Seoul adventure - other notable sites

Other places of note that we visited during our stay in Seoul included:

Namdaemun, the "Great South Gate," which was the main southern gate to the old city

Namdaemun Market is one of the oldest continually running markets in South Korea, and one of the largest retail markets in Seoul.

The streets in which the market is located were built in a time when cars were not prevalent, so the market itself is not accessible by car. The main methods of transporting goods into and out of the market are by motorcycle and hand-drawn carts

Namdaemun market dates back to 1414, during the reign of King Taejong, as a government managed marketplace. In 1608, King Seonjo set up the office of seonhyecheong ("tribute bureau") in the district to manage the tributes of rice, cloth and money. A trading marketplace took its form around that time and commercial activities flourished as traders set up various shops. Trade was active in grains, fish, fruit, and miscellaneous goods

We saw this man making these sweet pancakes ...

... so we just had to stop and try one (each that is!) - delicious

2002 World Cup Stadium

Within this Stadium's complex, there is an IMAX cinema as well as an extensive shopping mall. This means that there are customers going to the stadium site on a regular basis - surely our own Wembley Stadium could learn some lessons from this?

Han River

Insadong is a dong, or neighbourhood of the Jongno-gu district of Seoul. The main street is Insadong-gil, which is connected to a multitude of alleys that lead deeper into the district, with modern galleries and tea shop. At one time it was the largest market for antiques and artworks in Korea.

Insadong was originally two towns whose names ended in the syllables "In" and "Sa". They were divided by a stream which ran along Insadong's current main street. Insadong began 500 years ago as an area of residence for government officials. 

Jogyesa - one of the most significant Korean Buddhist temples

We spotted these men who were in the process of planting trees - because of the Korean climate, many trees are dug up and stored for the winter and then re-planted in spring

And so our Korean adventure came to a close - it has been an experience of a lifetime - a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable holiday

Seoul adventure - War Memorial

The War Memorial of Korea is located in Yongsan-dong. It opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters and gives a moving story of the people of Korea

The Statue of Brothers at the entrance of the Memorial depicts a real-life story about two brothers who fought on opposite sides in the Korean War (1950-53) and were accidentally reunited on the battlefield

The Korean War Monument commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire

We spent time in the Korean War Room which gave a blow by blow account of the Korean War from the southward invasion by North Korea up to the Armistice agreement - fascinating video footage and artefacts

We arrived at the Memorial just before 2pm on Friday and unbeknown to us, the weekly Armed Forces Military Band and Honour Guard Ceremony was about to take place

The Guards on their way to the Parade Ground

The Korean Military Band

Demonstrations of combat skills

For more photos of this pageant see Seoul War Memorial

Seoul adventure - Namsangol Hanok Village

Namsangol Hanok Village, also known as "A Village of Traditional Houses in the Namsan Valley", is a Korean village located in a central district of Seoul

Here, hanok or Korean traditional houses have been restored to preserve the original atmosphere of the area

The Namsangol Hanok Village offers visitors the opportunity to experience a wide cross-section of Joseon-era life and activities, from royalty to commoners

The location of the village was originally the site of a well known Joseon-era summer resort called Jeonghakdong

Jeonghakdong means "The land of the fairies for the blue crane" 

View of N Seoul Tower from Namsangol

Seoul adventure - National Folk Museum

The National Folk Museum of Korea is within the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace and uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the history of traditional life of the Korean people

The museum was opened on 25 April 1946 at the City Administration Memorial Hall. 

It opened at its present site in 1993

The museum has three main exhibition halls, with over 98,000 artefacts

History of Korean People features materials of everyday life in Korea from prehistoric times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910

Korean Way of Life, which illustrates Korean villagers in ancient times

Life Cycle of the Koreans, which depicts the deep roots of Confucianism in Korean culture 

The museum also features open-air exhibits depicting Koreans way of life

Barbershop

School