 Weekend Activities
in Korea
What is there to do on weekends in Korea?
Korea has a lot
to offer, from the mundane to the exciting. The larger
cities
have about everything one comes to expect from a large
metropolitan area sports
stadiums, theaters, museums, art galleries, shopping
districts,
amusement parks, movie theaters, zoos, concerts,
casinos, fine
restaurants, temples, ancient ruins, etc.
Here we go . . .
Hiking
& Temples
 Korea is a country of mountains and a favorite weekend
activity for many is
hiking. Most mountains have hiking trails, ranging from
an easy stroll to an
arduous trek. Fall is the favored time for hiking
because of the beauty
encountered with the changing of the seasons.
Korea, with its long held Buddhist tradition, has many
old and beautiful
temples that are common tourist attractions. Just about
anywhere you live
in Korea you will not be far from a temple. The unique
style of Korean
architecture makes visiting temples a must do activity
at least once during
your stay here.
Beaches
Although not known for its beaches, there are a number
of beautiful
beaches, with clear blue water and long expanses of
white sand on the
eastern coast. Some of the beaches are comparable to
Hawaiian beaches,
although the surfing isn’t nearly as good.
Let's
go Singing!
Korea is the land of no rae bangs (or singing rooms).
No rae bangs are private
karaoke rooms, the rooms can seat from six to twelve.
Each room has a
karaoke machine, with a large selection of English
songs. Visiting a karaoke
room is a favored activity among Koreans after a night
of dining and
drinking. (the drinking usually continues at the
no rae bangs)
For those more interested to watching movies there are
plenty of small DVD
viewing rooms. The rooms are similar to no rae bangs,
except that instead of
singing, you select a DVD or video to watch and enjoy it
in a comfort and
privacy not afforded at theaters.
Go to
the Movies
Most towns, even the smaller ones, will have a movie
theater. The latest
Hollywood blockbusters can be seen shortly after their
releases in the
United States. Most foreign films are captioned in
Korean (not dubbed) so
native speakers can enjoy the film just like they were
in their home towns.
The condition of the theaters is another matter. If it
is an old theater it is
likely to be dirty, may not be air conditioned or heated
well, and may reek.
To make matter worse, they may not even serve buttered
popcorn! The
newer theaters, many are multiplexes in large shopping
centers and malls,
are clean, with comfortable seats, and well heated or
cooled, making for a
pleasurable night out. Buttered popcorn is also
available in many of them.
Shopping and Traditional Markets
If you like shopping, Korea can be paradise. Favorite
buys to look for are
hand-tailored clothes, sweaters (plain, embroidered or
beaded), silks,
brocades, handbags, leatherwork, gold jewelry, topaz,
amethyst, amber,
jade and silver, ginseng, paintings, costume dolls,
musical instruments,
brassware, lacquer ware, woodcarvings, baskets, scrolls
and screens. Prices
are fixed in department stores, but may be negotiated in
arcades and
markets. Duty free shops can be found in major cities
which accept foreign
currency if the shopper has a valid passport.
Below is a list of the best shopping districts and
markets in Seoul, with a
brief description of the items sold.
Namdaemun: Korea’s largest general wholesale market
Tongdaemun:
one of Seoul’s oldest markets, good for
bargains
Myong-dong: Korea’s fashion district
Insa-dong: antiques and art
Changanp’yong: one of the largest antique markets in the
Far East
Itaewon: modern shopping district particularly popular
with tourists
Noryargjin: fish market
Yongsan Electronics Market: largest electronics and
computer
market in Korea
Koyndang: Oriental medicine, spices and herbs market
Hwangkhak dong:- flea market, good for second-hand
shopping
Ahyon-dong: the ‘wedding street’, featuring over 120
wedding
boutiques
Shinch’on: a shopping street popular with young people,
good for
accessories and fashion
Museums
and Art
Galleries
There are a number of art galleries and museums in
Korea, ranging from
the traditional to the modern. Whether your interests lie
in thousand year
old pottery and Buddhist wood burnings or contemporary
multi-media
pieces they can be viewed in the galleries and museums
in South Korea. In
addition, exhibitions of art from other countries around
the world are
displayed from time to time.
