#Naksan temple

[delululand]

stacy if it's ok with you i would love to hear any recommendations you have for things to do/see/eat in sk! <3

ohhhh i have so much! i apologize in advance, i’ll try my best but romanize korean words is the worst challenge for me, so i will write some names of places in hangeul

i love beautiful nature, historical places, beautiful places in general, delicious food and comfortable relaxation, so most of the things i write about here will be related to this

very beautiful places that i liked (but be ready for a lot of people most of the time): seokchon lake park, yongsan family park, namsan baekbeom square/namsan park, naksan park, lotte world is good but i don't have that much patience for unrealistic queues😭 그림제작소 혜화 very nice painting studio, in GN perfume studio you can do your own perfume

quieter cultural places: my art museum, national museum of korea and theater in it, myogaksa (very beautiful buddhist temple), bukchon hanok village (classic), gilsangsa temple, korean folk village, 국립예술단체 공연연습장(N스튜디오)

the first problem i encountered in korea is that there are many beautiful cafes, but really not all of them are tasty🥲 growers (그로어스) it was one of the few places where it was beautiful and tasty at the same time

i also really love design and art in general and in korea there are maaaaany different exhibitions and super cool pop-up stores, but many of them are temporary, so one big recommendation is to follow the enjoyexhibition account on ig, they post all the information about different places

in fact my google map looks like this (and that’s not counting naver map and this is only seoul) and i could write more, but i’m afraid it will be a lot

[crystal-in-nagasaki]

crystal in korea part two: seoul

Following several fun days in Busan, my friends and I headed next for Seoul, South Korea's capital and biggest city.

After arriving by train, my friends and I went in search of lunch and found a place that serves bibimbap, a rice bowl topped with meat and vegetables. It was so delicious. Bibimbap is one of my favorite Korean foods and is available in many countries, so I highly reccommend trying it!

Next, we headed to a shopping district and I went to a small studio space to get a tattoo. Similar to Japan, tattooing in Korea is actually technically illegal, and most businesses operate "underground." Nevertheless, many younger Koreans have tattoos, and many people travel to country to receive tattoos there. There are many talented artists in Korea with distinct styles. I was tattooed by the artist Jalopy, whose Instagram can be found here. She specializes in stick and poke tattoos, and she can speak English really well. I got a tattoo of an umbrella to represent a poem written by my friend Al, who passed away several years ago. I'm grateful to Jalopy for doing such a great job, and I cherish this new addition to my body.

In the evening, a couple friends and I split off to the group to visit a large riverside park with a view of the cityscape. The park was filled with various stalls. Many of them sold food, but many also rented out blankets, mats, lights, and small tables to use for picnics. I've never seen anything like this in the US or Japan, and I thought it was such a great idea. Many people come to the park to picnic and enjoy the view, and it was a relaxing and fun way to spend the evening.

The next morning, we headed to Changdeokgung Palace, a huge palace grounds with traditional buildings and gardens. Nearby were many shops where you could don a hanbok, a traditional Korean dress, so a few of my friends did that and the dresses were so beautiful and elaborately decorated. It was a very popular attraction, so many girls wandered the palace grounds in traditional wear, and it really made the experience feel more authentic.

We walked around the palace grounds looking at the various buildings. Like the temples I had seen in Korea so far, the buildings were in a Chinese style, but painted with beautifully vibrant colors and designs.

Next we walked to a nearby street lined with traditional old Korean homes called the Bukchon Hanbok Village. It was a bit of a steep hike up to it, and you could only really see the front gates, but the little neighborhood was still charming and lovely.

After that, we walked to another palace nearby called the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Since we had spent so much time at the other palace already, we decided to just look around the entrance at the gate and not pay the entrance fee to go in. But the entrance gates were huge and magnificent.

Next we headed to a small neighborhood known for its street art murals. I don't know how the murals came to be there, but there were so many of them and they were so beautiful.

We continued a bit further up the hill to Naksan Park to enjoy a beautiful view of the city over an old stone wall.

After this we were pretty hungry, so we found a restaurant where we could eat kimchi pancakes and rolled omelets filled with cheese, which were so delicious.

With that, we ended the day (actually just I did, everyone else wanted to go out drinking lol.)

The next morning I got up bright and early and left my friends to their alcolhol-induced slumbers to head to Bukhansan mountain for a hike. I'm so glad that Seoul has such a huge and flourishing green mountain so close to the city, since I'm not much of one for city travelling and was itching to get out into nature.

I think it was about 3 km up to the peak that I hiked to. I had originally planned to hike to a different peak, but since I'm not familiar with Korea's systems or the Korean language, I ended up taking a different trail than I originally planned.

