Hot Spots
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2D Drawings in the Real World, Greem Café!!
YouTube Credit Source : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914
You must know this first. This cafe may not be the one for you. That’s not because you may not like the coffee there. Instead, this cafe which is also known as the ‘Drawing(Greem) Cafe’ may get you dizzy with the strange feeling like you just enter a cartoon world. The name of the café is Yeonnam-dong 223-14 Café and it’s named after its street number. This cafe is open daily from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm and the line to enter is often quite lengthy with crowds.
Everything in white with pencil-like black outlining from the chairs and tables to the flattened shirts on the laundry line outside, the small cafe gives visitors the distinct impression of being pressed into a comic book. The cafe was designed to be as Instagrammable(?) as possible, according to the owner, JS Lee. To be honest, this café definitely reminds me of an old pop MV in the 80’s. You can watch that music video from the link above and if you understand what I’m saying then it means you’re old enough too, ha.
It looks like just a normal coffee shop from outside and its prices are not even very nice.
Can you notice that they’re all real? Not sketches or drawings? In the photo, they look like pretty 2D sketches.
No wonder there are so many young girls lining up for their photo shots. I get it now.
Now you can see that they’re real with real people in the photo. I heard that it’s also very popular for those foreign visitors.
Once again, you might feel dizzy if you keep wandering and taking shots in the café because your eyes and your brain would notice that they’re all unusual visions.
Even on the roof, they set up some 2D laundries and 2D-like seat tables. They’re all very white under the sunlight.
Below is some more information about this café if you’re interested in visiting there.
Address : 161-10, Seongmisan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Contact Number : 010-5870-8633
Available Time : 11:00 – 21:00 (Last order 20:30))
Homepage : http://www.instagram.com/greem_cafe
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A Chilling Monument To Korean Patriots, Seodaemun Prison History Hall!
An anachronistic brick wall stands out amongst a rare park in one of Seoul’s quiet neighborhoods. It was originally a prison built by under the Japanese administration to hold captive of independence movement activists. It first opened on October 21, 1908 under the name Gyeongseong Prison, and when the prison was full, the prison expanded and changed its name to Seodaemun Prison on September 3, 1912. The prison turned into Seodaemun Independence Park on August 15, 1992 to commemorate the Korean patriots who were tortured and sacrificed in prison.
In 1998, the park underwent another transformation into today's Seodaemun Prison History Hall to educate the public on the importance of Korea's independence and the sacrifices of those who fought to achieve it. We must not forget that many patriots died in custody, were tortured to death, or were executed within the prison’s walls. When you visit here, you’ll see some of the torture chambers have frighteningly realistic mannequins of famous Korean patriots who died within the prison.
This is called ‘Prison History Room’. It exhibits records and videos of introductions of the whole history of the prison.
This room is used in memory of more than 4,000 political offenders imprisoned in the prison.
Those are the prison buildings and there are a few more. Seodaemun Prison was an organization under the control of the Governor-General of Imperial Japan.
Just look at the hallway and try to imagine how terrifying it would be if you’re imprisoned here. Gees, I can’t even imagine. But this was real in the history.
Do you have any idea what they are for? The first one was Execution Building for carrying out executions. And they dumped dead bodies through that tunnel, the second picture and that was called Corpse Removal Exit.
Those tortures have been actually done at that time. How’s that even possible to torture and interrogate those independence activists like that? It makes me so angry.
This is too much. Can you guess what this is? This is another torture tool and they put them in the box with those nails inside and shake it to torture the prisoners. I can’t even believe that.
This museum is operated as a place that offers lessons of history, and remembering and commemorating the faith of independence movement activists and pro-democracy activists toward freedom and peace. I strongly suggest that you should visit there to witness how cruel and inhumane they were. Below is some more information about this place.
Address : 251, Tongil-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
Contact Number : 02-360-8590
Available Time : 09:30 – 18:00 (Every Monday Off)
Admission : Adults KRW 3,000 / Students KRW 1,500 / Children KRW 1,000 / Seniors Free
Homepage (English) : https://sphh.sscmc.or.kr/_eng/
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Near the Lake! So Beautiful Hotel & Resort!!
I’ve been hearing about the reputation of a hotel located near Cheongpyeong Lake in Gapyeong city. So I tried to book it a couple of times but I always failed. It is called ‘Midas Hotel & Resort’ and its view is awesome since it’s in the middle of mountains and it has the lake view right in front of it. We’ve been considering to visit a great hotel in Korea once again since we came back from our honeymoon but it wasn’t easy to arrange one. I guess and hope that this hotel could be a great replacement.
