Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Learn about traditional Korean houses and culture at Namsangol Hanok Village (
CLICK HERE ).
Go shopping crazy on the packed, neon-festooned streets of Myeong-dong ( CLICK
HERE ) .
Enjoy the changing of the guard outside Deoksugung ( CLICK HERE ) and wander the
pleasant palace grounds.
Explore: Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Branding itself the city's belly button, Jung-gu ( www.junggu.seoul.kr ) stretches from the
southern city gate of Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) and round-the-clock Namdaemun Mar-
ket towards the eastern gate of Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun). Dominating the district's
heart is the youth fashion shopping area of Myeong-dong. Myeong means 'light' - apt for
an area where Seoul's commercial razzle-dazzle reaches its apogee.
They may be almost traffic-free, but Myeong-dong's streets and alleyways are invari-
ably teeming with shoppers. Masses of boutiques cater to every youthful style tribe, along
with plenty of cafes, restaurants, department stores and high-rise shopping malls with
food courts, spas and cinema multiplexes. Japanese visitors in particular adore it and
you'll often hear shop and stall vendors address the crowd in that language. The mass of
humanity, noise and visual stimulation can become overwhelming, but don't let that put
you off spending some time soaking up the electric atmosphere and indulging in retail
therapy.
Tranquillity can be regained on nearby Namsan, downtown Seoul's green lung, its hik-
ing trails, parkland and old Fortress Walls newly spruced up. Also providing a change of
pace is the area to the west of Seoul Plaza and City Hall. Here you'll find Deoksugung, a
lovely palace around which early missionaries built Seoul's first Protestant churches and
schools, and where foreign legations were based; many old buildings have been preserved
and it's a fine area for leisurely exploring.
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