The trail I ended up on was of course very beautiful nonetheless. For about the first kilometer, the trail was lined with colorful lanterns which led up to a shrine on the mountain. On the way up I passed a smaller shrine with no one around but a pudgy Buddha statue, whose belly I rubbed for luck and continued on.

A bit further up the mountain I started to hear the sounds of chanting drifting through the trees. It was really ethereal. I kept walking up the trail towards the sound and found myself at a shrine. The shrine was of course colorfully painted and I paid my respects and used their bathroom (a squat toilet and port-a-potty all in one, which was...unpleasant but nonetheless appreciated.) When I was walking through the woods, I had expected to come across a group of people chanting, but was surprised to find that nobody was around the the chanting was either prerecorded or being broadcast from a single monk through a microphone.

I continued on up the mountain. Eventually I came across a third shrine. This one was brilliantly and beautifully colored in shades of blue, and there was an unfriendly dog guarding the shrine that growled at me when I came near. There was a lookout spot from the shrine where you could look out and see the cityscape. It was really beautiful, and there was a refreshing breeze.

Leaving that shrine, I followed more trailhead signs until I came to a big ancient-looking gate. According to a sign nearby, there were about six gates surrounding the fortress of Bukhansan. At this point the trail continued past the gate heading downwards, but I had hiked over 3km up and had to meet with my friends again later, so I decided this was to be the peak of my hike. I climbed up to the top of the gate where there was a brilliant view of the city and took a rest, eating some gimbap that I brought with me from the convenience store. Here's me covered in sweat and hiking grime celebrating my successful hike:

After this, I retraced my steps back down the mountain to the park entrance. This hike was one of the highlights of my whole trip, and I really felt refreshed after despite the distance that I walked.

After my hike, I hopped on a bus back to the city center and met up with my friends at a shopping mall called Common Ground made out of big blue shipping containers, which was pretty cool.

As the day wound down, I stopped at a grocery store to grab some souvenirs for friends and coworkers back in Japan and my friend introduced my to corn ice cream which was...interesting. I didn't hate it.

With that my last full day in Seoul came to a close.

The next morning before heading to the airport I made a short stop at the Korean National Museum on my own, eager to learn more about Korea's history and culture, since I honestly didn't know a lot.

The building was huge and magnificent, filled with countless priceless artifacts. And yet somehow the museum entry was free! I was so impressed and thankful to Korea for letting people have access to that knowledge for free. The most notable parts of the museum that I learned was that the traditional art of Korea seemed to have the same color schemes as the temples, with vibrant reds, greens, and blues. I also learned about their history of making celadon pottery, which was a beautiful light blue/green color. I wanted to get a celadon souvenir like a teacup or jewelry, but found that everything in the museum gift shop was pretty expensive. Still, I'm grateful to visit for free and be able to learn everything that I did.

After the museum, I headed to the Seoul airport and caught my flight back to Japan. I experienced and learned a lot of cool things in Korea, and I would love to go back again someday! Also the food there is seriously amazing. 100/10 please try.

Anyway, this concludes my posts about my Korea trip. Thanks as always for reading <3

[psychicbee]

Hold me tight until I'm absolved

by elisabeta (1/1, 2470)

At Naksan Temple, the God of Mercy is weary and bored of his thousand year routine.

In Seoul, living among humans, a little demon prince is craving absolution.

[lovepaulyongjoosong]

NAKSANSA

NAKSANSA(BUDDHIST TEMPLE)(from wikipedia) Naksansa or Naksan Temple is a Korean Buddhist temple complex in the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism that stands on the slopes of Naksan Mountain (also called “Obongsan Mountain”). It is located about midway between Sokcho and Yangyang, Gangwon Province, eastern region of South Korea. Naksansa is one of the few temples in Korea to overlook the East…

[sonpic]

2021.06.19

[kimsvoyage]

Naksansa Temple, January 2019

[lezhok]

Yangyang

The next destination after Hwacheon is Yangyang country washed by the East Sea.

Yangyang is not a big country too, having a population of over 27,000 people.

The area was called Yangyang 襄陽 since 1416. The area has a long historysince it was known to be a part of Ye-guk 濊國 (3rd-century BC to around early 5th-century). Later it has become a part of Goguryeo and the area of Yangyang was…

[bestattractionsinseoulcapital]

Naksansa Temple: Green Temple of East Sea

Naksansa Temple: Green Temple of East Sea

Naksansa Temple 

Naksansa temple has been one of the most holy and attractive places, not for Buddhists, but also for other ordinary people including foreigners in Korea.

Sacred place of the Haesu Gwaneum Statue that overcame the flames.

Sacred place that overcame the flames.

Back in 2005, a wildfire hit Naksan Templein a strong wind. Ironically, it was Arbor Day on April…

[omyeol]

ten seconds - iv

word count: 3,760

genre: fluff, humor

<< masterlist >>

Park Chanyeol was nervous.

