Three things to try while in Seoul for a day

Experience making personal stamps

Instead of using signatures or fingerprints, Koreans prefer to use personal seals in transactions and document confirmation. According to the Korea Tourism Organization in Vietnam, using personal seals is one of the unique cultural features in this country.

Personal seal after completion. Photo: Phuong Anh

The 2nd floor of Eorayeon Gallery located in Insadong, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Seoul, is where visitors can visit and experience making their own Korean seal (personal seal carving).

Here, visitors will be provided with writing paper, pens, and a stone stamp, gloves, and ink. The staff will guide visitors to write their names on the paper and choose the most suitable design to engrave on the stone. Then you can stamp your name on the paper, the same way Koreans often do when doing business or signing documents. This whole experience takes about 30-40 minutes, and costs from 20,000 won (more than 400,000 VND) per person. When leaving, visitors will take with them the stamp with their name engraved on it.

Opening hours: 10am-6pm except Sunday.

Become a princess and queen in Canh Phuc Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace was the official palace of the Joseon Dynasty, considered the most beautiful and largest of the five palaces in Seoul. Many Joseon kings were crowned here, including King Jeongjong, King Sejong, King Danjong and King Sejo.

Gyeongbokgung Palace seen from above. Photo: This is Korea tour

It was destroyed by fire between 1592 and 1598 and was completely restored during the reign of King Gojong. However, the assassination of Queen Myeongseong meant that Gyeongbokgung was no longer considered a royal palace and was the last place to witness the fall of the Joseon Dynasty.

Today, the palace's architecture remains intact, with its castle and pond. Sculptures in the halls are still intact. To the west of the palace, outside Heungnyemun Gate, is the National Palace Museum of Korea. To the east of the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion in the palace is the National Folk Museum of Korea.

The most familiar image at Gyeongbokgung Palace today is hundreds of tourists dressed in Korean costumes to take souvenir photos every day. Female tourists dress as noblewomen, princesses, and queens of the Joseon Dynasty while male tourists dress as officials or kings. The entrance fee is 3,000 won (60,000 VND) and is free for tourists wearing Korean costumes and those under 18 years old as a way to promote Korean culture.

Opening hours: 9am-5pm (January, February, November, December); 10am-6pm (March-May, September-October); 9am-6:30pm (June-August)

Up Namsan Tower

Namsan Tower is located on the top of Namsan Mountain, 236 m high. The tower is where visitors can see a panoramic view of Seoul city from above on clear days.

Travel by cable car to Namsan Tower. Photo: Phuong Anh

For couples, Namsan Tower is also known as "a witness of love". Near the tower is a long row of iron fences, where thousands of love locks of couples are kept. Locals and tourists like to come here with their lovers to hang a love lock on the iron fence. Many people believe that this action will help couples stay together forever, their love will be strong.

The square in front of the tower often hosts traditional musical instrument and martial arts performances for tourists. Each performance lasts about 30 minutes. Around it are stalls selling food and souvenirs. At the top of the tower, visitors can use binoculars to see Seoul from above. Around the glass walls at the highest point of the tower are attached famous landmarks in the world and the distance from the tower to that place. The distance from the tower to Hanoi is more than 2,700 km.

There are two ways to get to the tower: take the bus and then walk up the mountain or take the cable car. The round-trip cable car ticket is 15,000 won (nearly 300,000 VND), travel time: 10-15 minutes. The ticket to go to the top of the tower and visit the observatory is 21,000 won (nearly 400,000 VND).

In addition, visitors can visit Myeongdong night market or Seoul's oldest market Namdaemun for shopping and dining. These places are considered " culinary paradise" with traditional dishes of the Korean people.

For K-pop fans, visitors can visit the former headquarters of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Seoul. Today, the KTO headquarters has moved to Ganwon, while the Seoul headquarters is used as a complex center, providing visitors with all the information about Korean culture, music, movies, and tourist attractions. In addition, visitors can visit LOL park, a destination for tourists who love e-Sports.

Phuong Anh

Source: https://vnexpress.net/three-things-to-remember-when-o-seoul-one-day-4728743.html