"Neglected for Royal Ascendance"Jeongneung Royal Tomb (정릉) is the tomb of Queen Consort Sindeok, the second wife of King Taejo (1392-1398), founder of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). However, this tomb was not well-maintained compared to other royal tombs because of a power struggle. The queen consort had many children, which naturally induced a battle for the throne. Usually the son of the first wife is the successor of the throne, but Queen Consort Sindeok was determined to have one of her sons ascend the throne instead. However, the successor, King Taejong, killed all her sons and developed an extreme abhorrence towards the queen consort. When she died, King Taejong issued an order to not maintain and preserve her tomb. Therefore, the tomb is rather unkempt and the layout and composition is different from other royal tombs.Upon entering the red gate, the sacrificial building can be seen in front of the tomb along with a pavilion and tombstone. Stone sculptures of sheep and tigers watch over the tomb. A major difference between this tomb and other royal tombs is exhibited in the path from the red gate to the sacrificial building. Usually the path is a straight line, but at Jeongneung Royal Tomb, it is crooked and bent. Furthermore, the color of the sacrificial building is dull and faded.Even though the tomb symbolizes the turmoil and wrath of political struggles, many couples and families come to Jeongneung Royal Tomb for a stroll because of its peacefulness and natural surroundings.

The Korea Culture House (KOUS) opened in April 2003 to introduce Korea’s traditional culture and provide a series of experience programs to both tourists visiting Korea and foreigners already residing in Korea.The Korea Culture House comprises a traditional arts performance stage, traditional culture workshops, a traditional teahouse, and a cultural products store. The Traditional Arts Performance Stage has been designed in the shape of a Norimadang (traditional Korean performance stage).Performances are held everyday at 8:00pm except on Sundays. The Traditional Culture Workshop currently offers a variety of experience programs including handcrafts. Telephone reservations are required for large groups of 30 people or more. KOUS also provides a traditional teahouse and a cultural products store for visitors to enjoy.* Experience Programs - Make Knot Accessories 15,000 won- Needle Sewing Arts 15,000 won- Make Hanji (Korean paper) Ornaments 15,000 won- Make Ceramic Cups 20,000 won- Patterned Fan Coloring 10,000 won- Rubbed Copy Program 10,000 won- Taekgyeon (traditional military martial arts) 10,000 won- Traditional Korean Bongsan Masked Dance 10,000 won- Learn Pungmul (traditional Korean percussions) 10,000 won

Of the 4 Great Gates (Sukjeongmun, Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and Seodaemun), established by the Emperor of 1396, Sukjeongmun is called the north gate.Located to the north of Seoul, this gate, with Gyeongbokgung Palace in the center and Changaemun (Jahamun) to the right, make up the wings of the north gate. Due to the possible danger of the area being damaged from all the pedestrians, the Emperor of 1413 planted pine trees and prohibited passing this area. Henceforth, Sukjeongmun became a scenic walkway until the North Korean Communist infiltration of 1968, which prohibited the passing of all civilians.The reopening of Sukjeongmun in April of 2006 has led to the opening of Bukak Mountain in April of 2007 and is in the process of dividing it into 3 courses. Bukak Mountain has been kept well-preserved due to a long period of restriction in this area, and if you climb the mountain, you will be able to see all of Seoul in one breath. 

Buam-dong is a neighborhood in central Seoul that was once occupied mostly by artists and writers. Today, modern galleries, coffee shops, and restaurants stand side by side with old mills and barber shops on the narrow alleyways, making Buam-dong a sophisticated yet classically charming destination.

Bukhansan Mountain was officially designated as a national park in 1983. The Bukhansan National Park covers both Bukhansan and Dobongsan Mountains, and spans the total area of 80.699㎢. At the top of Bukhansan Mountain are Baegundae Terrace (836.5m), Insubong Peak (810.5m) and Mangyeongdae Terrace (799.5m), which gave the mountain the nickname "Samgaksan" or the "three-horned mountain". The mountain had other names: Sambongsan (mountain with three peaks), Hwasan (flower mountain), and Buaak (mountain shaped like a person giving a baby a piggyback ride). The current name, Bukhansan, was given as the Bukhansanseong Fortress was built under King Sukjong of Joseon Dynasty. 