This was new because he didn’t get nervous a lot of times unless during important meetings.

Well, it wasn’t new, but he was exceptionally good at maintaining his expressions so he managed to look calm. Even though deep down inside he was freaking out.

So, you could say it was a bit new because the last time Chanyeol got nervous around a woman was when Junmyeon set up a blind date for him with a woman a couple of years older than him. He was sweating bullets when he waited at the restaurant and sweated, even more, when it ended. The blind date ended badly—the woman looked down on him and tried to baby him—and he wished he stayed home instead.

(He liked being babied sometimes, but only by his close friends or the people who had known him for a long time).

Ever since that blind date, he tried to lower his expectation every time Junmyeon set him up for a blind date and that was when he stopped being nervous around women.

Until you came.

As cliche as it might sound, Chanyeol never really took a good look at you until you started working in the same company as him. Yes, he might know of you since high school because Jongin had talked so highly of you and since college too because you were a member of the student union, but he never got the chance to work closely with you—or have the chance to actually interact with you.

Yes, Chanyeol had always thought that you were sweet—Jongin never stopped praising you every time he managed to bring you up in conversation—and smart too—because if you weren’t then Junmyeon wouldn’t scout you to work together with him during college and for him too in his company. Also yes, Chanyeol thought that you were beautiful—he remembered that one time when you wore a dress to work and he literally had to stop walking to admire you.

But that was all it was. He knew of you, but he didn’t know you.

The first time he caught a layer of you was when he saw you scolding Junmyeon on the very same day you were wearing the dress. Chanyeol had business to attend with Junmyeon but his steps halted in front of his office when he saw you standing in front of Junmyeon’s desk with your hands perched on your hips.

“I told you plenty of times before to not call me after work hours. We had a deal, remember? You can email or text me and you don’t call me unless it’s urgent or a life-or-death situation. You were the one who started the deal in the first place.” Hearing this, Chanyeol stayed rooted in front of the door and waited until you were done—that wasn’t until ten minutes later, though, when you spotted him hovering outside.

Chanyeol saw how the frustrated look across your face change into a friendlier look—there was even a smile—and that was the first time he felt something stir inside of him, but he let it side. He always pushed it aside even though it happened again a few times after that��even when he passed by your desk every time he was about to go into Junmyeon’s office or when he was in the same elevator as you in the morning.

He saw you smile a lot of times before, but until now, the sight still made him smile. Your smile—no matter if it was small or wide until it stretched to your ears—was always infectious to him.

That’s why when you were smiling at the sight of the ocean as both of you drove by, Chanyeol couldn’t help but smile to himself and feel a little proud of himself of making this decision. It was actually an impulse decision, though. There were only two places to check left and Jongdae had so kindly checked one place because it was on his way to his parents’ place. Chanyeol really didn’t make him check that place by himself and bribe him with a week’s worth of lunch at the sandwich shop near the office.

(Chanyeol totally did.)

“We haven’t arrived yet, but this place has already won me over.” Chanyeol glanced at you a few times and couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. You were just too cute smiling while looking out at the ocean like that and if he wasn’t driving, he would have a pretty hard time holding himself back from pinching your cheeks. “The beautiful weather makes it better, too.”

The weather isn’t as beautiful as you are, though, he wanted to say, but instead, he said, “Yeah, it definitely does.”

“Gosh, when was the last time I went to a beach?” You mused out loud and missed the way Chanyeol took another glance at you.

“Should we stop by the beach later?” Chanyeol could feel your eyes on him once the question was out of his mouth. “It’d be fun. It’s been a while since I went to a beach too.” It was out of his mouth before he could properly think about it, but after hearing the ecstatic ‘yes’ from you, he didn’t regret it one bit.

It was not in the plan, actually. His plan was actually to get back to Seoul by dinner time so he could take you for a dinner at his favorite place—and probably a walk in the park around Han river, if you were willing. He had planned to buy some desserts too—ice cream or a bowl of bingsu with you, again if you were willing to do that—before he dropped you off by your door. But maybe, straying away from his actual plan and just riding the flow for once would be nice. Who knew maybe it could probably lead him somewhere he was planning to go.

Naksan beach was beautiful. That was the first thing that crossed your mind when you and Chanyeol got out of the car and finally walked to the beach.

Well, it’s already night and you couldn’t see anything besides the sand and hear the small waves crashing to the shores, but the sight of it was enough for you. There was something refreshing about the wind and the faint smell of the salty water. The wild, childish part of you wanted to take off your shoes and hike up your pants so you could feel the sand between your toes, but the much more mature and rational part of you, that told you to take a deep breath and enjoy it quietly, won.

