Great view on Mt. Seorak in winter

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Also referred to as Seolsan and Seolbongsan, the mountain was named Seorak ('Seol' meaning 'snow' and 'Ak' meaning 'big mountain') because the snow would not melt for a long time keeping the rocks in a permanent state of white. In November 1965, the Seorak Mountain district was designated as a Natural Monument preservation area. Afterwards in December 1973, it was designated as a park preservation area, and in August 1982, as a Biosphere Preservation District by UNESCO. 

The park is spread across 4 cities and counties: Sokcho, Inje, Goseong and Yangyang. The highest peak is Daecheongbong; to the east is OeSeorak and to the west is NaeSeorak, which is divided again into North NaeSeorak and South NaeSeorak. North NaeSeorak is composed of Bukcheon, which flows to Ingyecheon and Baekdamcheon streams. There are numerous valleys in NaeSeorak. Follow the Baekdamcheon valley where all the streams meet and you will reach Baekdamsa Temple, which is known for its beautiful scenery. Upstream there is Gayadong valley and Suryeomdong valley, and past Yeongsiam and Mangyeongdae there is Madeungryeong ridge (1,327m) that leads to Seorakdong.

Follow Suryeomdong valley and you will reach Waryong and Ssangpok waterfalls. Further up is Bongjeongam (1,224m sea level). Once you arrive at Daecheong peak you can view the magnificent mountain range. The sunrise viewed from here is spectacular and should not be missed. South NaeSeorak directs the valley from Oknyeotang area to Hangyeryeong. Daeseung Waterfall north of Jangsudae is the most beautiful site of NaeSeorak, which is 88m high. South of Yongdaeri valley is the twelve fairy bathing spring, Oktang Falls, and Yongtang Falls, along with several other traditional relics.

The best way to see Mt. Seoraksan if you only have a limited time, is by taking the Seorak Cable Car. However, it is so popular that you sometimes have to wait in line for approximately 2 to 3 hours during the peak seasons (summer vacation and fall foliage seasons) and during the weekends, but during off-seasons, the cable car can be boarded without having to wait in line. Riding up and down the cable car, visitors can view the fascinating rock formations of the Gwongeumseong region as well as the Sogongwon area, Jeohangnyeong, and Ulsanbawi Rock to the north. To the northeast, downtown Sokcho and the East Sea comes into view. 

After getting off the cable car, visitors can take a 20 to 30 minute hike to Gwongeumseong to get a birds-eye-view of Oe-Serok. The cable car ascends at a relatively high speed with some excitement. Safety is assured and the scenery can be enjoyed with the guided tour in the cable car. It runs even when it is raining or snowing, but operation may be suspended under windy conditions.

Korean Pottery and Icheon Village

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The company Ichontour - located in the town of Icheon, 1 hour away from Seoul – proposes a one-day introduction hands-on program to Korean ceramics. The rather comprehensive program includes:

- Presentation on Korean traditional pottery (history, characteristics) - How to make ceramics with a potter’s wheel - Making your own pottery under the supervision of a potter - Lunch – A Visit to an Exposition Hall and Shopping - A Visit to the Ceramics Museum or the World Ceramics Center A handmade pottery done by yourself will without a doubt be a great and memorable souvenir to bring back from your trip to Korea. You will have the choice to decorate already made, unvarnished pottery pieces or do your own with or without the potter’s wheel. In any case, you’ll quickly realize that it’s more difficult than it seems! Even if your work looks more like a melting object from a Salvador Dali painting than anything else, you will still love it like its your baby and that’s where the fun of it is. This tour will also be a nice opportunity to learn more about the history of Korean ceramics and to see some wonderful pieces by some of the best potters in the country. The manager of the tour, Mr. Park Chan-bong, speaks English and will be able to answer all of your questions. This is a great way to discover one of Korea’s most precious cultural properties. Icheon Ceramics Village produces traditional Korean ceramics, which are of high quality. The village became the center of traditional pottery during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) for about 500 years due to the easily obtainable materials in the areas. Icheon Ceramics Village was also the center of Joseon Baekja ceramics. Presently, about 80 pottery factories are congregated at the village, and about 300 pottery kilns are in use. Visitors can observe the pottery production process, and purchase them directly. It is worthwhile to see the crafts of these potters known as Living Cultural Treasures of Korea for creating the highest quality handicrafts. Not only are the traditional Cheongja,Baekja, and Buncheong pottery produced here, but you can also view modern design pottery. The Haegang Ceramics Art Center is the only ceramics Art Center in Korea, where you can learn about ceramics. One of the must-see events at Icheon Ceramics Village is the internationally famous “Icheon Ceramics Festival” held every year. Displayed pottery as well as, pottery classes, traditional kiln handling, pottery character show, and even parades are held.     Contact us : Send E-mail

Korean Traditional Costume - Hanbok

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The Hanbok is the traditional outfit of the Korean people. Koreans nowadays wear this outfit only on festive days or special anniversaries, however it was worn daily up until just 100 years ago. It is a kind of traditional formal dress and most Koreans keep a hanbok for these special times. Children wear hanbok on their first birthday and adults wear it for their wedding ceremony and on their 60th birthday. The hanbok is also worn for funerals or religious services, and is still used as casual wear in villages or districts where the traditional ways of life are still maintained such as Chunghak-dong on Mount Jirisan.

