to get to the other side before the "Do Not Walk" sign flashes. All side streets are barely wide enough for two cars. And this is where everyone parks due to a lack of parking spaces. Here pedestrians must also watch for cars as the cars have the right-of-way in the confines of these narrow streets. If you are lucky enough to use a parking garage, the first thing you notice is that the cars are packed in like sardines with only a single car's width access through the parking area. Most cars are left in neutral to allow attendants to push them out of the way. It would never happen in America. Too many alarms and chances of getting shot as a suspected car thief.

Chogyesa Temple is an important temple for Korean Buddhism. This is one of the few Buddhist temples actually within the Seoul city limits. Buddhist temples were moved into the mountains of Korea to escape persecution from invading countries. I noticed in the front yard of the Chogyesa Temple, stands a white pine and locust tree, each more than 400 years old. We happened to be there during the Buddha's birthday and hundreds of electric bulbs were strung across the trees and on the temple itself, presenting a magnificent sight. We heard one of the festivities of Buddha's birthday brings the "Feast of the Lanterns", which includes an evening lantern parade from Chogyesa Temple through the streets of Seoul, starting around 6.30 p.m. You'd have to check with a tourist office to see what date it occurs in the month of April or May, depending on which day falls on the "eight day of the fourth moon." What impressed me most with this temple was its serene immediate surroundings, where just a block away was the noise, action and architecture of normal, modern Korean life. This could be quite a peaceful resting place for a quick city departure from hectic living.

This would be a fascinating place to take the kids. That was the first thing that crossed my mind when coming to this open-air museum. The Korean Folk Village reminded me of our very own Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, an historical haven for adults and children alike. The folk village seemed like a Korean national treasure, showing a live illustration of the way things used to be in a Korean foregone era. Its located 20 miles south of Seoul, near Suwon and is actually a lot larger village than I thought. The open-air museum village stands on 243 acres. Designed and devised to preserve the various aspects of Korea's traditional life, sites are assembled over a total of 200 separate buildings including the residence offices of the later Yi Dynasty, the residence of "Yangban" (a famous nobleman), and farmhouses from each local province of Korea. Additionally, you will find an authentic recreation of traditional village life, featuring a jail, blacksmith's shop, pottery shop and an open-air market selling souvenirs and handicrafts. Be careful here, you may not have room in your suitcase to bring items back, you may have to ship some goods home. It was pretty addicting to watch how Korean artisans made their wares then sold them at the store front. Its how I bought my panflute compact disc at a fair once. Anyway, once inside you are able to appreciate the tastes of the traditional foods and wine, and watch the production processes of tools, utensils, and other implements at the various workshops. Korean artisans live in the village as weavers, basket-makers, calligraphers, fortune-tellers and costume-makers. We were also able to watch a traditional performance in an open-air ampitheater, about a 30 minute rendition of a farmer's dance. They also had performances for old-style weddings and kite shows, which I didnt see.

Within the grounds of the Kyongbok Palace is the Korean National Folk Museum. The exhibits within this museum depict early and rural Korean living, with some pretty life-like dioramas. The dioramas particularly interested me here, since it brought back the days of my grade school tenure, where teachers helped us create miniature scaled dioramas of different events. Anyway, the folk museum was selling a wide range of items if you're interested in bringing back part of your trip beyond just pictures and camcorder clips; including pottery, lacquerworks, masks and other folk handicrafts that were displayed throughout. The actual museum facility itself is comprised of three interconnected buildings. The three examples of traditional Korean architecture on the roofs are some of the highest buildings on the palace grounds, and can be easily seen from almost anywhere (see pictures below). Inside the museum's buildings are examples of the different periods of Korean history, from pre-history through the Japanese occupation. In addition to actual relics, replicas and paintings show various aspects of traditional life, including many ceremonies and festivals. I can see where this would really be a turn-on for Korean history buffs. Jungang Hall, in the center of the three wings, is used to showcase various exhibitions that change periodically. My luck, I was immersed in the history of steel making and the export of the commodity to world markets (yawn). The other areas with their distinct dioramas of Korean lifestyle stay intact and I could tell were static displays for quite some time.

Now here's a chance to see some of Korea's yester-year royalty in all its glamour and glory. Kyongbok Palace or the "Palace of Shining Happiness" was beautifully restored and many buildings had just been painted, with some yet to receive their new facelift. Quite an excellent opportunity to see some of Korea's best, restored history. It cost 700 Korean Won (less than $1) to enter. I suppose they expected revenue from the gift shops. The palace is actually a series of main buildings within a huge compound within Seoul's city limits. Its considered the biggest and most beautiful palace in Seoul. Built in 1394, it was the residence of the first royal family of the Chosen Dynasty. Set amidst the vast walled grounds are lotus ponds, ancient stone pagodas and elegant pavilions. My favorite building was to the north of the palace complex, the Hyangwonjong complex -- a secluded pavilion nestled in the middle of a man-made pond. This pond was so still, I could have taken a picture of the pond and seen the exquisite detail of the pavilion. No matter what time of year you come here, the grounds are spectacularly maintained for each of the four seasons. Groundskeepers were circling all around me, plucking weeds and tending to flower beds with what looked like perennial flowers. I could see why this was the favorite retreat of past royal families and is still used today to celebrate traditional Korea holidays. I highly recommend this place if you want to indulge yourself into a little bit of Korean history and royalty.