Taking off your shoes, you felt the sand between your toes and smiled at the familiar feeling. With your shoes on one hand and your bag on another, you stood still and looked down at the sand, trying to capture the sight and memorize it.

“Oh, this is nice.” Turning to look over your shoulder, Chanyeol, too, had taken off his shoes and walked slowly on the sand. It was an interesting sight, watching him walk barefoot with his rather semi-formal attire, but the goofy smile on his face and a faint coo—your heart was about to burst when you heard it—that’s out of his mouth when he felt the sand in between his toes were even more interesting and amusing.

Once he was near, you realized that he had a towel on his hand. He laid the towel on the sand and gestured for you to sit on it. Without really thinking about it, you casually sat on the towel, but then, you felt like your heart about to leap out of your chest when Chanyeol sat next to you. The towel wasn’t really big, so he sat really close and even your thigh could almost touch his.

You didn’t expect this. Never in your life before. Your heart was racing, but you told yourself to calm down. There was no reason for you to act like a fool like this. Chanyeol was just your boss—and your friend too. Nothing to be nervous about.

“We should convince Jongdae and the entire team to pick this hotel. It’s definitely best out of the ones we’ve checked.” It was the only thing you could think of to say, to break the silence between the two of you. You pulled your legs back and rested your chin on your kneecaps, letting out a sigh.

“It’s actually a little bit over the budget we settled, but I think that can be handled. We could figure things out.” You nodded at his words, glad that he thought the same as you did.

The hotel you checked was really nice, though. The beach was only about 20 minutes from there, and there was also a hiking track that led to the mountain and the well-known temple in the area. The facilities they had were outstanding too, and you really thought it was the one. Both of you only needed to convince the rest of the team (and Junmyeon) to pick this one. It wouldn’t be too hard, you were sure. You knew the beach would be a total selling point.

“When was the last time you went to a beach?” You couldn’t help but ask, after thinking about the beach.

“Uh, it’s been so long...” He paused. You turned your head to watch him, watching how he tilted his head up to the sky and blinked his eyes slowly as if it would fasten the wheels turning in his brain. “I think… about two years ago? I guess it’s when I went to Jeju-do with Junmyeon-hyung and Jongdae.” You hummed, nodding softly.

“It must’ve been nice,” you breathed out and Chanyeol tilted his head back down, turning a little bit to see you. “The last time I went to Jeju-do was when I was a kid.”

“You’re kidding.” You shook your head and chuckled at his disbelief.

“There’s no point of going to Jeju-do for the beach when this one isn’t even an hour away from home.” You turned your head away from him and stared at the water crashing onto the shore calmly, letting out a sigh at the memories of you and Jongin visiting the beach at night. “I went here a lot with Jongin when we had tons of things to think about.”

Back in your college day, there was a time in your senior year where you would go to the beach with Jongin almost every month on weekend—if both of you weren’t swamped up with mounting homework and a strong desire to sleep in. Jongin, the one with a car was always up to come with you to visit your parents—who had just moved—and stop by the beach before going back to Seoul. The two of you would sit on the sand and talk about a lot of things. Jongin would talk about the expectations his parents had because he was the only son in the family and how afraid he was of letting them down. Meanwhile, you would talk about the insecurities you had on your studies and the endless what-ifs of how your life would be after college.

But the last time you went to the beach wasn’t with Jongin. Too impatient to call and wait for Jongin, you borrowed your parents’ car and drove here by yourself. It was clearly a different experience, but it was nice. Unlike before where you mused out loud your worries to your cousin, you still kept it to yourself, but the beach was quiet and serene enough that you could hear yourself think.

(You only stayed for about thirty minutes, though. The beach was just too quiet and you were getting scared of staying by yourself).

“The last time I went here was after Junmyeon offered me this job,” you continued, a light chuckle escaping your lips.

“It wasn’t in your plan, was it? To work with Junmyeon?” His voice was soft and low, almost like he was whispering.  

“Well, I was aiming to work at a publishing company, you know. I applied to some companies but the results weren’t what I hoped so I took his offer in the end. Thought it’s better than being jobless for too long.” You shifted around and straightened your legs in front of you because it was starting to cramp. “What about you? Is it really what you wanted since the beginning?”

“I think so? I mean, I’ve never really thought about it because this is what we’ve been doing since the beginning, you know?” You didn’t quite get what he said, but you kept quiet and waited for him to finish your words. “But if there was another career path I’d like to pursue, it’s probably to become a photographer.”

Out of every the encounter you had with Chanyeol back in college, he had always had his camera with him. He didn’t use it every single time you saw him, though, but he always kept it by his side. There was also that one time where you met him when you were doing a freelance job and Chanyeol was there to help his cousin with his photoshoot too. When you saw him that day, you only passed him a smile and said hello briefly. You were way too timid to approach him and spend some time to talk to him back then.

