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.
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).
Anyoung! Welcome to my Korea travel and culture blog.
I hope this site helps you learn more about Korea's many travel destinations. If I can help, please let me know.
After Hadong's Ssanggyesa Temple, Hwagae Jangteo + Green Tea Museum. Time to get settled at the hanok guesthouse http://plixi.com/p/4317639756 mins ago
@soniassi the one from last night? (had more today^^) it's just a coupla blocks past the Uplex mall going towards Yonsei U's front gate. 6 hours ago
Hadong's Choi Cham-pan House complex was inspired by Pak Kyung-ri's epic novels, Toji. http://plixi.com/p/431336836 hours ago
Found a cute tea and bingsu place a few kilometers from Hadong with deck overlooking town and Seomjingang River http://plixi.com/p/431145978 hours ago
Environmentally-unfriendly but cheaper and 3 hours faster than the train. Asiana's Gimpo to Yeosu shuttle. http://plixi.com/p/4309207510 hours ago
