Seoul, dynamic mash up of markets
Respectful, immense and pulsing, this is Seoul, with nearly 25 million people in the metropolitan area, where you can find and do basically anything. A jungle of concrete and neons, this city is a feast to the senses, and it seems impossible to go from a busy avenue with skyscrapers and street vendors to the peaceful atmosphere of the Buddhist temples, but it happens in Seoul.It has been receiving loads of tourists mainly from Asia, most of them attracted by the recent success of the Korean pop culture, the modernity and organization of the city. Seoul is a cosmopolitan place not only made with concrete, but also with some green areas, design and culture, traditional such as the tea houses, or modern like the karaoke bars.
Here comes some of the best places to see in Seoul as a tourist but, remember, diving into the daily life and doing as the Koreans do is fantastic and very rewarding in a place like this. To start, the Dongdaemun Market, one of the busiest places for centuries, has today over thirty thousand shops squeezed in a ten blocks area and sells basically everything. The Changdeokgung Palace Complex is a good choice to get in touch with Korea’s history, a palace adorned and heavily coloured from the 15th century that’s today an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bongeunsa Temple, the biggest and most visited Buddhist temple is richly decorated and offers a calm and peaceful atmosphere to the tourists that could only be found in those places. And, guess what, crossing the street you’re gonna find a huge Mall that will show you why Korea is a hyper modern country.
After all of the K-pop, you’ll probably want to escape the rush and Namsan Park may be the perfect place for it. On the top of a mountain in the centre of the city, the Namsan Park has many things to see, such as a library, dome fountains, an aquarium and the Seoul Tower, from which you can have an awesome view of the city. There’s no excuse to not to visit this town…It’s amazing!