That’s why, if you thought about it, you could’ve laughed at the situation you’re in at the moment. Never in a million years had you thought you’d be sitting on a beach with Chanyeol. This situation was weird but good weird.

Both of you stayed for a little while—Chanyeol asking about Jongin and if you noticed how he’d been too happy and energetic these days (you didn’t). Chanyeol told you about how Jongin had become even better at his job and how Chanyeol felt like telling Junmyeon to give your cousin a promotion. You were surprised at it—glad that Jongin was doing good—and supported Chanyeol of his decision.

“Should we go back now?” You asked once he was done telling you about Jongin. You realized that the night was getting deeper and if you didn’t leave any sooner, you’d reach Seoul at midnight.  

“Yeah, I think so,” Chanyeol agreed and stood up from the blanket, dusting off the back of his pants to make sure that there weren’t sand stuck on it. You waited until he moved a little bit to the side so you could stand up without bumping into him, but he stuck his hand out to you instead.

Blinking your eyes at his hand, you stared at it with furrowed eyebrows and looked up to see Chanyeol smiling down at you softly. “C’mon. I’ll help you up.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the gesture, but you decided quickly to not think too much about it. Inhaling a sharp intake of breath, you put your hand on his and gripped it tightly. He pulled you up to your feet, taking your breath away as he did so. It felt like a rush, having your hand in his—even though it was only out of courtesy—and you hoped that your hand didn’t suddenly become sweaty because that would be embarrassing.

“Thank you.” Flashing him a small smile, you took a step back and let go of his hand so you could dust off the back of your pants.

Before joining him back in his car, you made your way to the convenience store and bought some drinks—a bottled coffee specially for Chanyeol because you figured out how much he liked coffee and a couple of bottles of water. It was, at least, the thing you could do since he paid for dinner and even took some of his time to sit with you on the beach.

The whole day you tried to push the nerves from showing through, but when you finally sat in the passenger seat with Chanyeol driving next to you and none of you saying anything, it all came back to you slowly—meeting your parents briefly and spending a bit of time at the beach. It hadn’t even been long since you started talking to Chanyeol (and meeting with him, too, sometimes) but it gave you a feeling like you had been friends with him for long. Even though, yes, you’d known him for long, but you never reached this level of being friends with him.

It felt nice if you were being honest with yourself. It was kind of nerve-wracking too because while you had told yourself to keep calm and be cool with the whole thing, it was hard. The underlying feelings for him from the early days sometimes liked to come up to the surface and mess with you. Especially when Chanyeol did things that seemed too friendly for you—like when he sat a little bit too close to you or when he suddenly grabbed your hand to help you stand.

You tried your best to not think too much of it, but you couldn’t help it. As the songs from whatever playlist Chanyeol put on filled the car on your way back to Seoul, those thoughts dominated your brain. Your head became quite a jumbled mess that you ended up tuning out everything and fell asleep.

You didn’t know how long you were asleep for, but when you woke up, the car was already parked in the apartment parking lot and there were feather-light touches on your cheek. Those touches were so light it almost lulled you deeper into the dreamland if there weren’t continuous calls of your name.

At the familiar voice, you let out a loud yawn and opened your eyes. Seeing Chanyeol’s face, the realization hit you late. Your eyes widened a bit as you sat straighter in your seat, hands busy tidying your hair.

“We’re here,” he spoke softly, a hint of amusement lacing in his tone.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry I fell asleep.” You hated how panicky you sounded, but you calmed down a little bit when Chanyeol shook his head faintly, a little smile (and dimple) showing on his face.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” You let out a sigh of relief and smiled sheepishly at him, thankful that he was kind enough to let you sleep—although you felt kind of sorry because you weren’t awake to accompany him and talk to him as he drove.

The walk to your apartment was spent in silence. Since you were still kind of sleepy, you couldn’t even find yourself to make a conversation with him. All you wanted was to lean on him and shut your eyes for a few seconds until the elevator reached your floor. Too bad you couldn’t, though. So, you just kind of stood there and fought the sleep coating your eyes.

“Are your parents staying over for the night?” Chanyeol asked when the elevator reached your floor. He let you walk out first and hovered his hand on your lower back—you could feel it.

“Yeah, they’re going home tomorrow by train,” you casually answered, each step took you closer to your apartment and left you little time to spend with him. When you finally reached your door, though, you just sighed and turned your back to the door so you could face Chanyeol.

