Museums of Busan (Pt. 1)

Annyeonghaseyo, yeoreobun~!

Busan is well-known for its beaches and seafood, but do you know that there is actually a nice variety of museums and art galleries for you to explore and discover! Being an art & history lover myself, here are some of the top museums author is aiming to go to! 😉

Busan Museum (부산박물관)

Image Credit to TripAdvisor.com

The Busan Museum has taken on a leading role in preserving the city’s traditional culture by housing a variety of relics obtained through numerous excavation efforts and private donations. The wide array of artifacts are distributed across 7 exhibitions rooms and 3 floors, illustrating the city’s history from as early as the prehistoric era to the present day. Don’t miss the Buddhist statues and pagodas at the Outdoor Exhibition Stall, and be sure to stop by the Cultural Experience Hall to participate in a Korean tea ceremony or try on a hanbok, the country’s national dress. (You can click on the links for further details that were introduced earlier on!)

Image Credit to TripAdvisor.com

Even though the museum is closed now, people can now access its virtual tour on its website http://museum.busan.go.kr/busan/onlinemuseum !

Busan Museum of Art

Image Credit to TripAdvisor.com

Art enthusiasts (like author) should definitely pay a visit to the Busan Museum of Art. Situated in U-dong, the museum was established to increase awareness of the art and culture of Busan and its citizens, and to provide a space for fostering an artistic community. This is demonstrated in its vast collection of art that encompasses a variety of genres. In addition to housing the works of local artists, international exhibitions are also constantly on display, the most recent being one centered around the works of Andy Warhol.

Image Credit to TripAdvisor.com (this was submitted in Nov 2019)

National Maritime Museum (국립해양박물관)

Image Credit to TripAdvisor.com

As Busan is the largest port city in South Korea and the world’s fifth busiest seaport by cargo tonnage, it’s easy to recognize why the sea is so important to the city’s citizens. The exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum illustrate all aspects of marine and ocean life, from the creatures of the sea to the history of the city’s maritime industry. Do you know that the museum also boasts a library, aquarium, performance stage, and a 4D theatre?! This offers something for all ages, and you can easily reach the place via the free shuttle that runs from Busan Station.

By the way, do you know that there are robot fishes permanently displayed at this museum? Try to capture it (with your camera lens) when you are there!

Image Credit to TripAdvisor.com (this aquarium makes it a must-go!)

As there are too many museums to recommend in Busan, author will leave them for the next post to further elaborate on them. ‘Til the next time, take care and stay safe! Annyeong!

Essential Tips For Travelling In Korea!

Annyeong, yeoreobun! ^^

So with this RMCO implemented, author is still very much itching to go travel, especially in the land of KPOP~ *snaps back to reality!* So in the case when Malaysia decides to open borders again, here are some tips for you to prepare before flying over to meet your oppa or eonnie!

1. Basic phrases

Image credit to Korean101.com

It really does help if you know some basic Korean phrases before you get there, especially common ones like Annyeonghaseyo (hello), Kamsahamnida (thank you), Eotteokhae gayo (how should I go there?) and etc. would be helpful if you are not familiar with the places. Unfortunately, not many Koreans are fluent in English. If you know some Mandarin, it might help as some places do have Chinese characters around. But if you do not, then best if you get a local guide to travel around with ease. Phrases like bbissayo! (expensive) miiiight actually help in haggling prices too! 😉

2. Currency = KRW

The currency being used in South Korea is the Korean won, and boy, the numbers do get huge! At the time of writing, 1,000 Korean won is equivalent to RM3.53, so just try to think of 1,000 won is RM3.

3. Weather

Image credit to Hulutrip

One thing that you have to look out for is the season and weather in South Korea for the period that you are travelling. If it is cold, you’d better lug on to those winter clothings, as it could get chilly with a small breeze in winter! If you are travelling during summer, make sure you remember to pack in your sunblock to avoid having your skin burnt!

4. Cheap deals!

Image credit to Pinterest. Author actually has a few of the masks in the picture!

So on my very first trip to Seoul, I discovered that there ARE items that are much considered very cheap if you buy it from Korea, as compared to when you buy things locally in Malaysia (possibly due to the popularity and shipping fee). You may want to jot these down, so you can bring back as souvenirs for your family & friends too!