One way to refer to Korea is 'the people in white’, which refers to the fact that the Korean people often wear white or similar tones. Koreans have long worn white clothing made of hemp or cotton regardless of their status. The case of formal dress was different, however. Color and design were typically luxurious and the hanbok was particularly highly valued for its gracious and subtle colors. Modern designers have presented the traditional Korean costume at renowned cities of fashion such as Paris and New York.

The hanbok is colored using natural dyes. The colors of nature are imbued in the cloth. For example, red dye is obtained from the petals of red flowers. The color pigment is extracted by grounding the petals in a mortar, putting them in a jar and rinsing them with hot caustic soda. It is a very slow, complicated, precise process. The colors obtained in this way differ greatly from artificial dyes in their color and depth. The Hanbok is creative and emotional in its design. One Korean phrase regarding the shape of the outfit is the 'upper is narrow, lower is wide'. The jacket must be tightened and the skirt relaxed, as was the silhouette of the women’s hanbok in Joseon times. The tightly fitting jacket attractively reflects the shape of the upper body. The wide sleeves and flexible skirts enhance the wearer’s gracefulness by hiding the physical features of the lower body.

The principles behind the creation of the hanbok can be explained by the movement from 2 dimensions to 3 dimensions. The flat cloth is patterned, cut, and sewn in 2 dimensions but the subject wearing the hanbok is a 3 dimensional being. The hanbok is frilled or fastened with string to enhance the 3D affect. The unique line of the hanbok is created from this process. The lines of the hanbok costume are as smooth as the curves of the eaves of tiled roof house and as sharp. An old adage says that you can tell the man by his clothes.

Koreans have traditionally lived as one with nature, and obtained all material from natural sources for making cloth and coloring it. Koreans favor smooth curves rather than straight lines and that has added a gracious line to the hanbok. A common comment that every hanbok designer gets is that the outfit is more beautiful when it is worn than when it is on the hanger, and more beautiful when moving than when standing. Indeed, the unique lines of the hanbok appear at their greatest when the wearer is in motion.

Although hanbok have become the ritual dress of choice worn only on traditional holidays, Koreans' love for hanbok is tremendous. The popularity of Korean classic dramas is causing many foreigners to take a keener interest in traditional Korean attire as well.

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Voted 10 Attractions in Korea by the foreign tourists (5) - Everland

 

Everland Resort was opened in 1976 as the first family park in Korea. Though originally called ‘Yongin Jayeon Nongwon,’ the company changed its name to ‘Everland’ to make the name more recognizable to international audiences. The park is home to over 40 heart-pounding rides and attractions. In addition to ‘Safari World’ featuring white tigers, tigers, lions and bears, ‘Herbivore Safari’ opened in April 2010, letting visitors get up close and personal with the safari’s giraffes, elephants, and ostriches. Everland is also known for its gorgeous flower arrangements and beautiful gardens, which have been year-round fixtures since the Rose Festival in 1985. Other great spots for family fun are the Snow Sled (the first and the longest of its kind in Korea), Caribbean Bay (an outstanding water park) and Everland Speedway (a racing track). Full of exciting attractions and entertainment, Everland is one of the most popular places in Korea for families, friends, and couples.

 

Dreams Become Reality, the Land of Year-Round Festivals!’
Everland is divided into five sections: American Adventure, Magic Land, European Adventure, Zoo Topia and Roller Coasters, in addition to the Global Fair.

Located near the front entrance of Everland, the Global Fair is home to a large bazaar decorated with reproductions of castles from France, Middle Eastern countries, Spain, India, and Russia. Not only visually captivating, the various architectural styles invite visitors into the culture and history of other nations, such as the Ancient and Medieval Periods of Europe.

The Four Seasons Garden of Everland is decorated with beautiful flowers arranged in a French garden style. Surrounded by Holland-style architecture, the gardens are the stage for seasonal flower festivals (tulips from April to June, lilies from July to August, and chrysanthemums from September to October), laser shows, and musical fountain shows.

 

The Zoo Topia section of the park is the where guests can find the ever-popular Safari World and Herbivore Safari. In safari world white tigers, tigers, lions, and bears roam around freely, providing guests with an up-close look at these amazing creatures. In Herbivore Safari, visitors can even feed some of their favorite animals like elephants, giraffes, camels, and ostriches.

