I asked her what sites she thinks would belong in the book, and she offered
1. Demilitarized Zone
2. Hiking in Seoraksan
3. Gyeongbok Palace - The Palace of the Joseon dynasty and an UNESCO World Heritage Site
4. Jeju Island - has the Highest Mountain in Korea and Lava Tubes which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites
5. Damyang - Hot Springs and Bamboo Capital of Korea
6. Gyeongju - capital of the Shilla Kingdom
7. Templestay - Experience Buddhist Life
8. Lotus Lattern Fesitval
9. Hwaseong Fortress - UNESCO World Heritage Site built during the Joseon Dynasty
10. Jindo Sea Parting Festival
She said that of course not each one should be included, but they should be considered. I don't agree with all of them---I don't like thinking of the DMZ as a tourist spot, for starters---but I think Gyeongbokgung and the Jeju lava tubes are the strongest contenders here, at least without seeing all the entries in the book.
She also adds that one nice thing about Korea is that it's relatively unknown to foreign tourists, allowing you to see it now before it potentially becomes overrun. (Having dealt with hawkers, vendors, and touts on every block of Beijing, and been put off by the droves of
Anyway, your thoughts? Should you like to email them, you can at info [at] workman.com.
59 comments:
In a word: No.
And like it or not, the DMZ is easily the most interesting and unique thing that Korea has to offer tourists. Being as the stand-off has long been reduced to an international joke, I don't see what issue there could be with the DMZ having become a tourist attraction.
I'm with Steve: the DMZ is the one singularly Korean thing to visit: The Forbidden City and (I've heard) Angkorwat are more impressive than Kyungbokgung, but nobody else can take you on a tour bus through check points guarded with assault rifles, and guide you along the border of an openly hostile enemy, with a museum and an invasion tunnel tour to boot!
I want to see Jeju's lava tunnels, and I'd submit the Andong Mask Festival's fireworks show for consideration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-lB-0fFyto
the lotus lantern parade in jongno is my favorite day to be in Korea, and I agree that the tourist experience here is nicely authentic: nobody here's thought to specially design a menu of foods that tourists would like, because we're in Korea, silly! the food you get is by koreans, for koreans, and the service you get at the table is no different
I can't say I've read the 1,000 things before you die book, although I've heard of it. It's true that there are unique things that can only be found in Korea - things like the DMZ, the lava tubes in Jeju - and that there are lots of other interesting things about Korea. Were the list "5,000 things to see before you die" (yikes!), I'm sure quite a few would be on there. However, Korea's history hasn't really been heard or seen by the outside world. If it were, it would make for a more compelling reason to come and check it out.
If these ten were on a Korea tour list, it would definitely be a fun time - albeit spread out over perhaps 10-14 days, considering you'd be bouncing all over the country.
Couldn't speak to the lava tubes, but the Jeju seashore around Seogwipo is gorgeous. I'll leave a link here once I get my pics up on my photo blog.
A good alternative to the DMZ would be Imjingak, which really does have tourist attractions. When I was there last month, the Norks were having a live fire exercise, and I could here shooting from over the river.
Ive been to 7 out of 10 in that list. Except for Jeju lava tubes (i haven't been there by the way, but the photos are amazing, plus the fact that its an important geologic site), the rest i think are a little bit overrated.
Jindo Sea Parting Festival? and Damyang? Definitely No.
But on a positive note, all these places are worth visiting especially for those people residing in Korea.
NO
I have been to the lava tubes. Overrated. Not world class.
That something is UNESCO is not a reason to fly from Canada/Us/Australia or whereever just to see some reconstructed (both palaces are reconstructions--not even original) palace in Seoul.
Isn't that the idea of a "must see" list? What would motivate you to spend thousands of dollars on a flight to and accomodation in a country? The grand Canyon is worth such a trip around the world, but a palace in Korea? or a lava tube? Give me a fucking break.
Koreans are whiners. They don't care about the list--they only care about having something Korean on it, no matter whether it meets the standards of the other places
NB
Once again the only voice of reason in an abyss of Korean apologist ankle biters.