The only difference should be that this hotel is in Korea. I know the view would be very beautiful but typical beautiful that you can see anywhere in Korea. It was really exotic when we were on our honeymoon so this can’t compare. Still, this hotel could be the best replacement of our honeymoon memories. I’m determined to visit and spend some nights at this hotel sometime soon.
This is the best image of describing this hotel. It’s located near the lake, in the middle of mountains. This can’t be bad.
This is the gate and you can get to the lobby through the hallway. The lobby seems very big and modernized. I like it.
The room seems a bit small and cozy. But I was told that all of the rooms have the lake view. It must be beautiful.
They provide some coffee and tea. I don’t like those kinds though.
In the evening, you can have your own barbeque party at this site. The building itself seems very nice.
In the morning, you’ll be eating breakfast at the dining room. It doesn’t seem to be buffet type but I like it already.
You can take a stroll along the path. It must be really peaceful and mind refreshing.
Below is some more information about this place if you’re interested in visiting here.
Address : 2245, Bukhangang-ro, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Kyonggi
Contact Number : 031-589-5600
Check In/Out : 15:00 / 11:00
Homepage : https://www.midashotel.co.kr
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Very Popular Chinese Noodle Invented in Korea, Jjajangmyeon!!
Did you know that jjajangmyeon is a Chinese food that was invented in Korea? So jjajangmyeon is like a Chinese-Korean food and it’s been loved so much in Korea since it was invented. Jjajangmyeon is a noodle dish topped with thick black sauce made of chunjang (Chinese bean sauce) and sliced pork and many other fried vegetables. On the 14th of April in Korea, which is called ‘Black Day’, many singles eat jjajangmyeon since it’s black. That's funny, ha.
You can also go to the Jjajangmyeon Museum that is located in the Chinatown in Incheon and learn about the history of Jjajangmyeon. I was told that the museum is the birthplace of Jjajangmyeon and it was the first restaurant. So this museum features displays on its origin and the tour takes about 40 minutes to complete. Once you complete the tour, you’ll leave with an appetite and realize you’re heading to one of the real jjajangmyeon places.
This is the gate of Chinatown in Incheon and you can see red everywhere. It’s very much like China.
You can easily see the signs or directions of Jjajangmyeon Museum so it’s not very hard to find.
Inside the museum, you can see some models of eating jjajangmyeon. That was interesting.
This display looks kind of creepy. Is it the demonstration of a family eating jjajangmyeon at a Chinese restaurant in 1980s? I don’t know. They look very unnatural.
You can also see the whole process of making jjajangmyeon..
The price of jjajangmyeon was very low in the beginning but since it gained explosive popularity, the price kept going up.
You can also see the history of instant jjajangmyeon in Korea. I didn’t know that there were that many of them in the history.
Below is some more information about this museum if you’re interested in visiting this place.
Address : 56-14, Chinatown-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon-si
Inquiries : 032-773-9812
Operating Hours : 09:00 ~ 18:00 (Every Monday off)
Admission : KRW 1,000 (Adults) / KRW 700 (Junior) / Free (Children under 12)
Homepage (Korean) : http://www.icjgss.or.kr/jajangmyeon/
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The Korea’s Historical Tragedy, Odusan Unification Observatory!
Korea, the whole country has been divided into the north and the south since 70 years ago which is such a big tragedy. And there are several unification observatories near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that is running across the border line. One of the closest ones from Seoul is located in Paju city and many Korean people have visited here to learn about the history of the Korean War and North Korea.
Located in Tahhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Odusan Unification Observatory was established to console the feelings of dispersed families and provide an educational site for the unification education through B5F to 1F in 1992. Since its opening, almost 1,900,000 people have visited the observatory to feel the reality of the division. To be honest, even Korean people don’t realize that their country has been divided and don’t care about North Korea most of the time but it is really important to learn and care about the national unification education.
This is the main gate of the observatory. There is Mountain Odu nearby so it’s called Odusan Observatory.
The admission is not very expensive. And if you visit here in a group of more than 20 then you’ll get a discount.
This is the statue of Cho Man-sik, a nationalist activist in Korea’s Independent movement. He became involved in the power struggle that was against to North Korea.