• Sheet masks (there’s plenty of types for you to choose, such as moisturising, whitening, skin firming, and also brightening!) (Additional tip – Myeongdong is a very popular place to get masks in bundle for a very low price!)
• Instant noodles (Samyang and Shin noodles are both popular brands, and you can buy a few packs for everyone to try when you are back!)
• Soju (non-halal alert! You can get these alcohol bottles even from the convenience stores, so not to worry if you are looking to drink and party in your hotel room!)

Author’s personal favourite is actually hotteok pack, so if you are reading this, make sure you jot this down and send it back to Malaysia too!

5. Trash segregation

Image credit to Livinko Relocation Services. The yellow one is normally for food waste.

I actually was surprised when I first landed in Seoul and the local guide there told us it is very important for us to segregate the trash into food waste and normal trash (paper, plastic, and others). They even have different coloured plastic bags for you to put the waste in, even in hotel rooms! If they found that you do not comply, the hotel staff may get angry (I heard this from a friend), but they do understand that you are a tourist hence they will still explain to you patiently in the beginning.

So, there you go! Hope you will have fun travelling in South Korea when the travel ban is lifted!

Let’s go to Goyang Flower Festival together! (같이 고양 꽃축제 가자!)

Goyang, a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea will hold

1. Goyang Autumn Flower Festival during autumn, and
2. International Horticulture Goyang Korea during spring

This year, International Horticulture Goyang Korea 2020 will be hosted from 25 Sep to 11 Oct 2020. We hope it can be held as usual this year with all the precautionary steps taken in place to prevent further COVID19 outbreak.

I had a chance to visit and enjoy a variety of flower display both from their indoor and outdoor garden during Goyang Autumn Flower Festival in 2016. A number of visitors come to this well-known festival which is a representative festival in Goyang during the fall.

Image credit to Soh Zhau Wan (2016)

You will be able to see the autumn flowers peaking in the garden and flower artwork in the indoor exhibition hall. In addition, it has various performances and programs that you can enjoy for the whole day!

Image credit to Soh Zhau Wan (2016)

Image credit to Soh Zhau Wan (2016)

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Period: 25 Sep to 11 Oct 2020 (17 days)

Venue: Ilsan Lake Park Goyang Flower Exhibition Center

Open time: 10am to 7pm

Organiser: Goyang City and Goyang International Flower Foundation

Exhibition and things to do:

• Outdoor exhibition
• Indoor exhibition
• Wondang Flower Zone Program
• Performance
• Experience at Lake Park
• Flower Market Area

Image credit to Soh Zhau Wan (2016)

1. Pre-purchase until 23 Sep: 8,000 KRW
2. On-site: 12,000 KRW for Adult / 8,000 KRW won for special price (People in age between 3 – 19, people of age 65 and above, disabled)
3. Foreigners Group Tourist will be able to get discount if you have more than 10 people in a group (Applicable for weekdays only)

Age Limit: Open to visitors of all ages

Transportation:

1. Subway

• Jeongbalsan Station (Seoul Subway Line 3 For Daehwa), Exit 2
• Walk for approx. 10 min to arrive at Ilsan Lake Park.

2. Bus: Get off at Ilsandong-gu Office with the following:

• Take No. 3300 from Incheon International Airport
• Take No. 33, 150 from Gimpo Airport
• Take No. 770, 7727, 1000, 2000, M7119, M7106 from Sinchon
• Take No. 830, 9707, 1500 from Yeongdeungpo
• Take No. 9700, 9711A from Gangnam Station

3. Car: 2605-1, Daehwa-dong, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do
4. Express Bus : Goyang Bus Terminal(Beakseok) → Subway Line No.3 For Daehwa → Jeongbalsan Station Exit2 walk 10 min in the direction of Lake Park
5. Train:

• Youngdeungpo Train Station → Across Sinsegae Dept, Store, Ilsan Bus (830, 9707, 1500) → Ilsan District Office (Jeongvalsan Station) → Walk 10min, Toward Lake Park
• Seoul Train Station → Subway Line No.1 → Transfer to Line No.3 for Daewha (at Jongno 3-ga) → Jeongbalsan Station Exit 2 + 5min. Walk in the direction

Top 3 Places You Should Visit: Seoul

Annyeong, yeoreobun! ^^ Seoul is the capital of South Korea, and is the first destination when tourists visit this country. But what are the top attractions that you should not miss when paying a visit to this land of the sun? Let us bring you to a quick visual tour of the city, and also the place of the month! 😉

(Please take note that the below recommendations are just from author’s personal view and experience.)

1. Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)

When construction was completed, Gyeongbokgung Palace became the heart of the capital of Korea along with the head of state of the Joseon Dynasty. The name Gyeongbok actually means “Greatly Blessed by Heaven.” There are many historic sites, but one of author’s personal favourite is the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, where it is actually surrounded by a beautiful lake. If you have a chance of being there, make sure you try out the Hanbok (introduced in one of the earlier articles), and you can enter the attraction for free!

Gwanghwamun. Image credit to Yvonne Tan Yee Wern (2019)

Additional information: Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place at the top of every hour from 11:00 to 15:00

Address: 161, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 종로구 사직로 161 (세종로)

• Directions
• [Subway]
  • Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3) and Exit 5.
  • Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3) and Exit 1.

• [Bus]
  • Take Bus No. 1020, 7025,109, 171, 172, 601 or 606 and get off at Gyeongbokgung Palace Bus Stop.
  • Take Jongno Bus No. 11 and get off at National Folk Musuem of Korea Bus Stop.

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2. Namsan Seoul Tower

Image credit to Yvonne Tan Yee Wern (2019)

Namsan Seoul Tower was the first tower-type tourism spot in Korea. The top of the tower is at almost 480 meters above sea level, including Namsan Mountain (243m) and the tower’s own height (236.7m), making it one of the tallest towers in Asia. It is comprised of Seoul Tower Plaza, recently opened to public access after 40 years, and N Seoul Tower, operated by CJ Foodville since 2005. The tower was first established as a broadcasting tower to send out TV and radio signals in 1969. As of now, it has become one of the representative landmarks and multi-cultural venues in Seoul. There, you can also visit the infamous love-locks hanging with promises from couples! Love is in the air for couples who are traveling there together~ ❤

Image credit to Yvonne Tan Yee Wern (2019)

Address: 105, Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 용산구 남산공원길 105 (용산동2가)

• Directions
• [Bus] Namsan Circular Shuttle Bus
  1. Namsan Circular Shuttle Bus No. 02
     – Take the bus from the closest subway station: Chungmuro Station (Seoul Subway Line 3, 4), Exit 2 (in front of Daehan Cinema) or Dongguk University Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 6.
  2. Namsan Circular Shuttle Bus No. 03
     – Take the bus from the closest subway station: Seoul Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 4), Exit 9, Itaewon Station (Seoul Subway Line 6), Exit 4 or Hangangjin Station (Seoul Subway Line 6), Exit 2.
  3. Namsan Circular Shuttle Bus No. 05
     – Take the bus from the closest subway station: Myeong-dong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 3 or Chungmuro Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2 (in front of Daehan Cinema).
• [Cable Car]
  Get off at Myeong-dong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4) and Exit 3.
  Walk for about 15 minutes following the street on the right side of the Pacific Hotel. The cable car boarding place will be seen ahead.

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3. Myeongdong Night Market

A trip is not complete without food, and thus, you should head to Myeongdong Night Market to get all the South Korea street food all in one-go! Some of author’s personal favourites include Hotteok (yums!), Tteokbokki, Korean Fried Chicken, and Odeng! All this talk about food is getting author hungry (beh-go-pah), so here’s some photos to feats your eyes on!

Hotteok. Image credit to Yvonne Tan Yee Wern (2019)

Korean Fried Chicken. Image credit to Yvonne Tan Yee Wern (2019)

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So what do you think are the top 3 attractions in Seoul? Do you agree with the author, or do you think there are others that we should have mentioned? Drop your comments below so we can hear your thoughts! We really hope to be able to visit South Korea again when this pandemic is over and everyone is free to travel across borders again 🙂

Till the next time, take care and stay safe!

Korean Tea Culture

Annyeong, yeoreobun! ^^ This week, we are going to focus on something that may be able to bring peace of mind, amongst the hectic schedule that we all have while hustling and bustling through our lives – the South Korean tea culture.

In ancient times, humans considered tea to be an edible plant or medicine, but it gradually turned into a beverage thanks to its unique taste, stimulating effect and easy preparation. Eventually, tea drinking developed into a cultural form, and South Korea has adapted this culture too. The tea culture appeals to all five senses – taste, sight, smell, touch, and hearing; hence requiring much more preparation and thought to the experience.

