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Lotte World: The Fun-Packed Destination in South Korea

November 22, 2014

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Lotte World: The Fun-Packed Destination in South Korea

In my opinion, Lotte World is the best place for entertainment and sightseeing in South Korea. This entertainment packed place has so much to offer especially if you want to explore plenty within limited time.

The place is popular among foreigners, as well as local residents with nearly 6,000,000 people visiting every year to enjoy the rides, ice skating, shopping and eating.

With its amusement park, sports center, shopping center, and folk museum, I can guarantee that this place can add thrill and relishing memories to your trip.

Lotte World is divided into the ‘Adventure Land’ and ‘Magic Island’.

The indoor Adventure Land features districts, each representing different country with various facilities and souvenir shops. Laser shows, parades, films and a wide range of international cuisines are the key highlights of these districts.

On the other hand, the outdoor Magic Island boasts a Magic Castle along with thrilling rides you can’t find anywhere else.

Lotte Magic Island

The collection of high-tech rides in the amusement park, ranging from tranquil rides to exhilarating roller coasters, offer fun and excitement to everyone in the family. The Gyro Drop and Gyro Spin are the top attractions for locals, as well as tourists here.

You can enjoy the exuberance of a steeping drop from very high altitude or get the thrill of being inside a tornado in Gyro Spin. Besides these rides, the park offers laser shows and parades where nearly 200 performers dance to the music to add to the excitement.

The Adventure Land

As you would start your journey to the indoor area, you would surely be surprised to see how each floor carries a new story to unveil and new joys to explore. Here is what you could expect there.

Sports Center

After the rides, you might love the fun of ice skating as well as bowling in the indoor Lotte World.

The indoor arena offers world class sports center featuring jogging track, swimming pool, health clinic, tennis courts, and indoor golf range.

In addition to this, you can get rid of your day long stress at the upscale salon, rest area, or sauna located within the arena.

Folk Museum

Visiting the Lotte Folk Museum is a great way to get a peek into the history and culture of South Korea. The miniature along with life sized representations offer an amazing chance to learn about the everyday life and special events in the country.

The museum trip will take you through the history of the country, its village life, traditional Korean market and traditional Korean style wedding to let you get a peek at the core aspects of the culture. To make learning easier for children and teenagers, cultural programs, performance events, and special exhibitions are also held regularly.

Shopping Center

The International Market Street is just the right spot to shop. You can find everything here from clothes and accessories to a wide selection of local and international cuisines. The specialty shops surrounding the centrally located food court offers an amazing view of ice skating.

If you are visiting South Korea, you would should not miss the chance of enjoying the most unique experience of this country, Lotte World.

Enjoy!

South Korea Festivals You Would Not Want to Miss

November 18, 2014

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South Korea Festivals You Would Not Want to Miss

South Korea has a rich culture, acquired from a long history and mix of religions, heritage, cultures, and languages, which makes up different festivals throughout the year. South Korea festivals are lively and have unique characteristics that highlight the vibrance and meanings of customs. Here is what you can experience at different times of the year if you are visiting South Korea.

South Korea Festival: Buddha’s Birthday

A canopy of lotus lanterns on Buddha's birthday. — A canopy of lotus lanterns on Buddha’s birthday.

Buddha’s birthday or Bucheonim osin nal meaning “the day when Buddha came” falls on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Korean lunar calendar. It is the biggest celebration in South Korea when the streets and cities are decorated with lanterns for week long celebrations while special lantern parades are held across the country.

On this South Korea Festival, temples are adorned with lotus lanterns while free meals and tea is served to visitors.

South Korea Festival – Jeongwol Daeboreum

Jeongwol Daeboreum is an important traditional festival that celebrates the first full moon of the new year of the Korean lunar calendar. The festival is celebrated in the Jeju-do Island where people climb the mountain to catch the first glimpse of the full moon. It is believed that the first person to catch the sight will have good luck throughout the year.

In addition, children fly kites and play traditional game geuybulnori the night before daeboreum, which is said to bring good fortune for the coming year. On this day, special five grain meal and wine are served that are believed to bring good news for one year.

South Korea Festival – Hi Seoul

Hi Seoul is a seasonal cultural festival held four times a year. The festival features exhibition of national clothes, traditional foods, different forms of art and activities highlighting the different aspects of the life in Seoul. Through this festival, you can experience and see the true fusion of the modern and traditional elements of the country.

Here is the official website for this colorful festival.

Baekje Cultural Festival

Baekje Cultural Festival is a tribute to Baekje dynasty that ruled the country for nearly 700 years. The festival features a colorful parade as well as more than 100 traditional performances and events to highlight the history and culture of the Baekje Kingdom.

