Historical Bulguksa Temple

 I was looking for good place to see because I had extra days in South Korea.  Good thing I decided to go to Gyeongju which is about 3 hours by KTX express train from Seoul and 30 minutes from Busan.  Gyeongju has many varied historical, religious and scenic sights and makes for wonderful few days stay.

Among its many attractions is the Bulguksa Temple. This was constructed in 751 and served as the center of Stilla Buddhism and of prayer for protection against foreign invasion.  The temple was destroyed by Japanese invaders.  But was completely restored in the early 70s.

Its is a must see for anyone going to Gyeongju together with the nearby Seokgram Grotto.  The temple is accessible by commuter bus from the city centre.

Nami Island: Refreshing Day Trip from Seoul

Nami Island is a very popular shooting location for Korean telenovelas.  This is not surprising because it is scenic and a good place to relax being surrounded by water and trees.  There are a number of options to get here: by shuttle bus and by regular or express train.

I took the ITX express train and the trip from Central Seoul to Nami Island train station is only 45 minutes.  The place is good for  a day trip out of Seoul but if you truly like the place there are accommodations available for people who want to sleep on the island.

Seoraksan National Park: Into the Woods

A pleasant two hour bus ride from Seoul is the Seoraksan National Park.  This is a Unesco designated Biosphere Reserve.  The place has rocky landscape, jagged peaks, pine forests, and crystal clear streams and pools. I came at the start of autumn and the leaves were just beginning to change colors.  I guess the best time to come is mid autumn when the color of all the leaves have changed.

You can opt to stay a few days as there are lodging places in the area.  I decided to do a day trip and took the shortest easiest 2 hour mountain trail.  The park is a good place to go to relax after a few days spent going around urban modern Seoul.

Sungnyemum and Heunginjimun Gates: A Tale of Two Gates

Heunginjimun Gate

Heunginjeimun Gate

Sungnyemun Gate

Sungnyemun Gate

Seoul has eight gates but it is the Heunginjimun Gate and the Sungnyemum Gate which stands out.  The former is the eastern gate and the latter the southern gate.  Both were destroyed many years ago but have been faithfully restored.

I went out of my way to see the Sungnyemum Gate at night and it did not disappoint.  It was magnificently illuminated and was one of most picture pretty sights I saw in Seoul.

The Lights of Banpo

A spectacular sight at night in the Gangnam district is the light and sound show at Banpo Moonlight Rainbow Fountain. The water in different colors dances and flows to the tune of  music.  This is a short 10 minute walk from the Express Bus Terminal.  The rainbow colored fountain is  created by 200 lights which can be seen from both sides of the bridge.  The fountain is recognized by the Guinness book of World Records as the world's longest bridge fountain.

The night I was there,  a fireworks display was on going which made the scene even more awesome!

Cheonggyecheon: Clean Stream in the City

Cheonggyecheon Stream is an 11 km long stream that flows from Gwanghwamun Gate to Dongdaemamun.  For a time it was covered with asphalt and used as roads until  2005.  It took 3 years to restore is as  an ecological stream.  The place provides for a refreshing pedestrian walk through the streets of Seoul.

At night  the area with its 22 bridges is supposed to be have fantastic lighting.  However there were no beautiful lights the night I was there.  And that was a huge disappointment as I waited from late afternoon to around 730 pm to see this pretty sight described in Seoul's official  tourist brochure.

Charming Bukchon Hanok Village

Between Gyeonbokgung Palace and Chandeokgoung Palace is the  Bukchon Hankok Village.  This is an area with  more than 900 Korean traditional houses where people still actually live.  There is also an area in this place where Korean street food  and various arts and crafts are being sold.   

But be prepared for a tiring walk as you have to go up and down its steep streets which is worth the effort as the place is quaint and charming.  It is a favorite filming location for Korean movies and TV dramas.