Below is a partial list of some major art galleries and
Museums in Seoul.
Artsonje Center: Multidisciplinary center for
contemporary visual
arts and film.
Address: 144-2 Sokeukdong, Jongrogu, Seoul 110-200
Ewha Womans University Museum:
Collections of ancient
Korean
objects: ceramic, pottery, tools, tomb-excavated
objects, Buddhist
artworks, ceramics (Cheong-ja), wood crafts,
calligraphy.
Address: 11-1, Daehyon-dong, Sodaemun-gu, Seoul.
Samsung Museum of Art: Three museum buildings hosting
traditional Korean art, modern and contemporary art by
Korean
and foreign artists.
Address: 747-18 Hannam-Dong. Yongsan-Gu, Seoul, Korea
140-893.
National Museum of Contemporary Art: Collections and
temporary exhibitions of national and international art
from the
beginning of the 20th century up to the present.
Address: 427-701, Gwangmyeong-gil (209), san 58-1,
Makgye-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province.
National Museum of Korea: Korean cultural heritage,
ancient art
from Asia, and the art collection of the royal court of
the Choson
Dynasty (1392 - 1910) .
Address: Jungangcheong, Seoul
Seoul Arts and Cultural Center: Opera house, music hall,
exhibition hall (Hangaram Art Museum), calligraphy hall
(Seoul
Calligraphy Art Museum), culture and art information
center
(Hangaram Design Art Museum).
Address: 700 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul.
Seoul Museum of
Art: Korean and international contemporary art
Address : 37 Seodaemun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-062
Sung-Kok Art Museum: Exhibits art from Korea as well as
experimental and international exhibitions, designed to
keep local
artists involved with new directions in art across the
globe.
Address: 1-101 Shinmoomro 2 Ga, Chongro-Gu, Seoul.
Amusement Parks
There are three major theme parks in Korea that provide
fun for the
whole family.
Everland, located in Yongin, is a big theme park, which
includes a zoo,
snow sled, and botanical garden. Everland contains three
distinct
themes which are Festival World, Caribbean Bay, and
Speed Way.
Festival World includes Global Fair, American Adventure,
Magic
Land, European Adventure, and Equatorial Adventure, each
created
with is own unique style. Caribbean Bay is the very
first water park in
Korea. Its main feature is the wave pool, and many
people come here
during the summer just to ride waves.
Everland also
features the
Glen Ross Golf Club, Automobile Museum, Sportspark, and
Hoam Art
Gallery.
Seoul Land is Korea’s first theme park, with beautiful
scenery
surrounded by Mt. Cheonggyesan. Seoul Land has World
Square
where traditional architecture and folk items from all
over the world
are displayed. You can view the traditional Korea at
Samcheonri Hill,
the western frontier at Model Land, and Fantasy Land.
There are five
theme based areas that make up Seoul Land. Seoul Land
has up to
40 roller coasters such as Space Cruise, Black Hole
2000, Galaxy
Train, Rapid Current Ride, Magic Carpet, as well as
Adventure
Theater, Movie Theater, Story Land, and many more.
Lotte World is
an excellent spot for entertainment and sightseeing in
the heart of the city. It is a theme park filled with thrilling
rides, an ice rink, and different kinds of parades as
well as a folk
museum, a lake, and much more. About 6,000,000 visitors
are
welcomed every year, and about 10% of the visitors are
foreigners.
The structure inside makes use of the natural sunlight,
and it is open
for visitors all year round, regardless of the weather.
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"Twenty
years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the
ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the
trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." -- Mark Twain |
|
Raise your hand if you'd like to spend your "working"
time in a Luxury Resort . . . 