 

 

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Best Activities (2) - Skiing and Snowboarding in Korea

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The Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort, with its large variety of ski resorts, is a great destination for skiers of all abilities. The resort is located within a beautiful valley, and skiers can enjoy a wide view of the natural scenery while gliding down the slopes.

Whether you choose to go down the beginner, intermediate, or advanced slopes, everyone will enjoy a run of 1km in length. Intermediate and beginner skiers can reach the mountain peak rest area on the B lift. A separate beginner’s course is also available to be used as a practice course.

Complimentary shuttle buses are available from the Gyeonggi regions to the Gangwon Resort during the winter ski season.

Alpensia Ski Resort has six slopes for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy. Runs as long as 1.4km provide a dynamic experience for both beginners and experienced skiers and snowboarders. There is also an area exclusively for advanaced snowboarders to practice their skills. Alpensia is not just for winter revellers: the year-round resort transforms the lower, Apron Area, of the mountain into a 100,000㎡ wild flower garden during summer months.

Bears Town Resort lies on the outskirts of Seoul. The ski slopes of this large leisure resort have been officially approved by the International Ski Federation. Bears Town Resort is a great destination for beginners; ski lessons are available, there are broad beginner slopes, and the comprehensive rental system allows you to rent all the equipment you need. Those skiers who are more experienced, however, will be able to enjoy the FIS approved 88 Challenger Slope. Bears Town Resort has a total of ten ski slopes and eight ski lifts, which can transport up to 15,200 skiers per hour. The resort also has numerous sledding hills.

With a 5-star hotel, high-rise condominium buildings, ski-slopes, and top-class golf courses, the mountain peak recreational complex of Phoenix Park provides various recreational and amusement facilities for a great vacation. The resort is located approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes from Seoul in Pyeongchang, a county in Gangwon province. Pyeongchang is a major winter sports region in Korea and it has been declared as the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Phoenix Park has become one of Korea’s most famous resort complexes since its appearance in the extremely popular drama ‘Winter Sonata’. The resort has a total of seventeen slopes, four of which are approved by the FIS (International Ski Federation), and has superb snow quality. Particularly popular is the ‘Panorama Slope’, which is at an impressive 2.2km length and has an average width of 46meters. Eight ski lifts, state-of-the-art gondolas, and six conveyer belts transport visitors around the park quickly and efficiently.

Phoenix Park has many excellent accommodation options, including the main condo (famous for its unique design), the Euro Villa Condo (which was the filming location for Winter Sonata), a youth hostel, and a luxury hotel. In addition, the outdoor swimming pool, 18-hole members only golf club, and the 9-hole public golf club mean that visitors can have fun at Phoenix Park all year round!

Phoenix Park Ski Resort is an environmentally friendly resort, created with the minimum possible disruption to surrounding nature. For more information on the Phoenix Park Ski Resort and subsidiary facilities, please visit the homepage or call the ski resort helpline.

The Yongpyong Resort is situated at the center of Korea’s Baekdudaegan Mountains, and sees an average of 250 centimeters of snowfall per season, which makes for excellent skiing conditions. Not only that, but the resort’s enormous seventeen million square meters complex includes a 45-hole golf course, gondolas, swimming pool, and other facilities. This all-season recreational complex allows visitors to escape from daily life and relax.

Yongpyong Resort has an impressive twenty-eight ski slopes, including the popular Rainbow Slopes, and offers excellent facilities for skiers. The park’s fifteen ski-lifts include a 3.7km cable-car and the resort's ‘Dragon Plaza’ is the largest ski complex in Asia, offering a variety of services for skiers and boarders.

The Yongpyong Resort has even had the honor of hosting a number of international competitions, including the World Cup Ski Competition and the Asian Winter Games. It is consequently one of the most popular ski resorts in Korea, and is frequented by many tourists.

Accommodation options include condominiums, a hotel, and a youth hostel.

The Yongpyong Resort is a 2-hour car drive away from Seoul, but the resort runs shuttle buses from Seoul during the peak season. Visitors traveling from the Daegu and Yeongnam regions can take the Jungang and Jungbu Inland Expressways, and arrive at Yongpyong Resort within three hours.

The Jisan Forest Resort, which opened in December 1996, makes for the perfect one-day trip from Seoul. It is located only forty minutes from the capital and is covered with beautiful white pines.

Furthermore, the Ichon ceramics complex is a mere 15 minutes away, offering a variety of sights to see and ceramicware experience programs to enjoy. Everland Amusement park and a hot springs complex are also located very close by.

A second reconstruction to the resort was completed in 1999, opening the 68-room Maple Condo, an intermediate/advanced slope (1.5km), Korea’s first 6-person high speed ski lifts, and a world-class half-pipe and half-pipe ski lifts. These renovations elevated Jisan Forest Resort to one of the best leisure complexes in the metropolitan area.