The two of you just stood there. You had to look up a bit to get a good look of his face, which you did—and it was a good idea, to take one last good look of his face before you went to bed. There weren’t many chances where you could see how Chanyeol looked like when he was bone-tired and sleepy—the tiredness might have just caught up to him—and the soft, sleepy look across his face tugged at the strings of your heart. The urge to tuck him into bed was strong, but there was no way you could act on it, so you just did nothing.

Thankfully, Chanyeol broke the silence first. “I’ll see you at the office, then.” Even when he’s tired, he still managed to crack a thin smile for you. The urge to coo was, once again, strong. It didn’t help when he kind of looked like a tired grown-puppy—especially with his messy hair.

“Yeah, sure. Thank you for today, too, by the way. For, you know, picking me and my parents up at the mall and driving them home too.” You were genuinely thankful, even though your parents kind of embarrassed you a bit, but it was all fine because Chanyeol didn’t really think too much of it—bless his heart.

“It’s no problem.” You nodded. And then, Chanyeol did something unthinkable to you. He raised his hand to put it on your hand and ruffled your hair, messing it up a good measure and your heart might have just skipped a fucking beat. “Get some rest, okay?” His voice went a bit low and he trailed his hand lower until he could tuck a little bit of your hair to the back of your ear, before finally dropping his hand to the side. The only thing you could do—other than widening your eyes a tad bit—was just nod dumbly.

“You, too,” you croaked out and cleared your throat.

He nodded at you once, faintly, before turning and walking the short walk to the elevator. You still stayed there, in front of your door, and waited until he got into the elevator and flashed you one last smile for you to keep until Monday before the door closed between the two of you. When it was only just you, you noticed how odd you felt after spending a whole day with him. How the dynamic between the two of you had shifted a little bit into something so familiar but odd at the same time, but also the dynamic that you welcomed with open arms.

Your tired brain wasn’t thinking about the consequences just yet, though. Your brain was still happily indulging the fireworks in your heart. It was still too early to think about the consequences, your heart decided. Even though you were sure that once the morning came and you could think over the things happened today, your brain and heart would be on different sides and you would be left confused by everything.

[jaeyun84]

양양, 낙산사, 2019년 2월 February 2019, Naksan Temple, Yangyang, Korea

한곳에서 오래 일하다 보면 일에 가려져 보이지 않던, 사람의 얼굴과 만날 때가 있다. 나와 크게 다르지 않은 그 모습. 직장 스트레스, 사람 관계 걱정, 가족 생각, 퇴근을 기다리는 마음. 새삼스레 달리 보이는 풍경 속에서는 그들 또한 사람이었다.

그동안 일에 치여 지나치게 차갑게 대한 건 아니었을까? 가슴이 시큰시큰해온다. 일은 그냥 일일뿐이지만 사람도 들여다봐야겠다고 생각했다. 어쩌면 거기에 무언가 작은 힌트가 있을지도 모르겠다. 일터에서 마음을 찌푸리지 않을 수 있는.

[brookemincey-blog]

Observation Station

To being one of the leading South Korean Television and radio network companies in Korea, my fellow classmates and I got to experience firsthand what the MBC Broadcasting station has to offer. As soon as we got out of the taxi, the MBC name and logo was everywhere. 

As we entered in the building, everything was very sleek and professional. All of MBC work throughout the years was shown throughout the entire building, including tv shows, radio shows, celebrity visits and more. 

We were fortunate enough to watch a hologram K-Pop concert, experience VR of the entire MBC station and view AR right from our phones. One visual in particular that stood out to me was as soon as we entered the building, an entire wall featured not just what they do in Korea, but globally as well. They displayed all their relationships throughout the world with other organizations, using this as an image enhancement tool. They even had messages showing where and how to contact them, not only at their headquarters, but their other stations around the globe. A tactic that stood out was the 1st floor was very technological, but as we transitioned to the 4th floor they showed visitors how technology has evolved and how traditional it was and still is. From my perspective, they set up the tour this way to show what technology is now versus what is used to be like. MBC really tried to create relationships and memorable experiences with every person that walks through this building. 

Naksansa is known for its beautiful overlook of the East Sea and it’s extremely detailed Buddhist temples. This temple stands on the slopes of the Naksan Mountain. Within this temple is the Buddhist statue of Haesugwaneumsang, known as the goddess Gwanseum-Bosal.

While walking through the complex, I noticed how they tried to give everyone a chance to experience traditional Korean practices. Visitors had the opportunity to drink tea, pray in temples with monks, eat authentic food, and even try a temple stay. There were many visual messages and tactics used within this temple, but one that I distinctly remember is architectural feng shui. I thought this was extremely important because due to the humidity, visitors wish to stop somewhere to rest and stay cool. There were buildings that were made specifically focusing on the airflow to ensure the happiness and comfort of visitors, which I thought was a valuable asset to this complex.

