The previous week
has been one of intense Seoul searching (pardon me). N and I took the opportunity of the Korean Chuseok holiday (a kind of thanksgiving) to leave the lab and go sight-seeing around the capital. I will probably put more pictures up over the coming few days but here are a few with which to get started.
One night we took the cable car up to Seoul tower. It is right in the centre of Seoul, on a decent sized hill and so commands views over all sides of the city. Something like 70% of the population of S Korea receives its television and radio broadcasts from this tower. The guide leaflet made a cheeky claim that it is the third or fourth highest tower in the world. However, this includes the hill that it is standing on. It is, in fact, at number 120 or so. Here is a view of downtown Seoul, towards Insadong, palaces and the north.
A garish stall in Namdaemun market. This market is primarily for clothes and suchlike. I find these markets quite dull (women's territory!)...give me a food market any day, preferably with grotesque creatures from the Deep!
And here is a picture of one of many paper shop in Insadong. These shops are dangerously tempting, even for someone with no experience of Oriental calligraphy. I especially like the big brushes and heavy, intricately carved inkstones (which are pricey). The paper is sold in large sheets; it is soft and is stored in big rolls like cloth sheets.
One night we took the cable car up to Seoul tower. It is right in the centre of Seoul, on a decent sized hill and so commands views over all sides of the city. Something like 70% of the population of S Korea receives its television and radio broadcasts from this tower. The guide leaflet made a cheeky claim that it is the third or fourth highest tower in the world. However, this includes the hill that it is standing on. It is, in fact, at number 120 or so. Here is a view of downtown Seoul, towards Insadong, palaces and the north.
A garish stall in Namdaemun market. This market is primarily for clothes and suchlike. I find these markets quite dull (women's territory!)...give me a food market any day, preferably with grotesque creatures from the Deep!
And here is a picture of one of many paper shop in Insadong. These shops are dangerously tempting, even for someone with no experience of Oriental calligraphy. I especially like the big brushes and heavy, intricately carved inkstones (which are pricey). The paper is sold in large sheets; it is soft and is stored in big rolls like cloth sheets.
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