Nice work, NB and Samuel.
Korea probably will never become overridden with tourists. There really isn't anything special to see here, and people probably won't make any effort to come over here unless they are on business, here to compete in a martial arts tournament, or here to teach English.
I don't think that Koreans really want a bunch of tourists here anyway. Koreans themselves are great tourists for their own country. In summer and winter seasons Koreans leave Korea or go to the beaches cuz they are on vacation and have the spare time. And in the Autumn and Spring, folks go to the mountains to see the colors and the flowers.
But all of this isn't a unique problem for Korea. Think of Russia. How many tourists go to Russia? Sure Russia has all of those cool buildings with Onion domes and Lake Baikal, but besides that, who is going to Russia, or Poland, or even Canada for that matter (Besides Koreans to learn English, or American 19 year olds who want to get drunk.) Hell Canada is another huge country that is devoid of interesting tourist things. The point is, is that Korea has a lot of nice stuff, just nothing that other people want.
@ Samuel
UNESCO has its own reasons for choosing sites all around the world, as a heritage site. They have experts who are more credible and objective. So i still think the lava tubes deserves its place on the list. However i agree on the palaces. They all look the same, and reconstructed.
I thought we are discussing about places per se, and not about the people. Or am i wrong?
"the only voice of reason" - an IQ below 80 is surely not a voice of reason. IMHO.
As far as natural sceneries are concerned, Korea doesnt have much. Im talking about mountains, lakes,falls, stone formations etc.
Generally not that special, but if youre already here in Korea and all you need is bus ride, why not?
The beaches here are nothing compared to those that you can find in the tropics.
Some festivals are noteworthy ( but still nothing if compared to those in China or Japan or Brazil), but since the list is 1,000 anyway, maybe its not too much to include one or two.
And i agree with 3gyupsal, a big fraction of the tourists here are either English teachers, soldiers, students or other expats.
I am not sure about the lava tubes, but if your on Jeju, they are a must-see. I would argue that Sunrise Peak on Jeju (this is also a UNESCO heritage site I believe)is a must see. It was the most beautiful thing that I hiked up/around and I would recommend anyone to do see it.
3gyupsal, Russia and Canada both far exceed Korea in number of tourists. Canada received almost 3 times as many tourists in 2007 as Korea. Russia was even higher. Poland was more than double. You can check the world tourism rankings here: ((http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings))
NB
I was a tourist twice in 2000 and 2001. I didn't know much about Korea. I wanted to hit up Asia while I was living/working on the west coast. Seoul struck me as Japan Lite. Asia, western touch stones, value priced compared to Tokyo. Lunch won't cost you $35. To wit, off the beaten path but the path is paved, the path offers a Starbucks, and you can go from point a to point b on that path on an inexpensive efficient subway system.
I loved it so much in 2000 I went back again in 2001. I was going to go back in 2002 but the anti-american protests soured me.
The only thing on that list that's worth seeing is the DMZ, and even then I'm not sure if it's worth flying around the world just to see it. I guess if you're already visiting China or Japan you can schedule a stop-over in Korea to have a glimpse, along with a palace or two (though I'm told that the palaces in Korea can't hold a candle to the Forbidden City or the ones in Japan).
NB is right, the Korean tourism board should be focusing on the Japanese and Chinese, along with the Southeast Asians. These people are already aware of Korea because of history and those moronic dramas, and they're close to Korea geographically so the plane ticket isn't that expensive. The tourist board really should just focus on what they can do well and try not to waste resources trying to get the money of disinterested peoples.
Right after leaving this site I went to Seoul Searcher's blog, which outlines reasons why vacationing in Korea is so annoying. I guarantee you'll see this kind of behaviour at most of the places on the must-visit list. In fact, the only place where it likely won't happen is the DMZ, and that's only because Korean citizens are banned from visiting it.
http://choseh.blogspot.com/2009/07/tips-for-vacationers-in-korea.html
I'm reminded of a favorite quote...
"Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics. No matter who wins, you're both still retarded."
Ezra
I agree and disagree. I think Seoul is always going to be the Cleveland, Ohio of Asia. A fine city, not without its charms, but compared to Tokyo, HK, Singapore, Shanghai, etc. Seoul lacks romance in the western mind.
Cleveland is never going to get many oversees people to cancel their trip to New York, Orlando, LA, San Fran, Chicago, etc. and choose Cleveland. But tri-state tourism, weekenders, etc. that's their bread 'n' butter.
So yes, keep bringing in the Japanese tourists. Chinese can enjoy the "America of Asia". If Koreans could ever drop the cultural racism and view people from India and SE Asia as people you don't have to pull out of immigration lines and interview for 2 hours, Seoul (or Korea in general) could easily draw upon them, especially for winter sports.
Tourism advertising isn't going to transform Seoul from Cleveland to a New York or Chicago. Becoming a financial center or a "hub" for something else very high profile and important on the world stage (and yes I have to throw up in my mouth a little using the term hub).
That said, Seoul still has some strong niches for the Western tourist. As I noted above. Seoul is a city of 10 million. To westerners who think a city with 1-2 million is a big city, there's a thrill right there. That most of it can be had at a bargain price compared to Tokyo (with the exception of hotel prices), can lure the western bargain hunters.
@ mindmetoo
- I supposed that right now another important factor that draws asian tourists here in Korea (esp Taiwanese) is the Hallyu. As ive said Korea doesnt have much to offer in terms of natural sceneries. But they can probably capitalize on other alternatives (e.g. shopping for cheaper electronics, cheaper medical costs) if they want to improve the tourism industry.
Wow, some of the bickering on this thread is pathetic, and mostly completely irrelevant.
Coincidentally, I've just written a similar post that's the first in a short series about encouraging tourism in Korea here, check it out and let me know what you think.
As for my opinion on the original post title, for what it's worth, why should there be anywhere that you wouldn't want to see before you die? And in a list of 1000 places you should see? Surely wherever is at number 1000 on that list can't be worth paying to travel half way round the world just to see that? I think, therefore, that you have to take it as a money no object concept, and really just as a list of places that are worth seeing. For me, there are many places in Korea that fulfill that criteria. I like Korea, I have a lot of fun there, and I love some of the places in Korea, so I can't say I'm overly concerned by whether it fits onto any list compiled by other people.
@ asadalthought
Just forgive me for participating in that non-sense bickering. I agree with Matt's favorite quote too. Although, Internet/blog arguments, partly contributed to what it is (on a positive) today. Anyways,
"why should there be anywhere that you wouldn't want to see before you die? "
- I think you touch on a very important question. This is probably the same question im asking myself. I dont mind traveling halfway across the globe to see or witness a generally not so complicated or interesting scenery, as long as it suits my taste as what to is an ideal place to visit. I'll set aside my biases, and visit the place i want. I can for example visit an unknown tribe in Ghana or Kenya in Africa, where probably nobody would even care to go. Or even a lone island in the Atlantic. The excitement grows more if the place is deemed unique and well recommended by authorized bodies. The disagreements as to what places on earth should be included on the list will probably stay on forever, basically because we all have different views and opinions. For someone religious, the Church of Nativity is really worth visiting, but for an agnostic like me, it will not surely appear in my list.
The advantage of including any place in Korea is its location. As nicely pointed out before, it is situated between two of the greatest culturally rich countries in the world, Japan and China. I dont think its not much to drop off in Korea for a day or two, if your itinerary includes either China and Japan (or both) then the decision is more easy. And also, i think its ok too even if your itinerary includes only Korea (this is relevant to your question). Whether its the DMZ or the lava tubes or others, its worth a travel. (even from halfway across the globe). imho
I disagree with your disagreement of visiting the DMZ.
It's probably the only world class destination worth visiting in Korea, both South and North.
Ultimately, one should visit from both sides (I wanna visit from the NK side one day).
It's fascinating.
http://tizona.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/bing-visits-the-dmz/
I recently returned from China and I must say that Korea really has doesn't really anything that can compare with the Great Wall, The Summer Palace or the Forbidden City. I like the palaces and other sites here in Korea, but they have not made the strong impressions on me as the sites I have seen in other places I have visited like. I only make recommendations on things that have given me a sense of awe.
I would like to make a related point about impressions. I was impressed with the friendliness of the ordinary Chinese person (especially when compared to my experiences with the ordinary Korean.) I went on a tour of the Great Wall and I was the only Westerner on the bus. (The tour was catered to the Chinese and it was way cheaper than other companies.) The tour participants were so friendly. They were very helpful and giving. They would offer to share food and drink to me. One Chinese family invited me to be part of their group. (The wife was an English teacher.) Being among the Chinese was much more memorable than the trip itself.
Things I loved as a tourist (circa 2000-2001):
- Koreans were very very helpful to tourists. One had to merely look lost and a Korean would try to help you find your way.
- How everything looked like a city a monster from Ultraman was destroying.
- Same but different. There were a lot of western touch stones but with small exciting differences. Little cans of Coke, jugs of ice water at the milk bar in a starbucks, kimchi burgers at McDonald's.
- Cute kids singing out hellos
- Attractive young women talking to you out of the blue in Starbucks
- inexpensive museums, palaces, art galleries etc. I love you could enter a palace for 80 cents.
- the department stores
- People not noticing its Sunday 10 pm and everyone out on the street
- Exotic snacks at convenience stores
- Seoul Milk
- Street food
- Cute stationary
All 'n' all it really depends on what kind of tourist you are. Some people need "the big weenie" (as Joe from SeoulPodcast likes to put it). Me, I like urban spaces. I like to see how people shop, commute, eat, play, dress, etc.
Seoul offers the urban explorer lots of that and I'll repeat, at a pretty reasonable price, in a pretty safe environment, and you can get by pretty well in English only.
I've also visited Sapporo and Osaka (both off the beaten pathish). They did not compare to Seoul in terms of the ease of getting around and easy on the budget. (Although I'd go back to Osaka in a minute for the excellent kaitan sushi joints and Sapporo for the amazingly beautiful women.)
As promised: I have put up some few vacation pics from my month-long sojourn in Korea this summer. Go here and scroll down.
Right then, here:
http://is-3.blogspot.com
As you mentioned Brian, the fact that Korea ISN'T a popular tourist destination is kind of an attraction in itself. Sure, the people might stare at Westerners and make a point of saying "Hi", but that's NOWHERE near as intrusive or annoying as, say, the aggressive touts one encounters in Southeast Asia. And to someone who's never been to Korea before, the attention probably seems charming.
I don't know if Korea should be included in the "1000 places to see before you die", but I think lists like that are silly anyway. I believe there's value in travelling ANYWHERE. I'd far rather just get a glimpse into a foreign culture, than go around checking attractions off a list.
Thanks everyone for the interesting comments. I'll have to rethink the DMZ, though I doubt I'll ever visit.
I figured this thread would invite some of the comments posted here. I'll be going through and weeding some out. If this kind of bickering continues, I'll start locking threads more often and will delete all comments from the offenders. Knock it off. If you have something particularly nasty to say about Korea, save it for your own blog.
Personally I find admiration for the Great Wall of China misplaced. In the end it strikes me a durable symbol of China's weakness and closed nature during the MIng and Qing periods. Similarly the Forbidden City is reminiscent of a prison in its sterility and the Summer Palace lacks both good taste and originality, being a pastiche of the real thing found in southern locales such as Hangzhou.
A few places in Korea that I find worthy of a visit
- Hongyeon-am at Naksan-sa, high on the cliffside overlooking the East Sea, Gangweon-do, spectacular and historically rich
- Jeokmyeol Bogung - Buddhist shrine up the mountain from Sanweon-sa in Odae-san Park, amazing vista, Gangweon-do
- Munsu-sa in Gurye-gun, Jeolla Nam-do, a bit hard to visit, but the great scenery and the added pleasure of the eccentric monk who raises bandal bears on-site make it unique.
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