29 May 2010, Posted by Matt in Art & Culture, Buddhist Temples, Festivals & Holidays, Seoul, 3 Comments

Seoul’s Lotus Lantern Festival

The Lotus Lantern Festival began centuries ago. Today, the tradition of making and hanging lanterns as symbolic offerings of light and compassion in a world too often filled with darkness and suffering continues.

28 Sep 2009, Posted by Matt in Food & Drink, Historic Korea, Seoul, Shopping, Video, 4 Comments

Seoul’s Jungang Traditional Market

As a modern city, Seoul has adopted many of the conveniences of our globalized society. So, today, it’s commonplace to see familiar global brands, foreign fast-food chains and the fusion of eastern and western styles and cultures.

Of course, these adaptations are convenient for many of us, yet they often lack the specific Korean cultural flavor that makes living in Seoul a special and unique experience. Luckily, truly Seoul-specific places do remain in the city, and in my experience, some of the best ones are the traditional markets. Among them, my favorite is the Jungang, or Central Market (중앙시장), located near the city’s Great East Gate, better known as Dongdaemun.

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21 Apr 2009, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Festivals & Holidays, Food & Drink, Historic Korea, Seoul, 4 Comments

Seoul’s Lotus Lantern Festival 2009

The Lotus Lantern Festival (Photo courtesy of Festival organizers)

Can you tell it’s festival season in Korea?

Well, if this is news to you, starting on April 24, Korea’s Buddhist community will celebrate the birth of the Buddha with an extravagant, 11-day festival of light called the Lotus Lantern Festival (연등축제). Buddha’s birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, which, this year falls on May 2nd.

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09 Dec 2008, Posted by Matt in Historic Korea, Nature, Seoul, 7 Comments

The Cheonggyecheon Stream

Much has been written about the Cheonggyecheon (청계천), the 5.8-km restored stream that magically starts in the heart of downtown Seoul and courses through the neighborhoods of Jongno and Dongdaemun before it meets the Jungnangcheon (중랑천) and eventually empties into the mighty Han River.

Completed in 2005, the restoration of the historic waterway was a major success for then Seoul mayor (now president) Lee Myung-bak. It gave the former Hyundai Construction executive international plaudits and “green” credentials as the Cheonggyecheon (“cheon” means stream in Korean) was regarded by many as a major success in urban renewal and beautification. Beauty didn’t come cheap. The initial price tag was estimated to be 900 billion won (approx. $900 million), but an additional $12 trillion won is expected to redevelop the adjacent neighborhoods into major commercial and residential areas.

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31 Oct 2008, Posted by Matt in Food & Drink, Historic Korea, Jeju, Jeolla, News, Seoul, Shopping, 1 Comments

Travel News Summary

A vendor at Seoul’s Noryangjin Fish Market (노량진 수산시장) (from Gourmet Magazine).

Seoul Fish Market in Gourmet Magazine
Seoul’s Noryangjin Fish Market (노량진 수산시장) receives rave reviews in October’s edition of Gourmet Magazine. Described as “one of the greatest food spectacles on earth”, writer Jonathan Gold praises the 700 stalls of stingrays, halibut and pickled clams. If you’d like to visit the fish market yourself, arrive early in the morning via Seoul subway line 1′s Norangjin Station.

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