The original name of the Mingadaheon (Min’s club) was Minikduga (Minikdu’s home), but the place was renamed and remodeled into a fusion restaurant in 2001.Minikduga is designed by Gilryong Park (1898∼1943), the pioneer of Korean- modern architecture in 1930. This house, which is located in Gyeongun-dong, is a historical building that helps to understand the changes in Korean architecture.The exterior of the building looks like a traditional Korean house while on the inside it is decorated in a totally modern style. The house is decorated with Victorian furniture and a fireplace.Mingadaheon offers six kinds of Korean style-food and fusion food for lunch and dinner. There are three kinds of green tea from Boseong-gun. There are eight kinds of handmade rice cakes, Korean tea and Korean cookies are served with the set menu. There are 200 kinds of wine available to choose from.

LG Arts Center is an multi-purpose venue for music, dance, plays, musicals, and other kinds of performances. It can seat up to 1,100 people, and its modern stage facilities can accommodate any kind of performance with first-class support. Its cutting-edge sound system is world class and its main source of pride. On the B1 floor there are specialty restaurants, and on each floor there are snack bars where you can have drinks and snacks. In the restaurant section you can try Korean, Chinese, Southeast Asian and other international delicacies. There is also a coffee shop where you can relax. The bars on each floor have resting spots scattered around, where you can rest and converse between performances. You can choose your own seats when getting tickets. You can especially notice the meticulousness of the art center’s design when you look at the women’s washroom. There are 42 washrooms in total, which work out to be one room for every 13 people. Compare that to the average of 50~60 people per washroom for other places and you can see the clear difference. You can see the care put into the center when you enter the theater as well. The front and back seats are wide apart and placed diagonally from each other. The back seats are also placed higher than the front ones so one’s view is not blocked by people sitting in front. If you have valuables or large bags, do not worry. The article deposit can take care of items for 500 people.

Dobongsan Mountain, located northeast of Bukhansan National Park, is known for the magnificent rock formations of the Manjangbong, Seoninbong, Jubong, Obong and Uiam Peaks. The Seoninbong Peak has 37 hiking courses, including the famous Bakjwi (Bat) CourseThe mountain is also home to Cheonchuksa Temple, the oldest temple in the region, and several other temples including Mangwolsa and Hoeryongsa, as well as a number of beautiful valleys called Donong, Songchu, Obong and Yeongeocheon. Furthermore, it is easily accessible by public transportation.

Jamwon Hangang Park is located on the southern side of the river stretching from Yeongdong Bridge to Dongho, Hannam and Banpo Bridge. The total length is 5.4 km adjacent to Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu where the hottest places in Gangnam area such as Apgujeong-dong, Sinsa-dong and Jamwon-dong are located.The riverside area of the park has sports facilities including athletic tracks, soccer field, volleyball court, swimming pool, tennis court and a gym. Plus, there is a perfect bike land along the river side where you may enjoy the beautiful secenery of Hangang River while biking.Moreover, there are natural experience field for silkworms, flowers and butterflies. In the summer, people often visit here to enjoy exciting summer water sports like swimming, windsurfing, motorboat riding and more.

The Museum of Korean Art consists of the temple museums in Wonseo-dong and Changsin-dong, in Jongro-gu in Seoul. They are specialized Buddhist art museums with about 6,000 relics related to Buddhism including statues, paintings, ceramics, and folk crafts. Some of them are national cultural assets: Treasure No. 1204 is Uigyeomdeungpilsuwolgwaneumdo and Treasure No. 1210 is Cheongnyangsangwaebultaeng. The museum in Changsin-dong has on exhibit the Daeungjeon Sinjungdo, a cultural asset of Seoul City. The museum was established to promote not only Buddhist art but also other genres and traditional art forms.