I cannot begin to explain the detailed artwork of the temples, they were elaborate and decoratively painted with colors consisting of red, blues, greens, yellows, and every other color within the spectrum. Looking at this art made me never want to leave and take in all this temple had to offer. With the creation of these unique visuals, it provides visitors with an experience they may have never experienced or seen before. 

http://koreantemples.com/?p=145

Providing opportunities for not only adults to participate in activities, but kids too is a great way to create relationships. By creating these unique fountains with so much history and stories behind them, it creates an emotional relationship by giving visitors time to reflect on their life and wish for something they truly want. It is a great way to bring everyone together and ensure everyone enjoys their time at this complex. 

Throughout my time here in South Korea, I’ve witness countless amounts of creative visuals, messages, tactics, and slogans. By observing what worked and what did not work allows my group to incorporate some of these ideas into our future campaign. It provided me with knowledge as to what will be memorable and create long lasting relationships with publics. By incorporating these different types of strategies into our campaign will help further our success. 

[stacylaughs]

Bye, Korea

I taught English in Busan, Korea for a year, ending June 2011. I remember the dread I felt flying to Portland then. I left Portland again and returned to Korea February 2013. I felt like I was home. Since then, I’ve quit teaching and I’ve been working remotely for almost four years. When I flew back to Portland in August 2017, without any intention of coming back to South Korea, butterflies (different from before) filled my stomach.

I love Korea and it’s been a great experience living there. I love learning more about where I come from and improving on the language. I also know in my heart that I’m American and that I want to create my home in the U.S.

For the last month in Korea, I walked around as if in a trance. I can’t believe how much time has passed and how much life has changed. I miss singing along with my appliances (i.e. rice cooker and washing machine) and waking up with tinfoil in my bed because I fell asleep eating kimbap. 

I feel nostalgic for a time, as well as places, which is an overwhelming feeling. It’s scary to think of returning to Korea, and think of the last time I left, as if no time had passed at all. Time goes fast, life is short, and the impermanence of things is hitting me harder than it ever has.

I did SO much in Korea, met amazing people, ate all the things, and had amazing experiences. But, still, I know I can’t do everything I wanted to do or do things again. There are so many places to go in this world, but maybe I’ll be back. Because I obsessively make lists, here’s a list of places I wanted to experience but didn’t make the time for:

Andong Traditional Folk Village - Rural Korea is a sharp contrast from the fast-paced neon and concrete cityscapes. I never went to the mask festival at the end of September and beginning of October each year. Apparently this is the town for some awesome chicken, as well.

Anyang Art Park (안양예술공원) - This a cool park in Anyang City that's free and a photo dream. You can get off at Anyang Station (Line 1) and take bus number 2 to the park. It's a very large place and it might be a bit confusing, but so many photo worthy spots. Definitely wear walking shoes and bring water in this heat! 

Beopgi basin - Nestled in the mountains just 45 minutes north of Busan. Renting a car and visiting Hongryong Falls (홍룡폭포) would be a great way to spend a day.

Beopjusa temple stay - Literally “Mountain Removed from Worldliness,” Songnisan is where the 7th-century Buddhist Beopjusa temple is still located. It has the largest buddha in Korea. 

Bukchon Village - I’ve been here before but really wanted to visit this picturesque neighborhood again. It’s flanked by two palaces —Gyeongbok Palace to the west and Changdeok Palace to the east— this village has the largest cluster of privately owned traditional Korean wooden homes or hanok in Seoul. The easiest way to get to Bukchon in Seoul is to go out Anguk Station (subway line 3) Exit 3.

Cheongdo - I probably couldn’t stomach the bull fights but I always wanted to see the Wine Tunnel (와인 터널).

I really wanted to go to Chuncheon/Gapyeong again just to eat the Dak Galbi (닭갈비). I could eat dalkkalbi every day, and it really is the best where it was invented. The two best places are “Tong Na Mu Jip” and “1.5.″

I’ve been to Geoje several times, but, yeah, I want to go again. I’d love to hike up Mt. Daegumsan, take a short boat ride to Oedo Island, and ride the zipline at Deokpo Beach.

I visited my friend Anne in Suwon when she was teaching a camp there, but I didn’t have the time to explore the Hwaseong Fortress (수원 화성) or Toilet Museum.

Jeonju - I’d like to try the bibimbap and visit the Hanok Village (전주 한옥마을). 

Jirisan - What a shame that I never made it to the top of this mountain. I’ll always cherish the lovely trips I’ve had out there and only wish I could have spent more time there.

