The Cheong Gye Cheon

Location: Seoul, Korea

Subway Stop: Various

 

Here are the words written on a plaque at the Cheong Gye Cheon:

"The Cheong Gye Cheon is a stream running through central Seoul from west to east.

During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), housewives gathered at the stream to do laundry, while their children played together.  Around 1760, major renovations were carried out along the stream.  Thus, the Cheong Gye Cheon developed the appearance that we see today.

From the 1900's until after the Korean War (1950-1953), people who left their homes in rural areas to find jobs or a better living in Seoul built one makeshift house after another alongside the stream, making the area a shantytown.

In 1958, efforts to improve the poor aesthetic condition of the Cheong Gye Cheon began by covering the stream with concrete and this work continued for the ensuing 20 years.  In 1976, an elevated highway was built over top.  Consequently, the Cheong Gye Cheon, which was once regarded as a symbol of the nation's development and growth, had vanished.

A few decades later, the citizens of Seoul were faced with such grave issues as the decreased aesthetic value of the city coupled with concerns for safety and security.  As a result the citizens of Seoul who were more sensitive to environmental-friendly ways of thinking agreed that it should be restored as a clean stream.

Finally, the Seoul Metropolitan Government made a decision to restore the stream with the objective of forming a human-centered, ecological-friendly urban area in a city that has been the nation's capital for 600 years.

On October 1, 2005, the restoration work of the Cheong Gye Cheon was successfully completed after the historical commencement on July 1, 2003.  Storeowners and street vendors that operated small businesses along the stream initially objected to the project.  However, they finally understood that the improvements would help create prosperity and make Seoul a nice place to live.  With the completion of this historical project designed to restore cleanliness, culture and tradition to the stream, Seoul is finally reborn as an international city that values its environment and human life."

 

The Cheong Gye Cheon is a refreshing getaway from the city crowds, especially during the hot, humid summer.  Take a book and read, dip your feet in the cool water, bring a kimbap to snack on... an afternoon or evening here is quite delightful.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Location: Seoul, Korea

Subway Stop: Gyeongbokgung

Admission required

Gyeongbokgung was a much bigger palace than I had anticipated.  Who knew the Koreans lived in such grandeur and luxury once upon a time!  The gardens are beautiful and vast.  Since so much of Korea is so westernized, this was a good way to see some of old Korea.  Check the website before visiting as there are certain day(s) of the week the palace is closed.

The juxtaposition of new and old is very cool.

Architectural detail

Walking through the grounds of the palace

The gardens

 

The gardens

There are a few other palaces in Seoul that I didn't get around to visiting, but a few of my friends have seen.  If you get around to seeing them, please let me know how you liked them!

Changdeokgung Palace

Jongmyo Shrine

Changgyeonggung Palace

Deoksugung Palace

DMZ Tour

Seoul, Korea

Estimated length: 6 hours

It seemed that a day trip to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) was a popular activity amongst my friends, so I looked into it also.  It is definitely good for a little something something outside of the city and learning more about the Korean War.  This trip can be done as a half day, giving you time to do something else in the afternoon.

A guided tour is required.  I did my research on this and found the ST6 Tour from Star Travel was the least expensive tour I could find and offered the same sites as the other tour operations.  As I understand it, it will be easier for you to visit the DMZ on a tour.  I think you can go on your own, but it might be difficult to manage.  I went on a tour and it was easier that way.

Imjingak Park

Freedom Bridge

Dora Observatory

"When the Trans-Korea Railway (TKR), the Trans-Siberia Railway (TSR), and the Trans-China Railway (TCR) are connected in the future, Dorasan Station promises to emerge as the starting point of the transcontinental railroad."

Dorasan Station

Inside Dorasan Station

Boseong, South Korea

 

If you love green tea or just appreciate the beauty of green tea fields, Boseong is a great weekend trip.   Aside from the tea plantation, which deserves at least 2-3 hours which includes hiking time, you can enjoy a green tea soak in a jimjilbang, eat some green tea ice cream, drink some green tea, and play on the beach in the nearby town of Yulpo.

 

Yulpo Beach

 

How to Get There:
Take the Non-Stop Bus from Seoul Express Terminal (lines 3, 7, 9) to Beolgo Express Bus Terminal in Boseong, Jeollanam-do. The bus only leaves twice a day and the first bus is at 08:10AM. The ride is roughly 4hours, 40 minutes or nearly 5 hours. Return bus will be about the same amount of time. The last bus to leave Boseong on Sunday will be at 16:00 (4PM), from Beolgyo Intercity Bus Terminal (different from point of arrival).

What to Do:
This link has a great general itinerary for a weekend stay. 

What to Budget: (all prices are estimates)
Return bus fare: W40,000
Lodging: W15,000 - 20,000 each person
Green Tea Spa: W5,000
Body scrub: W15,000
Bus rides in town: W5,000
Meals: allowance of W8,000 per meal x 5 = W40,000
Minor incidentals (water, ice cream, etc): W10,000

Total: W130,000 - 135,000

Seoul, Korea

If you only have one week in Korea, you could easily spend it entirely in Seoul itself.  Knowing how to read and write the Hangul alphabet would be very helpful as there aren't a lot of people who know how to speak or read English in Korea.  Even though the subways are very foreigner friendly (they're written in Chinese, English, and Hangul), there are still a lot of signs only written in Hangul.  Most menus are written entirely in Hangul.  When my friends came to visit, I wrote them a list of important things they'd need to know in Hangul so they could just show their piece of paper to the taxi driver or another local.  They always got where they needed to go with that piece of paper.  It would also be helpful to arm yourself with this useful site for your travel while in Seoul:  Seoul Subway Map

The neighborhoods in Seoul to check out are:

Hongdae
Subway Stop: Hongik University

Primarily a university area filled with students and color, foreigners like coming here for the bars and the shopping is quite fun. I found lots of great stuff here. There's also a Hello Kitty cafe that's fun to take some photos of and a Design cafe that I really enjoyed.

Myeongdong
Subway Stop: Myeongdong

Super shopping central! Come here for lots of western shopping but also Korean versions of the western stores. There's lots of cutesy boutiques too, but I think Hongdae is much more relaxing in comparison - not as much squeezing through crowds. This is also a good area for souvenirs.

Itaewon
Subway Stop: Itaewon
Lonely Planet describes this neighborhood as "the armpit of Seoul" and I agree with it!  If you're a foreigner, you're likely to find yourself in this neck of the woods sooner or later.  Looking for some variety of food that's not Korean?  You're likely to find it here.  Personally, I didn't hang out here much when I lived in Korea.

Insadong
Subway Stop: Anguk

Insadong

If you're looking for souvenirs, this is the area to go.  You'll find everything from green tea to ceramics to marble stamps customized with your own name.  All the shops are written entirely in Hangul to keep the authenticity of the area.  If nothing else, it's a good place to take photos of Starbucks written in Hangul.

The sign reads "Starbucks Coffee"

Apgujeong and Gangnam (subway stops of the same names) are the nicer neighborhoods of Seoul which is reflected in the store fronts and people. Everywhere you go, there'll be tons of shops, cafes and people!  You MUST hang out in a cafe during your trip... it's such a Korea thing to do!


When you're tired of exploring the neighborhoods, here are a few sites to see and things to round out your stay in Seoul:

Gyeongbokgung

DMZ Day Trip

Lotteworld

Ride a bike along Han River

Go up Seoul Tower

Picnic on the Cheong Gye Cheon

Go to a jimjilbang

Go to a noraebang

Day Trip to Suwon to see Hwaseong Fortress and Korean Folk Village