Must Go Places in Seoul (2012)

Posted by Fiez | Posted in , , | Posted on 1:46 AM

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Seoul, officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. A mega city with a population of over 10 million, it is one of the largest cities in the world.



3 May 2012 is my first time in Seoul.
Our trip is 5Days 4Nights.
The trip begins with:


CHANGGYEONGGUNG PALACE
During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese built a zoo, botanical garden, and museum on the site. In 1983 the zoo and botanical garden were removed. Like the other Five Grand Palaces, Changgyeonggung was heavily damaged by the Japanese, previously having been destroyed by them in 1598 during the unsuccessful Japanese invasion of Korea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changgyeonggung

DEOKSUGUNG PALACE
Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by various Korean royalties until the colonial period around the turn of the 20th century. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty.


DONGDAEMUN
Today, the area around Dongdaemun known as Dongdaemun Market includes upmarket shopping districts as well as several underground shops, stalls and markets that are open for much of the day and night. It has grown into the largest shopping center in South Korea. In 2007, the City of Seoul started Dongdaemun Design Project (DDP), to renovate what used to be Dongdaemun Stadium (an amateur baseball park). With world-famous architect Zaha Hadid's design, when completed this structure is expected to be one of the most notablelandmarks in downtown Seoul.

NAMI ISLAND
Namiseom is a tiny half-moon shaped island located in Chuncheon, South Korea, formed as it was inundated by the rising water of the North Han River as the result of the construction of Cheongpyeong Dam in 1944. It has drawn 1.5 million visitors a year on average.


INSADONG
Insadong is a dong, or neighborhood of the Jongno-gu district of the South Korean city of Seoul. The main street is Insadong-gil, which is connected to a multitude of alleys that lead deeper into the district.[1][2] At one time it was the largest market for antiques and artworks in Korea.

MYEONG-DONG
Myeong-dong or Myong-dong is a dong in Jung-gu, SeoulSouth Korea between Chungmu-roEulji-ro, and Namdaemun-ro. It covers 0.99 km² with a population of 3,529 and is mostly a commercial area, being one of Seoul's main shopping and tourism districts.


SEOUL TOWER
The N Seoul Tower, officially the CJ Seoul Tower and commonly known as the Namsan Tower and Seoul Tower. Built in 1969, and at a cost of approximately $2.5 million, it was opened to the public in 1980. Since then, the tower has been a landmark of Seoul and measures 236.7 m (777 ft) in height (from the base) and tops out at 479.7 m (1,574 ft) above sea level.


ITAEWON
Many restaurants serving international dishes are found in this area including cuisine from IndiaPakistanEgyptTurkeyThailand, and Mexico, foods that are not widely available in Korea. The Seoul Central Mosque is also located in Itaewon.
PAJU PREMIUM OUTLET
Korea’s second Premium Outlet Center®, Paju Premium Outlets is a one-hour drive from Seoul featuring 160 designer and name brand outlet stores at savings of 25% to 65% every day in an upscale, outdoor setting. 
NAMDAEMUN MARKET
Namdaemun Market is a large traditional market in SeoulSouth Korea. The market is located next to Namdaemun, the "Great South Gate," which was the main southern gate to the old city.