Posts under "Geography"

Korean Waterfalls

Posted by Ginny No Comments
Sep 12 2011

Some people mistakenly believe that all the waterfalls in South Korea are in Jeju Island (제주도), (If you don’t know what I mean, go here: http://www.transparent.com/korean/korean-waterfalls) but that’s simply not true. There are waterfalls all over Korea, including one in Donghae City (동해시) of Gangwon Pronvince (강원도) called Ssang Falls (쌍푹포). Ssang Falls is a beautiful waterfall that has been in the inspiration for local poets for many centuries.

Paraeso Falls (파래소폭포) is a waterfall in Ulsan City (울산시) in Ulju County (울주군). To see the waterfalls up close, you’ll have to hike up a rugged path. The path is inside a forest where it is connected to a valley. When you get to the valley there you will see Paraeso Falls. There is also a one hour walk from the bus stop to the hiking trail, so seeing the Paraeso Falls is not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth it. The pond were the water from the Paraeso Fall gathers is a lovely sea-green color!

Unlike Paraeso Falls, Gugok Falls (구곡폭포) is in Chuncheon City (춘천시) is relatively easy to get to. It only takes twenty minutes by foot to get to the Gugok Falls. The waters from the Gugok Falls fall by dropping on different rock formations on the cliff. It’s amazing to see such water swerving and twisting before it drops straight into the pond below for about fifty meters. It’s one of those waterfalls that is easily accessible so much so that kids can join too!

Daeseung Falls (대승폭포) is located in Inje County (인제군). Since the Silla Era, Daeseung Falls has been a major relaxation spot. That’s because the natural surroundings of Daeseung Falls is unsurpassed in its beauty. For many generations, Inje County has had the lowest population density of any South Korean city. The low population is one of the reasons why Daeseung Falls had stayed quite pristine and unpolluted over the years.

Pyeongchang

Posted by Ginny 2 Comments
Jul 9 2011

Recently the International Olympics Committee made an announcement that the 2018 Winter Olympics will take place in Pyeongchang (평창), South Korea. Pyeongchang is a popular winter resort area located in Gangwon Province (강원도). Here are some of the reasons why this area will be great place to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games:

There is a beautiful ski mountain on the Taebaek Mountains (태백산). Taebaek Mountain is a long mountain range that includes mountain peaks like Kumgang Mountain (금강산), Seorak Mountain (설악산), and Odae Mountain (오대산). This truly a great place for skiers!

Skiers on mountain in Pyeongchang

A chairlift tower

Ski Jump at the Tower Stadium in Pyeongchang

There are many lovely resorts in Pyeongchang. Even if it’s not the winter season, there are many beautiful spots to view in the Pyeongchang area. In addition, Pyeongchang has several culturally rich sites like the Buddhist temple of Woljeonsa (월정사).

Pyeongchang in the summer

Lodgings in Pyeongchang

South Korean Towers

Posted by Ginny 2 Comments
Jun 27 2011

Some of the best places to see Korea from up high are from an observation tower. One of the best observation towers in South Korea is Gyeongju Tower (경주타워). Gyeongju Tower is located in Gyeongju City (경주시) in North Gyeongsang Province (경상북도). It is eighty two meters high and was built as part of an Expo held at Gyeongju in 2007. The center of the tower where it’s bare, is supposed to be an outline of a Korean pagoda.

 

 

The Busan Tower (부산타워) is located in Joong District (중구) in the city of Busan (부산). The Busan Tower is one of the older observation towers in South Korea and it has towered over the area since nineteen seventy-three. The Busan Tower is one of the special landmarks of Busan. It’s especially a great date spot in the evenings when the Tower is lighted up for all to see. It’s also a favorite photo spot where everyone wants to take a photo of themselves against the backdrop of the Tower.

 

 

N Seoul Tower (엔 서울타워) is in Seoul (서울) and is a major landmark in Seoul. The Tower rests on Namsan Mountain (남산), which means that in order to get to the Tower, a cable car is needed to reach the Tower. The Tower is about two hundred and thirty seven meters high. From the top of the tower, you can see almost the whole of Seoul below. It’s a great place to take pictures of the city of Seoul, especially at night when the City is glowing with bright lights.

