I had lived here the better part of three years before I went on one of the very popular DMZ tours. Although I was non-plussed by the price and not terribly excited to go, I was glad I did. The tragic division of the Korean Peninsula has created a unique glimpse into one of the most chilling reminders of the Cold War. Far more than a hokey tourist trap, the DMZ is an exciting and frightening place.
In Part 1, we took a look at some of the most popular DMZ sights located in Gyeonggi Province. For Part 2, let’s see some of the organized tours that will take you there.
(more…)
Continue Reading...
During Chuseok, my family conducted an early morning ancestral worship ritual. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a feast!
The Korean calendar is a hybrid one. It’s a mix of the Gregorian calendar, which begins on January 1st, and a luni-solar calendar that begins on the first new moon of the year. The result is a mix of holidays- so, while Korean Independence Day always falls on August 15th, a traditional holiday like the harvest festival Chuseok (추석), occurs on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which means sometime in September or early October.
This year, Chuseok, which is also known as Hangawi (한가위), falls on September 14th. The days before and after are combined to create one of Korea’s four main traditional holidays. This weekend, tens of millions of Koreans are returning to their ancestral hometowns to be among family and friends. Traditional rites include an early morning ancestral worship ritual and the tending of family tombs, called beolcho (벌초).
(more…)
Continue Reading...