Kimchi Museum - I walked by this place so many times in Insadong but never went. Where else in the world will you be able to go to a museum solely dedicated to the Korean staple, kimchi? Kimchi, or seasoned fermented vegetables, is at the heart of Korean culture and its food and is usually eaten with every meal. There are 187 different documented types, ranging from kimchi of different ripeness levels to water kimchi, cucumber kimchi, and radish kimchi varieties. In addition, it is not uncommon for Korean households to have refrigerators solely dedicated for the storage of kimchi. At the museum, you can taste 7-8 different types of kimchi, view bacteria found in kimchi under a microscope, and even learn how to make kimchi in the education room. 

Oh, to see Kyeongju again. Korea used to be divided into three major kingdoms (Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo) until the Silla kingdom conquered the other kingdoms and made Gyeongju the capital. Gyeongju remained the capital of this region for approximately 1000 years, leading to the creation of a number of archaeological treasures that are well worth your time.

On several visits to Seoul, I missed out visiting a Hanbok Cafe in Insadong or the Princess Diary Cafe outside Exit 3 of the Ehwa Women’s University subway station. These dress cafes give you the opportunity to wear a Korean traditional dress or wedding dress at rental prices of 15,000₩ ~ 40,000₩ an hour. 

The Robo Life Museum in Pohang does require a reservation but looks pretty awesome. Some are miniature robots programmed to be Psy back up dancers, some are robotic fish that swim, and some are robotic seals designed for therapy. 

Seonyudo sits off the west coast of the peninsula, 90 minutes from Gunsan by boat.

Seoraksan again. It was so lovely in the fall --but I see endless beauty in every season.

Seoul Fortress Trail, the Naksan section covers an enjoyable scenic route from Hansung University Station and the Hyehwa Gate traveling south alongside Naksan Park and Ihwa Mural Village until you arrive in the crowded, neon streets of Dongdaemun with the landmark Dongdaemun Gate at the foot of the pathway. The route itself doesn’t take too long to cover with sunset a recommended time to visit so as to enjoy the spectacular views across the city at their finest. Accessible from Hansung University Station, Seoul Subway Line 4 Exit 4.

Seoul Palaces - There are a lot of them (e.g. Gyeonghui Palace. Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Gyeongbokgung) and many are near each other. I always planned to see them all but ultimately got a distracted or bored. 

Seoul Forest - This park was opened in 2005 and features absolute beauty. It’s a bit of a trip from downtown Seoul, but I’ve heard it has five connected parks and it’s possible to see deer Located outside Seoul Forest Station (Subway Bundang Line) Exit 3. 

Ujeon Beach in “Slow City”

Controversy aside, I wanna see Ulleungdo + Dokdo.

Uponeup (우포늪) is the largest and oldest wetland area in Korea, a protected area that dates back to times when dinosaurs ruled the world. A favouite with Korean photographers due to the unspoiled setting and views that the wetlands offer up, it sounds like a romantic weekend.

Yeosu is a port city on South Korea’s East China Sea coast. I haven’t researched what to do there but I’ve always wanted to visit.

I don’t know much about the city of Yulpo but when my friend Allison went, she couldn’t wait to share: “I just spent three days there and visited the big tea plantation ten minutes away (TWICE!). It's a tiny farm village next to an empty beach. And there is a green tea spa on the beach. It was heaven.”

Alright, Korea, maybe next time.

[hellolamaramotteencoree]

4 mai 2019 part 1

Oui, ce sera en 2 parties parce que ce week end j’ai fait beaucoup de choses! :)

pour commencer on est parties avec deux autres amies, se balader à naksan, la petite montagne a quelques minutes de notre fac. C'était très pollué ce jour là donc bon rien de bien intéressant a montrer. Puis on a enchaîné avec un quartier très connu a Séoul, qui regorge de fresques en tout genre sur les murs des habitations : 

Et nous sommes tombées sur une jolie vue sur ce qui me semble être un temple

[sydkoresa]

Bilder från gårdagen då jag hängde med två tjejer jag träffade på mitt hostel. Vi var vid stranden och svettades innan vi gick upp till Naksan Temple där vi först fick tempel-lunch innan vi vandrade omkring på det stora tempelområdet. Efter det åkte vi till ett museum där jag fick prova en hanbok (traditionell koreansk klädsel) gjord för 13-åringar, innan vi sa adjö till Seojin som skulle ta bussen hem till sig. Jag och Freddy tog då en trevlig promenad genom smågatorna tillbaka till vårt hostel.

[sonpic]

2021.06.19

[zhmogeliukas-blog]

Another beautiful place we visited one week ago - Naksan Temple in Yang Yang, also known as Naksansa! This place is so beautiful and is being situated just on the cliff of the ocean! Gangwon province is known for its beautiful nature and this temple proves it on every level!

#Naksansa #Naksantemple #yangyang #gangwondo #gangwon #southkorea #낙산사 #양양여행 #강원도 #강원도여행 #강원도래요