Sivu 22 |
Schoolgirls pose with a guard after the ceremonies at Gyeongbokgung, the Palace of Shining Happiness. I n the heart of Seoul, a metropolis of ten million people where ancient shrines nestle beneath soaring skycrapers, a symbolic stream flows for several kilometres. For many years the waterway was a victim of rapid urbanization, paved over by a congested road. Then, the green winds of change blew through Seoul; on October 1, 2005, a restored Cheonggyecheon Stream was unveiled. Though not controversy-free the project cost an estimated 900 billion won (about 660 million euros) this symbol of the city's new soul offers a perfect introduction to Seoul and South Korea, which has gone from being one of the world's poorest countries to one of the richest during the last 50 years. Late on a weekday afternoon, the urban promenade that runs along either side of the stream brims with joggers and walkers, and moneyed businessmen taking a break from work. Beside the stream is a public gallery, with many different works including the Wall of Hope, a massive ceramic tile artwork created by 20,000 Koreans that expresses sentiments about Korea's NorthSouth divide. THE ART OF THE CITY Nearby, modern glassy business towers, such as Millennium Plaza's Jongno Tower, which houses a mini-Samsung broadcast centre (South Korea is known as the Republic of Samsung, the world's largest electronics manufacturer), stretch toward the sky. Tall, slender, well-dressed Koreans zip by. Although it's close to five pm, many are returning to work as they still have several hours to put in. To experience Seoul's dichotomies, for it is a city of stark contrasts, head to the Top Cloud Grill Café, located on Jongno's 33rd floor. The view, especially at night, gives you a sense of just how wired the city is, with its endless sea of buzzing neon LED signboards below. Top Cloud is a must, not only for its spectacular panoramas and design bathrooms (step on the washroom floor's footprints 22 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2008 to activate the sink's taps), but also for a peek at how well-heeled locals dine and wile away the early evening by listening to jazz at the café. CREATIVE CENTRE Return to ground level both physically and literally by navigating to nearby Insadong, one of central Seoul's best-preserved historic neighbourhoods. Insadong and the area surrounding it were once home to the residences of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) officials, extended royal families, and the yangbanaristocratic class. These days you'll find narrow winding alleyways teeming with traditional teahouses and authentic Korean restaurants and small shops selling handicrafts such as fans, masks, lacquer ware, pottery, paper goods, clothing and antiques. Reportedly, the country's largest concentration of antique shops are located here. Ssamziegel, which means "pocket" in Korean, is a courtyard complex with a multistorey building hosting individual boutiques selling one-off pieces of clothing and accessories. Tucked away in Ssamziegel's basement is Gogung, which is one of the best Korean restaurants in town, where you can sample bimimpap, the Korean version of fast food, a jumble of rice, noodles, vegetables and meat with an egg on top. Served in a bowl, bibimbap comes with gochujang (red chili paste), which is added to spice up the dish. Further along Insadong-gil, the area's main street, is a corner marked "Temple Dining." Follow the winding alley until you see the The Old Tea Shop on your right-hand side. Atop a
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 67
Page 68
Page 69
Page 70
Page 71
Page 72
Page 73
Page 74
Page 75
Page 76
Page 77
Page 78
Page 79
Page 80
|
|
|
Why do I see this page ?
Your Flash Player is older than version 7 or Javascript is not enabled. What you see is the raw text of the publication.
To read this Digipaper-publication install/update your Flash Player from this link or enable Javascript.
|
 |
For proper operation Digipaper-publication needs Flash Player version 7 or newer.
Install the latest version of Flash Player from this link. |
|