Korea Sparkling

People have assumption that winter usually drives away all the colors in nature with the snow all around but the truth is it is the winter that brings lots of colors in the form of fest and great amount of fun in the chilled and cozy weather. It is the ambience of pre-Christmas that fills the entire atmosphere and wraps the dryness of the season. The romantic lovers are the greatest admirers of this freezing season. Here is an opportunity for the people in love, a getaway for Christmas holiday in this Seoul special city.

The Seoul festival of lights 2009 is one of events you can’t miss out to see, it is held at   Gwanghwamun Square from 18 December 2009 to 24th January 2010. The festival is one of its kinds, twenty world art will be displayed, works like story of heroes, light of the Seoul, Korean movies, Christmas stories and cities around the world.

Except for the fest, Seoul is well known as Miracle of Han River which refers to the period of over night industrialization, technological boom, rapid urbanization and increase in living standards, it rose from the Korean battle ashes and started to shine in the world as multinational conglomerate, having trillion billion economy.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site has announced four sites in Seoul as world’s heritage. Seoul has over six hundred years history; the city got established in 18 B.C during Baekje kingdom, which is one of the three famous kingdoms in Korea.

With 600 years of history, Seoul is fascinating combination of ancient and modern tradition and despite of western influence it has maintained it’s truly Asia essence. The food which is very much vegetarian and great aroma will tempted you. Once you visit there you should go to one of the tea houses, which still follow traditional way of having tea and Movie Theater where old Korean movies are played, to keep the past alive of Seoul.

Seoul city is for those travelers who are interested in knowing more beneath the surface of modernized city. The downtown area of Seoul has many old buildings and bustling markets.

The traditional architecture of the Seoul is fascinating. The land is full of landmarks and palaces. The discovery of Neolithic remnants is very interesting story, it was accidentally discovered by a flood happened at Amsa-dong in 1925.

During Joseon Dynasty, five grand palaces were built: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung. This exemplifies the architecture of Joseon Dynasty. Among five majestic palaces, Changdeokgung palace was listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site and is described as ‘outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design.’

Well, your journey would be incomplete to Seoul if you don’t visit to Insa-dong. It’s the heart and soul of the artistic Seoul. Here you will see old stores selling accessories, pottery and traditional cloths. You might find some treasure for yourself or for your loved ones. Around hundred antiques shops and many art galleries are here from centuries.

The other attraction in Seoul is the Lotte world which attracts six million people annually. The Lotte world is full of thrills and fun that cannot be missed. The whole park is divided into two sections: Indoor and Outdoor section. The indoor section is includes rides, streets of different countries, entertainment, ongoing parades, etc. And outdoor is themed as Magic Island, which has fairytale castle, walking trails around the lake, laser shows, etc.

The most recognized and famous temple in the Seoul is the Bongeunsa temple. The temple is a Buddhist temple, built in 794 AD. It is one of the oldest temples in South Korea. Here you can live as monk for few hours and experience the secret of being in peace.

The night life of Seoul is pulsating and lively. As it’s the urbanized and developed city, the clubs and pubs won’t let anyone down. The music, DJ, lights will put in trance and for more exciting evening there are raunchy booze cruises.

Being the financial and commercial centre in the world, Seoul has no problem with transportation. The Incheon International Airport is well organized and connected with Seoul. The Seoul subway is the third largest subway in the world. Every major city in Seoul is connected with railway route.