The Korean tea ceremony or darye (茶禮) is a traditional form of tea ceremony practiced in Korea. Darye literally refers to “etiquette for tea” or “tea rite” and has been kept among Korean people for over a thousand years.

South Korea owes its tea heritage to the Buddhist monks who travelled the globe to teach and spread enlightenment of the self and the alertness that tea brings to Buddhist meditations. Korean Buddhist tea ceremonies focused on spiritual awakening which symbolised purification, absorption, and meditation attained by making and drinking tea. Hon-ta, a tea ceremony, was part of the Buddhist tradition in which green tea was offered to the Buddha residing in local temples.

Nowadays, tea ceremonies are reintroduced in South Korea as a means for the people to learn tranquility and harmony in the fast-paced modern culture, and continuing in the long tradition of intangible Korean art.

Tea is poured initially by a tea hostess into warmed cups from a heated teapot at a distance above the first cup so as to create a controlled flow of tea with attractive bubbles. This is done to create good luck. The first serving of a new batch of tea is poured directly into the cups, a little at a time, back and forward three times until the cups are filled, in order to spread equally the stronger tea that emerges from the bottom of the teapot. No water must remain in the pot, or it would develop an undesirable bitter taste.

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Here are the official 7 steps to a tea ceremony:

1. The host will start the official ceremony by first heating the pot, cups and decanting bowl with hot water, then after this is complete, will pour the tea leaves – usually green tea – into the pot.
2. Then the host pours hot water onto the leaves and will then pour out the water very quickly, thereby rinsing the leaves of any dust and opening them up slightly.
3. Then, the host will pour the hot water into the decanting bowl and allow it to cool to the correct temperature for the tea they are using. This depends on when the tea is picked; tea picked earlier in the season, such as the first buds picked in early April, will be steeped at lower temperature (60–65 °C or 140–149 °F) than tea leaves picked in June (70–75 °C or 158–167 °F).
4. Once the water is at the right temperature, the host will pour the water into the pot and steep it for anywhere from 20 seconds to two to three minutes, depending on the tea.
5. After steeping is complete, the host pours the tea into the decanting bowl, which serves to get the water off the leaves in the pot and also to give the tea an even mixture.
6. Then it is poured into the cups.
7. The guests will wait until the host or master picks up their cup first, then will pick up theirs. This is repeated until they are finished, which sometimes can be several hours later. The whole ceremony is very relaxing and is a wonderful way to get to know someone or to ease into a business transaction.

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It certainly is something new, and may stop us from the busy minds from constantly running, isn’t it? Well, the author will now start some of her own tea-making at home too! ^^ Til next time, annyeong~

Culture: Evolution of Music

Annyeong, yeoreobun! ^^ So this time around, we will take a deep dive into the evolution of music in South Korea, which is (not-surprisingly) one of the top-voted topics. So, ga-ja (let’s go)!

Over the course of decades since the end of the Korean War, the music of South Korea has evolved tremendously. According to Wikipedia, contemporary South Korean music can be categorised into three main types: traditional Korean folk music; popular music, or K-pop; and Western-influenced non-popular music.

The traditional Korean music is referred to as gugak (Hangul: 국악), which literally means “national music.” It includes court music, folk music, poetic songs, and religious music used in shamanistic and Buddhist traditions.

The most famous folk song of South (and North) Korea is “Arirang”.

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Western influenced Korean music is also sometimes referred to as popular music and is seen in the early twentieth century. The western influence in South Korean music gave rise to new genres; some of which are Ch’angga, Kagok, and Yuhaengga.

Ch’angga arose from Pansori but became increasingly popular in the early twentieth century for its fusion of European anthems, American hymns, Western folk tunes, and Japanese choral music. Though it had Western melodies, the lyrics were in Korean.

The most well-known example of ch’angga is the song “My Darling Clementine”.

Kagok (Lieder; referring to German art songs) is Western vocal music sung by a solo artist rather than an ensemble.

Yuhaengga (which literally means popular songs) is also known as sin kayo (new song). It became a part of everyday life in urban Korea in the mid-1920s as well as a crucial element of the term “modern”.

