In lieu of the Eiffel Tower or Sydney’s Opera House, Seoul city officials believe that natural landmarks can best symbolize the city. Like the taeguk, the yin-yang symbol at the center of the South Korean flag, the Han River creates harmony as it calmly bisects the massive city.
Thankfully, 12 riverside parks line the Han River. These 40 square kilometers of park lands are visited by nearly 60 million people annually, and ambitious efforts are underway to improve this already impressive network of green space in central Seoul.
Once upon a time, Seonyudo Island (also known as Seonyubong) had a small peak and picturesque, jagged cliffs. This beautiful setting inspired wandering Confucian gentleman scholars, or seonbi (선비), who came here during the Joseon Dynasty to paint and compose poetry.
A mom walks her brightly-clad, school-bound kids down an alley in Seoul’s historic Bukchon neighborhood. The modern Samseong Tower is in the distance.
(A version of this text aired on KBS World Radio on October 18, 2008.)
During the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul had both a north village and a south village. While the south village was home to lower ranking officials, the north village, called Bukchon (북촌), was built between Gyeongbuk and Changdeok palaces, and was historically home to high ranking palace officials.
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