Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Top Ten

Top Ten Tourist Destinations

1. Gyeongbokgung Palace
                                                                                   
   Built in 1394 under orders of King Taejo. The Gyeongbokgung Palace houses the National Folk Museum and the National Palace Museum of Korea. The palace is composed of several buildings including the Gangnyeongjeon (Gangnyeongjeon Hall), which was used as the king's main sleeping and living quarters. It is arguably the most beautiful of its four sister palaces, which are all in Seoul. The Gyeongbokgung Palace was originally a massive complex of 330 buildings with 5,792 rooms, but many of the buildings were destroyed during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945). Since 1989, the Korean government is in the process of rebuilding the structures that were destroyed. 


2. Korean Folk Village

The Korean Folk Village is like a living museum. It occupies an area up to 243 acres in a natural environment located at Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province. At the Folk Village, traditional dress, buildings, and folk traditions are recreated, making it a pleasant day trip a short 30 minute drive from Seoul.



3. Gyeongju Bulguksa Temple

 The Bulguksa Temple is located on Mt. Tohamsan in Gyeongju National Park. During the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla, Kim Daeseong, the premier of the time, started constructing the temple. It was finally finished during the reign of King Hyegong. However, most of the buildings were burnt down when Japan made an aggression against Korea in 1593. Only some buildings including Geungnakjeon Hall, Jahamun Gate, and Beomyeongru Pavilion survived from the invasion.

4. Demilitarized Zone DMZ
There’s no doubt that the DMZ is one of the key experiences of any visit to Korea. and a great insight into the ethos and emotion that plays a key role in a culture that many regard as divided in half spiritually as well as politically. It’s also the closest you’re likely to get to North Korea to. The DMZ is actually a buffer zone between the two countries, and most tours involve staring across no mans land towards the heavily guarded North Korean border. The land in between is actually about as heavily militarized as any area of land in the world.

 5. Haeinsa Temple

The Temple of Haeinsa, on Mount Kaya, is home to the Tripitaka Koreana , the most largest complete collection of Buddhist texts, engraved on 80,000 woodblocks. The buildings of Janggyeong Pangeon, which date from the 15th century were constructed to house the woodblocks, which are also revered as exceptional works of art. As the oldest depository of the Tripitaka , they reveal an astonishing mastery of the invention and implementation of the conservation techniques used to preserve these woodblocks.


6. Jejudo

Jejudo or Jeju Island, also known as the “Island of the Gods,” is a popular vacation spot for Koreans and many international visitors. It remains one of the top honeymoon destinations for Korean newlyweds. The island has mixture of volcanic rock, frequent rains, and temperate climate, make it very similar to the Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. The island offers visitors a wide range of activities: hiking on Halla-san (South Korea’s highest peak), catching sunrises and sunsets over the ocean, viewing majestic waterfalls and lava tubes, Jeju Loveland, riding horses, or just lying around on the sandy beaches.

 
7. Seoraksan National Park
One Korea's most popular national parks, Seorak-san gets a tremendous number of visitors to see the leaves change color every autumn. The park is also heavily visited throughout the rest of the year as well. Seorak-san's craggy peaks are often shrouded in mist, creating a "sea of clouds" effect seen in many pictures of the area. The park contains several famous temples, including Baekdam-sa. The inner part of the Taebaek Mountain Range is named Inner Seorak. The other major areas are Outer Seorak and South Seorak. All three areas are divided by Daecheong-bong, the main peak of Seorak-san.

8. Namdaemun Market

Named for its nearby namesake of Namdaemun (Great South Gate) and located near the downtown area, is one of Korea's largest wholesale markets that cover over 10 acres. It is filled with over 1,000 shops, stalls, retailers, street vendors, and has several department stores nearby. Here you can find clothes, shoes, fabrics, tableware, flowers, vegetables, ginseng products, toys, and watches. Under Namdaemun-no (the main street to the north of the market) is an extensive underground arcade.


9. Busan Haeundae Beach

Busan is a seaport surrounded by several beaches. The most beautiful of them is the Haeundae-beach. At about 1.5 kilometers in length it is well worth visiting in the summer as well as the winter. In the summer, the beach is hardly detectable due to all the people. You can rent boats there and all possible kinds of water sports are catered for in beach proximity. The Busan Aquarium is directly on the beach, and the Yachting Center is close by. In addition, there are many modern hotels bordering the beach, as well as clubs, bars and so on.


10. Yongpyong Ski Resort

The Yongpyong Ski Resort is located at a very inhabitable range of 700 meters above sea level. It is found at the eastern edge of Asia, about 200km from Seoul. With an annual snowfall average of 250cm, the surrounding area possesses a beautiful environment, which allows for the enjoyment of a wide array of winter sports including skiing from mid-November to early April. On its 4,300 acres, you will find a 45-hole golf course, 31 ski slopes, premium hotels, European-style condominiums and many other leisure facilities that can be enjoyed by the whole family.





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