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Popular Korean music, typically referred to as K-pop in English, or gayo (가요) in Korean, is a highly commercial industry throughout Asia. Contemporary K-pop is dominated by dance groups featuring young entertainers with the latest looks and dance skills. Contemporary Korean music and pop stars are very popular across Asia, and the spread of contemporary Korean culture designated a word to reflect this fact. The Korean Wave, or Hallyu (한류), is the word used to discuss the influence of contemporary Korean popular culture on the rest of Asia, and the rest of the world.

Haru Haru is the only MV by the BIGBANG (a group from the ’00s) to surpass 100 million views on YouTube!

The dominant trend in popular Korean music is currently “idol” (아이돌) groups. Idol groups typically feature several entertainers of the same gender who perform a fusion of dance music, rhythm and blues, funk, hip-hop and electronic influenced songs.

One of MyDaehan’s author’s favourite song from BTS is “Euphoria”! What is yours? 😉

Summing up, if not for the spread of Hallyu, many of the current generation wouldn’t be able to explore and appreciate the South Korean culture. BIGBANG was the group that brought the author in, what about you? Were you swept in by Hallyu too? Let us know in the comments below if you have a favourite group! ^^

Traditional Costumes: Hanbok

Image credit to KLOOK

Annyeong, yeoreobun! ^^ How have you been faring during this global pandemic situation? Hope you are all safe and taking care of yourself at home!

So, how much do you know about the South Korean culture? According to Wikipedia, the culture of Korea is the shared cultural and historical heritage of Korea and southern Manchuria. As one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world, Koreans have passed down their traditional narratives in a variety of ways. Without further ado, let’s dive deep into the traditional clothes of South Korea: Hanbok!

A hanbok (Hangul: 한복; Hanja: 韓服) is the traditional Korean outfit for semi-formal or formal occasions. Up till 100 years ago, the Hanbok was worn daily, but in the modern society, Koreans only wear Hanbok during special occassions and especially during traditional celebrations such as New Year, wedding ceremonies, a child’s first birthday, and funerals.

Hanbok is the national costume for South Korea, and now a siginificant representation of the culture and identity of South Koreans. In 1996, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism even established “Hanbok Day” on 21st October to spur motivation for South Korean citizens to wear hanbok. Now, mark down your calendars chinggu(s)! ^^

A normal hanbok is divided into few parts – for women: the jeogeori (shirt) and chima dress; for men: jeogeori and baji (baggy pants).

Image Credit to Mutzine

Do you know that in ancient times, you can differentiate the social class of the people just by looking at the hanbok they wear? Let’s take dive into the classifications by looking at 3 most popular samples below!

The Hwarot or Hwal-Ot (Hangul: 활옷) was the full dress for a princess and the daughter of a king by a concubine, formal dress for the upper class, and bridal wear for ordinary women during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. It is elaborately embroidered long robe with long and wide sleeves to cover the wearer’s hands.

Now, it is mainly worn during wedding ceremonies.

The Wonsam (Hangul: 원삼) a female ceremonial topcoat in hanbok, Korean traditional clothing. It was worn by queens, high-ranking court ladies, and royalty during the Joseon dynasty of Korea (1392-1910). It is also called daeui (大衣, big clothing), daesu (大袖, wide sleeves) and jangsam (長衫, long clothing).

The queen, princess consort, and consort to the first son of the crown prince wore it as a soryebok, a robe for small ceremonies, while wives of high officers and sanggung (court matrons) wore it as daeryebok, a robe for major ceremonies.

Wonsam

Dangui (Hangul: 당의; Hanja:唐衣) is a type of upper garment which was worn for ceremonial occasions during the Joseon Dynasty. It was worn as a simple official outfit or for small national ceremonies while court ladies wore it as a daily garment.

It is theorised dangui dates back to the Korean Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD) when a clothing system of China was introduced to Korea. The letter, dang (唐) refers to Chinese Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), so dangui may have been adapted from its clothing along with other ceremonial robes such as hwarot and wonsam.

TL;DR – just take a look at the differences in the picture below!

Image credit to Pinterest

Well, hope that you have understood better about the different types of Hanbok, and appreciate this culture from South Korea! If you have any comments/ suggestions, do drop us a feedback below! 😉

(Author’s own personal little dream is to actually have her future honeymoon trip at South Korea, so she can wear Hanbok together with her future husband :P)