We can see the map of North Korea terrain from this location. We felt strange when we realized North Korea is right ahead of us.
I don’t know why we could see the KTX model in there. Maybe we could travel to North Korea by KTX one day?
They’re showing us how tragic it is since the country has been divided. Look at those figures describing the reunions of separated families.
You can see the probable future of the United Korea on display. But I’ve been told that most people in South Korea don’t want to be reunified because it could break down the national economy. Actually, I believe so, too.
When you go up to the observatory deck, you can see the 3D display model of North Korea’s territory. And you can also see North Korea for real through the binoculars on the deck.
You can also drink coffee at the lounge. It was quite an impressive experience.
Here’s some more information about this place if you’re interested in visiting here sometime soon.
Address : 369, Pilseung-ro, Paju-si, Kyeonggi-do
For Inquiries : 031-956-9600
Admission : KRW 3,000 (Adults) / KRW 1,600 (Junior)
Operating Hours : 09:00 ~ 17:00 / 09:00 ~ 18:00 (During Summer)
Homepage (Korean) : http://www.jmd.co.kr/
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For Your Healing and Happiness, Pocheon Art Valley!!
I’ve always preferred going to the mountains rather than going to the beaches. It is much cooler and more like nature-friendly in mountains or valleys. That’s what I think. There is a place for that which is called ‘Pocheon Art Valley’. And this place must be really nice for healing and refreshing your mind. It’s located in the middle of mountains and I was told that it was a closed quarry but Pocheon City decided to give it rebirth in 2003.
Since it was remodeled in 2009, this place became very popular for its beautiful nature of cliffs and the lake. This place has been attracting more than 300,000 visitors annually and the total area of Pocheon Art Valley is approximately 50,000 pyeong (150,000㎡). They also have several exhibition centers and they’re all very nice for education and fun. Stone Culture Promotional Center, Astronomical Science Center and Educational Exhibition Center.
When you get to the entrance and park your car, you can see a kiosk to buy the ticket. It costs only 5,000 won for each.
You can also see a map. You’ll know that this place is totally surrounded by mountains.
Look at the beauty of nature. The water is so blue and I can see some artifacts on it. This lake is called Cheonjoho.
We could see that many Korean movies and dramas have been filmed here. No wonder it is so beautiful.
It looks so peaceful in this view. He(?) must be taking a nap lying down there, ha.
There is also a running monorail service so you can buy a ticket for this to move to the opposite way. It costs 4,500 won for round-trip and 3,500 for one-way.
You can also visit a coffee shop when you get to the top. It was very cozy and warm inside.
Here’s some more information about this place if you’re interested in visiting here sometime soon.
Address : 234, Artvalley-ro, Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si, Kyeonggi-do
For Inquiries : 031-538-3483
Admission : KRW 5,000 (Adults) / KRW 3,000 (Junior) / KRW 1,500 (Children)
Operating Hours : 09:00 ~ 22:00 / 09:00 ~ 21:00 (During Winter)
Homepage (English) : http://artvalley.pocheon.go.kr/art_eng/index.html
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Enjoy the Ocean Breeze! Sorae Port in Incheon!!
There is a harbor in Incheon that is called Sorae Port and it is probably one of the closest beaches from Seoul. It is quite a popular tourist attraction and also one of the best places to enjoy ‘Hoe’ (sliced raw fish) in Korea. There is a huge fish market in here so many people visit and buy fresh fish and crabs for seasonal seafood. As it’s getting warmer, Sorae Port can be a great option to enjoy the cool ocean breeze.
When you get to Sorae Port, you can see the bridge built on the sea, not on the land. It is called Sorae Railway Bridge so you can take a stroll on it with the feeling of crossing the ocean. The sands of Sorae can be seen at low tide and you can see a nice view of the many ships coming into Sorae Port when it’s high tide. You can also visit the Sorae history museum and learn about the history. They have a sad story and you might want to find that out yourself.
This is the Sorae Railway Bridge. It wasn’t a bridge when it was built in the beginning. When Korea was prosecuted by Japan, Japanese made this railway to take away salt and other goods to Japan. And Korea has covered it by building a bridge on it.
You can take a walk on the bridge. It was a bit cold but when it gets hot, it’ll be really cool with ocean breeze.
Do you see the railway under the bridge? Yes, they must have wanted to cover it behind the history.
There are many malls and restaurants for seafood. Their service is very good.
Do you want to enjoy this king crab and raw fish with plenty of side dishes? It is such a generous serving. My mouth is watering again.
