Sunday, May 10, 2009

Seoul, Korea

Pop music, video games, green architecture, and centuries of history, all packed into 21st century city--that's what we found in Seoul, Korea.

20090425 379

Although we had both been looking forward to it, we had no idea what to expect in Seoul. It is definitely a city on the move, with a blend of history and technology.

20090424 068

One of the palaces we checked out was Deoksugung. It was built as a mansion sometime in the 14th or 15th century, and was used as a royal residence after the Japanese invaded and burned down the palaces in the late 16th century.

20090425 402

They still do the changing of the guards at several palaces; this practice has actually been resurrected based on documented evidence. They do it several times a day, and, since there is no more Korean royalty, it is done mainly as a cultural exhibition.

20090425 377

Another palace we visited was Changgeonggun. There, we were treated to a reenactment of a royal banquet, complete with the "king" coming in on a litter born by his servants.

20090426 446

We even got into the act. There were stations set up on the weekends where you could try historical Korean costume, or hanbok, and have your picture taken.

20090426 070


Besides this historical displays, we also found modern performance arts groups, like the one below. This martial arts comedy was performed in front of the National Museum, and its slapstick comedy is pretty self-explanatory.



Food is also a draw in Korea. This is, after all, the home of Korean BBQ; plates of raw meat and possibly other items) are brougth out to your table, where you have your own grill. It cooks right in front of you, and you have a variety of choices as to what to eat it with, once it is ready.

20090424 131

Of course, it isn't all about meat. In fact, since Buddhism had long had a strong presence in Korea (and is still the official religion of the state, though many Koreans are Christian), there are are many vegetarian restaurants that recreate the food from Buddhist monasteries. Of course, it isn't in the meager portions one might expect in an austere religious institution.

20090424 102

After dinner, Seoul is still wired, and people might go out for coffee or alcohol. Our friends took us out to a wonderful little hole in the wall that served dongdongju, a Korean unfiltered rice liquor. It is not uncommon for people to go out drinking and stay up so late that, rather than going home, they will just go into work. There are plenty of stories of people having beds in their offices so that they can be at work on time.

20090424 11620090424 156

That, in brief, was Seoul. We spent plenty of time taking it in, and didn't have nearly enough time. There was a breathtaking sense of history in all of the palaces, museums, and reenactments; and yet there was also a sense of the modern, future city. There were examples of new, green technology in use in architecture that were really incredible in their scale. This is definitely a city that has one foot in the past and the other firmly planted in the future.

20090426 126

No comments: