May 16th, 2013 at 2:00PM: xcode, Flickr
AKA: Vesakha, Vesak, Wesak, Visak, Vixakha and many more derivatives.
When? The second Sunday in May OR the day of the full moon in May OR the Sunday nearest to the day of the full moon in May OR the eighth day of the fourth lunar month OR if you've decided all that calendric work is too much hassle, like the Japanese, April 8.
Public holiday in: Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
seoul posts
Better Know A Holiday: Buddha's Birthday
May 16th, 2013 at 2:00PM: xcode, Flickr
AKA: Vesakha, Vesak, Wesak, Visak, Vixakha and many more derivatives.
When? The second Sunday in May OR the day of the full moon in May OR the Sunday nearest to the day of the full moon in May OR the eighth day of the fourth lunar month OR if you've decided all that calendric work is too much hassle, like the Japanese, April 8.
Public holiday in: Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, ...The Kimchi-ite: Seoul's Spectacular Lotus Lantern Festival
May 15th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
Every year, Buddha's Birthday is marked in Korea by a sea of draped lanterns. The holiday itself is not until May 17 this year, but that has not stopped the festivities from starting early. Most streets surrounding Buddhist temples have a colorful array of lanterns strung from their lampposts. The temples themselves often feature an entire canopy created by a rainbow of lanterns. And as part of ...The Kimchi-ite: Iconic Landmark In Seoul Re-Opens 5 Years After Arson Attack
May 6th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
In early 2008, Sungnye-mun (commonly referred to as Namdae-mun), one of Korea's most important cultural landmarks, was destroyed in a devastating arson attack. The shocking event was a national tragedy and has been engraved into the collective Korean consciousness. Today, people are able to immediately remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news that the gate, ...The Kimchi-ite: The End Of Cherry Blossom Season On Yeouido
May 2nd, 2013 at 11:00AM:
Cherry blossoms mark the true beginning of spring, along with the arrival of glorious sunshine, refreshing breezes and all around spectacular picnic weather. Within Seoul, the most talked about place to see the blossoms is on Yeouido, a large island on the Han River where many of the tallest skyscrapers in Korea are located.
Yeouido's Spring Flower Festival, which centers around the ...The Kimchi-ite: Relax And Get Lazy In The Nude At A Korean Jjim-Jil-Bang
Apr 25th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
After a long, six-day workweek, a night of drinking or just a day of walking all over town, the jjim-jil-bang is the perfect place to unravel in South Korea. Literally meaning "heated bath room" (not "heated bathroom" mind you), jjim-jil-bang are relaxation emporiums with a heavy lean towards hot tubs and saunas that are affordable, open 24/7 and a staple of Korean culture. With good reason, ...#OnTheRoad On Instagram: Seoul, South Korea
Apr 16th, 2013 at 4:30PM:
Cherry blossoms get me ridiculously excited. The gorgeous pinkish-white flowers last for only a couple of weeks, making them truly special. They are the one true indication that spring has started here in South Korea, where cherry blossoms line many streets and park walkways. Numerous festivals around the country are held in order to take full advantage or their limited blooming period. Over ...South Korea Assures Country Is Safe For Travel
Apr 9th, 2013 at 3:00PM:
North Korea has issued a warning to foreign companies and tourists to leave South Korea in order to avoid harm in the event of a nuclear war, according to USA Today. The message came Tuesday, just after the joint industrial zone, the last cross-border cooperation in the long-divided Korean peninsula, was closed last week.
Fearing drops in tourism numbers, the government officials in South ...The Kimchi-ite: A Tour Through Hongdae, The Center Of Korean Youth Culture
Apr 8th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Seoul has no shortage of unique neighborhoods worth visiting and it is certainly not at a loss for places to go drinking. However, there is only one true place where the youth of South Korea go en masse for so many of their desires and that place is Hongdae. Taking its name from the Korean abbreviation for the local art university, Hongik University, Hongdae is a great place for restaurants, ...Photo Of The Day: The Old And The New In Seoul, South Korea
Mar 26th, 2013 at 6:30PM:
As we've seen in Jonathan Kramer's "The Kimchi-ite" series, South Korea is a country that embraces both its past and its future. That notion is captured perfectly in this Photo of the Day from Flickr user and photographer Ohad Ben-Yoseph, which depicts a colorful old temple set against a sparkling new skyscraper in perfect juxtaposition. Ben-Yoseph's Flickr photo stream is filled with ...The Kimchi-ite: 10 More Differences Between South Korea And The Rest Of The World
Mar 22nd, 2013 at 3:00PM:
In the U.S., there is the art of tipping. In Finland, there is no such thing as college tuition; it's almost completely subsidized by tax Euros. And in Ethiopia, food is eaten only with the bare right hand. Given South Korea's unique history and culture within Asia, there is no shortage of comparisons that can be made between it and the rest of the world. Even though I already reported on "10 ...Souvenir Of The Week: Kooky Korean Socks
Mar 20th, 2013 at 1:00PM:
In South Korea, everyone will see your socks because it's customary to remove shoes in most public places. That might be why Jonathan Kramer, Gadling's resident Kimchi-ite, tipped us off about the assortment of cheap, colorful anklets everywhere you go there. You might even find a sock vending machine. Designs are heavy on cartoons and bears, but hardly any motif is spared – the gamut ...The Kimchi-ite: Gyeongbokgung, Seoul's Grandest Palace
Mar 13th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
The largest of the ancient palaces in the South Korean capital, Gyeongbok Palace is one of the best sights to see Seoul. The ornate buildings within the complex have amazing colors and contain poetic murals and carvings. The huge grounds are spectacular with calming ponds and modest pavilions. It is also one of the most historically significant sites in Korea, built in 1395 and destroyed ...The Kimchi-ite: The Korean Folk Village, A Perfect Escape From The City
Mar 5th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
Seoul and South Korea as a whole are undoubtably modern. But less than a century ago, much of what makes the country so modern today did not exist and people lived much more simply. Farming was by far the most common occupation and people lived in villages, not cities. ...The Kimchi-ite: Jeju Island, An Escape From The Metropolis
Mar 1st, 2013 at 11:00AM:
In many corners of the world, winter offers nothing but a biting cold that demands we stay indoors until the flowers start to bloom. But with spring stretching its legs, it's time we start to do the same. The best way to mentally prepare for spring and summer is to reminisce about trips from the past and to plan a new travel adventure built around shorts and sandals.
Here in Korea, ...The Kimchi-ite: A Stroll Through The Infamous Gangnam
Feb 20th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
Possibly the most famous thing to ever come out of Seoul, "Gangnam Style" has become one of the few things most people in the world know about South Korea. Judging by the more than 1.3 billion views Psy's music video currently has on YouTube, the most viewed video on the site, I can assume that if you haven't seen it multiple times, you have at least heard of it. I'm only just now, able to ...The Kimchi-ite: Seoul Offers Rewards To Report Taxi Drivers Who Rip Off Tourists
Feb 14th, 2013 at 1:00PM: Last week, the Seoul city government announced a plan to offer up to a 500,000-won (USD $456) reward for anyone who has information on taxi drivers that rip off foreign tourists.
While charging more than the standard metered fare is against South Korean law, sometimes taxis can forget this, in additional to other rules. Red lights get run, taxis find themselves going the wrong direction on the ...The Kimchi-ite: A 1000-Year-Old Temple In The Middle Of Seoul
Feb 5th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
Exiting Sadang Station in Seoul, you can immediately tell it is one of the busiest stations in South Korea; throngs of people are everywhere, pushing and shoving their way in and out. Outside the station are dozens of alleys with neon lights going up four stories, advertising barbecue restaurants, bars and karaoke rooms. Lines crisscross the sidewalk for buses that will take people home to ...The Kimchi-ite: Living And Traveling South Of North Korea
Jan 27th, 2013 at 11:00AM: One of the top stories this past week on CNN, BBC, Fox News, Reuters and so many other major news organizations was that of North Korea's plans for a nuclear test. However, in South Korea, no one seems to care. It was certainly not the biggest story for Korean news outlets, sometimes even buried under stories about a coming cold front, the president-elect's cabinet choices and advice on how not to ...The Kimchi-ite: The Almost Forgotten Traditional Homes Of Korea
Jan 10th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
South Korea rapidly became a modern country. Within the past half-century it has gone from a country mostly of fields to seas of high rises. Over the years, many of these construction projects have caused the demolition of entire neighborhoods of traditional Korean houses, called hanok. Beautiful houses with tile roofs, wood framing and intricate brickwork were discarded to make way for dense ...The Kimchi-ite: 8 Delicious Street Food Dishes Of South Korea
Jan 4th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Any trip to Korea is absolutely incomplete without dipping under a steamy street-side tent to eat some mystery food, preferably late at night. Street food is extremely popular in Korea. Not in the same way as Twitter-enabled, grilled-cheese food-trucks that are growing with momentum in the U.S., but instead in a much more homey, down-to-earth way. Some foods have their gimmicks, but most of ...