You can also order the Maeuntang (spicy fish stew) as a dessert. I’m pretty sure that you’re going to need Soju for this, haha.
This is when the tide is low. You can see the sand exposed but it looks very slippery on it.
What a huge crab!! This is the statue of a blue crab and it’s like a symbol of this area.
Here’s some more information about this place if you’re interested in visiting here sometime soon.
Address : 111-200, Nonhyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon
For Inquiries : 070-7011-2140
Admission : Free
Operating Hours : 08:00 ~ 21:00 / 07:00 ~ 22:00 (on weekends)
Homepage : http://www.soraepogu.net/
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Very Large Film-Making Studio Complex In Namyangju City!!
We’ve been to this place a long time ago and I was told that it’s been shut down because of its safety issues with some old studios. But I’ve also heard that they’re planning to reopen it soon. So it’s not possible to visit this place right now but it’s still recommended since it’s very impressive. After remodeling, it would be better than before, I hope. So I’m looking forward to getting back there soon again.
It was built to film the very famous movie ‘JSA’ at first and they kept building more studios and now it’s probably the biggest outdoor film-making studio in Korea. They also had displays of the Korea’s movie history so it was like a museum since they showed various exhibitions and equipment about making films. You can learn about the birth and development of films as well as the film making process. They also have a theater that screens Korean movies every month for free.
Many Koreans would recognize this. This is called Panmunjeom, the Joint Security Area where discussions between North and South Korea take place in. And of course this is not the real one. This is where the movie ‘JSA’ was filmed.
I don’t know why they’re here but they looked real and broken. They’re probably for filming as well.
This studio was for filming another famous Korean movie ‘Pirate’. I wondered how they did it here.
I heard that this studio has been used for filming many Korean historical movies and dramas.
You can see the list of movies and dramas here. I can recognize many of them.
When you get inside the building, you can see so many exhibitions. It is literally like a museum.
This is the miniature studio that was used in the Korean first 3D animation movie ‘Wonderful Days’. They also provided footages how they used this studio in the movie.
Wow, they’re all very classic Korean movies. I couldn’t actually recognize any of them because I’m still too young.
Here’s some more information about this place if you’re interested in visiting this place sometime in the future. Please keep in mind that they’re not available for now.
Address : 138, Bukhangang-ro 855Beon-gil, Joan-myeon, Namyangju City, Kyonggi-do
For Inquiries : 031-579-0613
Admission : KRW 3,000 (Adults) / KRW 2,500 (Students) / KRW 2,000 (Children)
Parking Facilities : Available (Free)
Operating Hours : 10:00 ~ 17:00 / 10:00 ~ 16:00 (Nov – Feb)
Homepage : http://bynyjstudio.co.kr/ (N/A for now)
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Such a Unique Village in Paju! Heyri Art Village!
There is an art village in Paju city and it’s called Heyri Art Village. If you get there, you’re going to see a lot of unique arts there but there is one thing that makes me feel uncomfortable. They’re trying to use them to make money. It’s not easy to find a place to visit for free in there so it is excessive commercialism. Other than that, it is still worth trying to visit this place.
It was designed in 1997 and completed in 1999. When they started developing it, they invited many artists to participate to contribute their ideas. In the end, 380 cultural artists created the studios in art, music, video, photography, literature, mediums and they’re all mixed and created this village. The easiest way to get out to the village is of course by car. So I would suggest that you rent one if you want to get there.
There are many pretty coffee shops there and this is one of them. It says ‘Coffee is an art.’ So everything is art in this place, ha.
The sign of this building says ‘African Gallery’ so we wonder what could be inside. African galleries or arts can be very unique to us.
These photos are not from a museum. We took them at a coffee shop. They built and designed with many artistic works.
They used to have shuttles before but I’m not sure if they’re still running them during the winter season.
There is some retro trend in Korea but they are way too old, ha. I remember those old things though.
So this is probably called Cola Museum, I guess? You can see so many products related to Coca Cola.
They all seem to be made of woods and they also look strange. I don’t what they’re for. Puppets?
Here’s some more information about this place if you’re interested in visiting this place.
Address : 70-21, Heyrimaeul-gil, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Kyeonggi-do
For Inquiries : 031-946-8551
Admission : Various
Operating Hours : 09:00 ~ 18:00
Homepage & Credit Source : https://heyri.net/blog/heyri/index.asp
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