It’s already December and yes it’s only 3 weeks left until 2017.
There have been so many wonderful and amazing things happened this year. I travelled to Vietnam, Thailand, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia for the first time and I stayed in Vienna for 3 weeks. Oh, amazing Vienna like as always! It was my first visit since I left the city in 2012 (I lived in Vienna for two and a half years then). I visited to Japan only for few days and then, I kind of moved to Sydney and now I am sort of living in Melbourne (I am not sure yet how long I will be here though, hmm).
Even though I have been here and there all over the places this year, Seoul, my beloved hometown, has stayed in the very center of my life. One of the best things I did this year is absolutely starting this blog to share my views and local knowledge on Seoul.
Thanks to this blog, I’ve discovered some new aspects of Seoul and got to know more and better about Seoul. Here, I would like to share what has been new even to me and what has been the best in 2016 in terms of my personal experiences in Seoul.
The neighborhood of 2016 – Ikseon-dong
I have been to Jongno more than I could count but I had not known Ikseon-dong until my two Swedish friends brought me there. The funny thing is they were visiting me as tourists and I was their tour guide! While they were waiting for me, they strolled around and found Ikseon-dong, just like that. According to them, Ikseon-dong is a place which even Swedish hipsters would love. It is indeed one of the ‘hippest’ places in Seoul right now.
The bookstore of 2016 – wit n cynical
wit n cynical bookstore specializes in poetry books and there are a cafe and a record shop next to the bookstore so you can enjoy music, book, and a cup of coffee altogether!
The exhibition of 2016 – The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Korean Modern Masters Lee Jung-Seob 1916~1990
Lee Jung-seob (1916~56) is considered as the master of Korean modern art. The exhibition at MMCA Deokstgung focused not only on his works but also on his personal life. Their approach helped me understand his works better and I was very impressed by his affection to his family.
The Cafe of 2016 – Daelim Changgo Gallery COLUMN
Daelim Changgo Gallery COLUMN is an art gallery and a cafe housed in a building which was once a factory and then a warehouse.
The Cultural Site of 2016 – Changdeokgung
My favorite palace is Changgyeonggung (Changgyeong Palace), but still I think the most beautiful palace is Changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace). I visited Changdeok Palace this summer for the second time in my life and I was overwhelmed by its stunning beauty. Changdeok Palace is the most well-reserved royal palace and is listed as UNESCO World Heritage site.
I wish to discover more about Seoul next year and I will share my new discoveries in this blog. Hope everyone has a healthy and happy new year and has a chance to travel to Seoul in 2017. 🙂