South Korea Festival – The Andong Mask Dance

The Andong Mask Dance festival is a major cultural attraction of the Androng region which offers visitors a chance to enjoy Korea’s traditional mask dances. These dances have great traditional significance and are considered as important intangible assets of Korea.

In addition to mask dance performances, the festival features more than 50 events and hand-on experience programs including, mask dance competitions, world mask exhibition, mask making, and mask dance lessons allowing visitors to participate and get the real feel of this imperative element of South Korean culture.

Busan Film Festival

Busan Film Festival is one of the biggest film festivals in Asia. The festival is meant to honor young and celebrated talent of the world as well as promote every aspect of the film industry in the region. This festival is the celebration of modern South Korea and its novel trends and cultural themes.

South Korea Festivals have powerful characteristics that connect you with the many aspects of the culture.

If you are visiting South Korea, you should witness and become part of the vibrant celebrations.

My favorite festival had to have been Hi Seoul Festival. The feeling is joyous, great tasting food, the most realistic costumes ever, and performances all throughout the city and on every block!

South Korea is so filled with amazing culture and history that the country has 5 locations on the UNESCO. Check out my article here to learn about them!

Enjoy!

South Korean Heritage – Five Grand Sites

November 3, 2014

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South Korean Heritage – Five Grand Sites

Can you think of a tiny country with only fifty million inhabitants, encapsulating within its depths civilized history dating back 3000 years. Well South Korea it is. The little country has so much to tempt tourists that you wouldn’t have even thought of it.

Beyond its sophisticated and ultra modern airports, the country possesses a whopping 10 UNESCO world heritage sites. Such a small country yet it has so much of historical treasures to boast of.

South Korea’s prized heritage can be explored by going to the huge National Museum of Korea or visiting a myriad of palaces and temples, and by enjoying the delicacies that its varied cuisine has to offer.

The first time I visited South Korea was only in transit on my way back to Hong Kong from visiting New York. To say that I was impressed and disappointed wouldn’t be enough. I was impressed by how gorgeous the airport was! And depressed that I wasn’t getting the opportunity that trip to actually visit the country! It wouldn’t be for a little time later that I’d get the chance and I was completely taken back by the country.

The people, the sites, the food, the heritage, the culture, the skiing, the list goes on! And as mentioned above, it’s not a big country, but a proud country, with a people that feel at a loss for their brethren in the north.

South Korean Heritage sites are certainly to see these unbelievably amazing places and definitely worth seeing.

Please help to share these wonderful experiences with me.

Here is a glimpse at five of the ten magnificent heritage sites.

1. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

Western Gate in Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon, South Korea

Acquiring its status as a world heritage site in 1997, this is a fortress wall, a bit low-key in structure yet preserved in pristine condition. The wall is around 5 km in circumference and you can spend your entire day here.

The wall is lighted up at night, making the late night views the best of all. Near the north east gate, there is an archery range as well which is quite amazing. At the center of the fortress there is small palace, with fantastic tile art, and a really huge Golden Buddha.

2. Changdeokgung Palace

This South Korean Heritage site is one of the five prime palaces in Seoul, and is known to be Joseon Dynasty’s longest lasting palace. It is undoubtedly one of South Korea’s best historical gems. The palace’s throne hall is just splendid with gold sculptures on its ceiling and its incredible architecture. Once you enter the palace, you will feel like you have taken a step back in time, so glorious it is.

3. Ganghwa, Gochang and Hwasun Dolmen Sites

South Korea is believed to have 40% of all the world’s dolmen sites. Dolmen sites are stone-era tombs, and present proofs of organized ancient humanity.These dolmens are symbolic of the Megalithic culture; the stones of the tombs are prized because they mark tombs of the ruling elite of that time period.

4. Jongmyo Shrine

You will be surprised to find out that as claimed by UNESCO, the Jongmyo Shrine has intrinsically maintained its tradition as beautifully, as no other culture has been able to do.

The Jongmyo Shrine, built to honor the spirits of its fallen kings, has honored fallen kings for around six hundred years. The tablets preserved in the shrine, and displayed once every year, document the achievements of every King of the Joseon Dynasty. This truly makes it one of the South Korean Heritage sites to see!

5. Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes

Also known as “Hawaii of Korea’ due to its majestic beauty, this is the only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Korea. Jeju Volcanic Island, last erupted around a thousand years ago, and its main attraction, is the dead Hallasan Mountain. What makes the island so scenic is the astounding set of lava tubes lying at the place where real lava used to fuel the volcano. People climb up the Hallasan Mountain in almost five hours to witness a stunning crater lake where deer drink water from.

The UN site has amazing information on this incredible place!

All the South Korean heritage sites are truly amazing and will embrace you in their awe. If you go to South Korea, you can’t miss out on these. Each one is worth at least a day to see so when you go, take your time and take it all in!

Enjoy!