For this blog post, I’m going to my true hometown, my birthplace. Although I left the place at the young age of nine, I still have so many memories and I had the privilege of visiting just last summer.
Seoul, the capital city of South Korea is a megacity and the second largest metropolitan area in the world with over 24.5 million people. It is known as one of the ten global leading cities of the world as a financial commercial center. It’s also a world leader of industrial design and technology. A major settlement for over 2,000 years and a history leading back 5,000 years, Seoul is rich in history and absolutely fascinating for its embracement of ancient monuments with high skyscrapers.
Seoul is divided into 25 “gu”, or districts, which are divided into “dong”s, or neighborhoods. That being said, there are many interesting places you can visit in Seoul. In the heart of the city lies Dongdaemun Gate and Market. Dongdaemun means “Great East Gate,” and was named so because it served as a main gate that surrounded the city during the Joseon dynasty. The area around the gate is now known as the Dongdaemun Market, which includes upscale market districts, as well as underground shopping districts which are more reserved for bargains. The area also includes an amateur baseball stadium.
Seoul Tower, better known to residents as Namsan Tower, was built in 1980 as a symbol for the city. It stands at 777 feet tall and has four observation decks to which visitors can get to by cable cars. The fourth observation deck revolves at 48 minutes per revolution and includes two restaurants and gift shops. Most of the city can be seen from this tower because it is located in the center of Seoul.
Yoido Full Gospel Church is located on Yoido Island in Seoul. This is a huge financial and governmental district, including the National Assembly Building, Korea Financial Investment Association, Korean Exchange, 63 Building, and the headquarters of LG and big broadcasting network companies, KBS and MBC. This church currently has over 1,000,000 members and is the largest Protestant Christian congregation in South Korea and the world. It was built in 1958 and founded by Pastor David Yonggi Cho. The church holds 7 Sunday services, with each service holding about 12,000 people and available for instant translation in 16 different languages.
Seoul is most definitely dear to my heart for many reasons and is a fascinating place to visit with breathtaking views of the city that intertwines modern technology with ancient art and monuments. Check out other sites in Seoul at this website:
http://english.seoul.go.kr/