 

The Hanbit Tower (한빛탑) was built for the Daejeon Expo in 1993 (대전 엑스포 ‘93) and can be found in the city of Daejeon. The design of Hanbit Tower was inspired by the architecture of traditional Korean pagodas. When the Hanbit Tower was first revealed, it was supposed to be a symbol of Korea’s past and future melded into one. Today, the Hanbit Tower is still visited by tourists who want to see the entire landscape of Daejeon from up top.

 

 

Yangsan Tower (양신타워) is located in the city of Yangsan (양산) in Gyeongsangnam Province (경상남도). Like the other towers in South Korea, Yangsan Tower is a symbol of the community’s hopes and future. Yangsan Tower in particular represents the technological innovation of South Korea, and also benefits in highlighting the tourism of the local area. The Yangsan Tower is basically like a modern day giant torch that lights up the city below.

 

Glistening Views of Seoul

Posted by Ginny 2 Comments
Jun 12 2011

Seoul (서울) is the capital city of South Korea. Seoul is a beautiful city to view at night. There are so many places within Seoul that light up at night. Here are some of the most exquisite views of the city at night.

The Banpo Bridge (반포대교) can be seen in downtown Seoul. The beauty of this bridge can be attributed to the bright water fountain display. This fountain is called Moonlight Rainbow Fountain (달빛무지개 분수). About one hundred and ninety tons of water shoots out of this fountain per minute. The lights from the cars and the lights and water from the fountain create an intense light and water display. All the water from the fountain comes from Han River (한강), which is a major river in South Korea.

The Sejong Center for the Cultural Arts (세종문화회관) is located in the center of the city of Seoul. The Sejong Center contains many halls, auditoriums, and theaters for the arts. Concerts, art galleries, exhibitions, dance performances and anything related to art or the performing arts are held at the Sejong Center. The Sejong Center is hard to miss at night. At night the Sejong Center is lighted with a magnificent display of colored lights.

 

The N Seoul Tower (엔 서울타워) is a tower atop Mount. Nam (남산) in Seoul. The N Seoul Tower can be reached by a cable car to the tower. From the Tower you can see the city of Seoul. The interior of the Seoul Tower is amazing as well. The Tower has a revolving restaurant that moves every forty-eight minutes. There is also a gift shop and a place where you can take pictures of the city of Seoul. There are a total of four floors, with each floor lighted in a different color.

 

Heungjinjimun (흥인지문) is also popularly known as Dongdaemun (동대문). Heunjinji Gate was built in the Joseon Era, and many people associate the Gate with Korean culture and history. As a result, the Gate is now a major landmark in Seoul. Dongdaemun can refer to the Gate itself, or the shopping and market areas near the Gate. At night, the Gate shines brightly. It reminds the Korean people of their history and how proud they are to be Korean.

Hwaseong Fortress (화성) is a large fortress in Seoul. The Fortress is very large and when lighted at night, it provides a splendid view. The main part of the Fortress that I personally like is Seosangdae (서장대), which is the western command post of the Fortress. The Seosangdae was destroyed by fire two times, but was rebuilt again in 2007. Today you can still see the Seosangdae with it’s glistening lights. Like it was in the past, it stands tall and erect above a hill that overlooks the city.

 

Korean Tombs

Posted by Ginny 1 Comment
May 26 2011

One of the ways in which archeologists study the past is by studying the tombs left from the past. In Korea, there are many sites that contain tombs from various periods in Korean history. Let’s take a look at some of these tombs:

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (조선왕릉) is located in Gyeonggi Province (경기도), Gangwon Province (강원도) and Seoul (서울). There are about forty royal tombs for various Korean kings and queens and about thirteen tombs for crown princes and their wives and concubines. The tombs are scattered over eighteen different places, but most of the tombs are in Seoul. Today, tourists can still see the tombs, but they are restricted from walking in certain areas because these areas are considered sacred.

The Royal Tombs of the Koryo Dynasty (고려왕릉) are located in North Korea. The capital city of the Koryo Dynasty was Kaesong (개성), which is located in present day North Korea. Not all the tombs have been identified, but we do know that some of the tombs belonged to deceased Koryo Kings and Queens. Some of the tombs are in poor shape because they have been neglected by the North Korean government, but the ones that are properly maintained have various stone guardians that guard the tomb.

The Complex of Goguryeo Tombs (고구려 고분군) is also located in North Korea. There are about thirty or so tombs the area, which is not considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These tombs are very important because they are pretty much all that remain from the Goguryeo Era. The tombs itself are important, but the murals within the tombs and the items buried along the tombs present a unique insight about Goguryeo life.

 

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