The Jisan Forest Resort’s state-of-the-art snow management system works to overcome the weather near the Seoul area and sustain great quality snow. The resort offers nighttime skiing for businessmen and is also perfect for beginners, making it a great getaway for the entire family.

Shuttle buses operate from various regions to the Jisan Resort. You can make reservations for the free shuttle bus on the homepage.

Korea's winter offers a plethora of attractions to visitors from home and abroad. What skiers await so anxiously, of course, is the opening of the ski resorts. They believe nothing can compare with the thrill, riveting experience of hurtling down slopes blanketed in thick, pristine snow. The ski season is from December to March, and resorts located across the nation are packed with enthusiasts. Every year many thousands of visitors from Southeast Asian countries enjoy their first-ever encounter with snow.

With December fast approaching, aficionados can enjoy some of the best skiing to be found anywhere in the world. Depending on weather, this finest of the winter sports usually begins somewhere from the end of November to mid-December. Currently, Korea has thirteen ski resorts: six in Gangwon-do Province, five in Gyeonggi-do, one in Chungcheongbuk-do and one in Jeollabuk-do.

Gangwon-do gets the most snowfall, and boasts excellent snow quality and beautiful mountain scenery. Outstanding is Yong Pyong Ski Resort, which has done more for skiing to become do popular among Koreans than probably anywhere else. It opened in 1975 on the slopes of Mt. Balwangsan (1,458meters above sea level), and the resort receives an annual average snowfall of 250cm. Sometimes the season extends as late as early April.

A wide variety of recreational facilities are located within the resort complex sprawling over an area of 1,700 hectares. There is a full range of accommodations including rental condominiums-and a golf course. Winter is the peak season but visitors form Korea's crowded cities flock to Yong Pyong in the other seasons too.

The ski resorts in Gyeonggi-do Province are within one-and-a-half or two hours' drive from Seoul, meaning that skiers can take a day trip. Many even go to the resorts in Gyeonggi-do Province for night skiing after the workday is finished.

 

 

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Best Activities (1) - Gangchon Rail Bike

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Where is the Gangchon?

The Gangchon Resort (강촌유원지) is a small village nestled along the Bukan River in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Province. The river is on one side of the village, while Bongwhasan Mountain and Samaksan Mountain are on the opposite side making for beautiful scenery anywhere you look.
Gangchon Train Station is conveniently located near the entrance to the recreational area. Many young Koreans enjoy taking the romantic train ride to this cozy little village and for the past ten years this spot has also become a popular place for college students to go to on weekend trips. The village area has campgrounds, a youth hostel and other lodging facilities, bicycle paths, bungee jump facilities and many other recreational areas.

 

  

The Rail Bike

The rail bike in Gangchon is a new type of leisure sport that combines biking along a railway and scenic views. Rail bikes are commonly found in the mountainous regions of Europe. The sport makes use of an abandoned railway track that runs from Gangchon station to Kim Yu Jeong station. The total track is 8.2 kilometers long and is a continuous descent that is easy to ride along clean valley waters and crimson red foliage.
There are 2-person (110 kilograms) and 4-person rail bikes (138 kilograms). Despite its large size, a rail bike runs quite smoothly so it is sufficient for one person to pedal a 4-person rail bike at speeds of 10 to 30 kilometers per hour.
Ride at a slow speed of 15kph to enjoy the surrounding scenery. On the way back, you will return to Gangchon stn on a free bus for a comfortable ride with a view.

 

 

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Voted 10 Attractions in Korea by the foreign tourists (4) - Insadong Antique Street

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Insa-dong (인사동), located in the heart of the city, is an important place where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafes.

The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong. There are about 100 galleries in the area and you can see every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures. The most famous galleries are Hakgojae Gallery, which functions as the center of folk art, Gana Art Gallery, which promotes many promising artists, and Gana Art Center.

The teahouses and restaurants are the perfect complement to the galleries. At first they might be hard to find, but if you take the time to stroll around the twisting alleyways, the window shopping in itself can be very entertaining. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups, because each one is unique.

Every Saturday from 14:00 – 22:00 and Sunday from 10:00 – 22:00, some streets are blocked off from traffic and it becomes a cultural space. Stores set up booths outside and others set up shops (Korean candy merchants and fortune tellers.) There are traditional performances and exhibits as well. Insa-dong is especially popular with foreign tourists. This is where they can experience and see traditional Korean culture firsthand, and also purchase pieces of fine art. On the street you can eat Korean taffy and traditional pajeon (Korean pancake), and see many foreigners lost in all the joyous festivities of the street.

 

Lilly and Eilyn's Jeju island tour

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