My Experience in Seoul, South Korea

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My Experience in Seoul, South Korea

 


It was early morning of January 15, 2018 when we arrived at Incheon International Airport and we directly went to our accommodation to settle our things then we explored the beautiful city of Seoul. We decided to visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace on our First day as we wanted to indulge in Korean Culture by visiting some of its Cultural Heritages that are situated in Seoul. 

Photo taken at the Gyeongbokgung


The First thing that we do is to rent a Hanbok, which is the traditional clothing of Korea. In Gyeongbokgung Palace, if you wear a Hanbok upon entering, your admission is Free. It was a memorable experience for me because I was able to try wearing the traditional clothing of other nations aside from our own traditional clothes in the Philippines.


In the afternoon of that same day, we decided to visit the Bukchon Hanok Village as it is somehow near the Gyeongbokgung. We just stroll around the area and see what Traditional Housing of South Korea looks like. It was fascinating to see that this kind of village was still preserved even though you can all see that the Seoul Metropolitan Area is already modernized.

Photo taken at Bukcon Hanok Village

On our 2nd day, we went to a famous place for tourists like us because this is a well-known Kdrama Filming Location, it is called Nami Island which is already situated in a provincial area of South Korea named Gangwon Province. We liked the scenery of the Island as it is like a breath of fresh air away from the city center.

Photo Taken at Nami Island

After strolling at the Nami Island, our next stop is to experience what South Korea has to offer during the Winter Season. As our country, the Philippines does not have a Winter Season, we seize this moment to experience Skiing at a Ski Park Resort in Gangwon Province called Daemyung Vivaldi Ski Park Resort. According of Wiki Voyage, Gangwon Province is a famous place for Skiing as there are many mountains and also much snow in winter so there are many Ski Resorts in the area. 

Skiing at Daemyung Vivaldi Ski Park Resort

On the next following days, we just strolled around Seoul to see what the City has to offer especially for us tourists so we also visited the well-known shopping District called Myeongdong Shopping street. I was in awe when we visited the place because this feels like heaven especially for someone who loves Korean Skincare and Cosmetics but aside from these, street foods are also everywhere in the area where you can eat Korean Street Foods after shopping.


Photo Taken at Myeongdong Shopping District

Later that evening we decided to visit the Namsan Tower as it is somehow near the Myeongdong Shopping District. According to an Article in Korea Net, Namsan Tower or N Seoul Tower is one of the iconic symbols of Seoul. This is also famous for Love Locks. The Love Lock Bridge originated from tales about locking the padlocks and throwing away the keys symbolizing eternal love. The love locks have been seen in various countries including Paris, one of the popular cities for couples. But… the love locks do not limit to couples. Families and friends lock their love for each other too! And we tried it…

Photo Taken at N Seoul Tower


Lastly, before we head back to the Philippines, I requested to visit the Digital Media City because I wanted to see where does KPOP Idols film their pre-recorded Music Shows and where does the famous Media and Broadcasting companies such as MBC, KBS, SBC, and many more located in Seoul. It was also an amazing thing to do while you are in Seoul. 

Photo Taken at Digital Media City

That was all of my experience in Seoul, South Korea. It was an amazing journey as this is really my first time traveling abroad and I had a great time exploring the City of Seoul as well as some places in Gangwon Province. Indeed, South Korea has a lot to offer. I hope I can visit again soon and explore more places in the different provinces of South Korea.



REFERENCES:

Admin. (2021). Story Of Namsan Tower And Its Love Lock Bridge. Seoulbox. https://myseoulbox.com/blogs/seoul-blog/story-of-namsan-tower-and-its-love-lock-bridge

Contributors to Wikimedia projects. (2023). Gangwon. en.wikivoyage.org. https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gangwon

Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS). (n.d.). Love padlocks at N Seoul Tower : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea. Copyright(C) 1999-2016 KOCIS. All Rights Reserved. https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/FoodTravel/view?articleId=120763#:~:text=Parents%20who%20visit%20the%20tower,daily%20routine%20at%20the%20tower.





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