happyday

It is already spring !

In Korea, Spring and Autumn are most beautiful term

Lovely!

But Like  every Beautiful is gone quikly  ,the Season is very short and keep a memory into  our hearts

I’ve been  Yeouido with my wife and mother in law

It looks like an  Autumn

To spend  time with family pretty good to make peole smile

It was not crowed because We joined the festival before start

Sadly i have not taken  my pictures

I wanted to take my photo like a boys over flowers

And also  we dropped by KBS hall

When we aproached the building  there was making a drama

We looked for famous entertainer ,but …..No one

Even i could not find any famous entertainers but i had a  good time with my family

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean snack food which is commonly purchased from street vendors or Pojangmacha. Originally it was called tteok jjim (떡찜), and was a broiled dish of sliced rice cake, meat, eggs, and seasoning. Tteok jjim an early variant of modern tteokbokki, was once a part of Korean royal court cuisine. This type of tteokbokki was made by broiling tteok, meat, vegetables, eggs, and seasonings in water, and then serving it topped with ginkgo nuts and walnuts. In its original form, tteokbokki, which was then known as gungjung tteokbokki, was a dish served in the royal court and regarded as a representative example of haute cuisine. The original tteokbokki was a stir-fried dish consisting of garaetteok (가래떡, cylinder-shaped tteok) combined with a variety of ingredients, such as beef, mung bean sprouts, parsley, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and onions, and seasoned with soy sauce                                                                         from wikipedia

 

As long as ,you walk on the street you can easily see the Tteokbokki in the pojangmacha

Especially very crowed street, jongno,Myoungdong,Dongdaemoon….

 

 

 Sindang-dong in Seoul, where tteokbokki was first sold, is still very famous for the dish, which has become one of Korea’s most popular snack foods.

 Around 20~30 years ago , you could listen your request or favorite songs in the restaurant which sell tteokbokki  by DJ

It was kind of escape of reality

“Low price food with high quality nutrition and listening the music”

Nowadays, It is not inexpensive any more. But, still, it has own memories

Do you like spicy food?

Or do you think to try eating tteokbokki on the street like in Korean drama ?

 

Please taste it

You may need lots of water

 

There are many variety of tteokbokki

 

How to get there

Insadong has been at the heart of the nation’s capital for 600 years and it has been the center of culture since the time of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). This is also where the Ministry of Art was once situated. Insadong usually refers to the area from Anguk-dong Rotary to Tapgol Park in Jongno 2(i)-ga, past the Insadong Intersection. The notable features of Insadong are the countless alleys that branch out from the main street. Insadong was once known as ‘Mary’s Alley,’ and is a favorite shopping spot among foreigners.

Over forty percent of the nation’s antique stores are in Insadong. The antiques sold tend to be more valuable than those sold on other art streets in Korea. The prices range from 10,000 won to hundreds of millions (1USD is about 1,000 won). Most of the stores sell old books, pictures and calligraphy. Among the antiques are old pictures, pottery, wooden containers and jewelry. There are a variety of art works from earthenware of the Unified Silla Era to white pottery of the Joseon Era. Insadong is visited by many foreign visitors from Japan, China, France, the United States, and other countries. Insadong is visited year round, reaching the peak of its popularity in spring and autumn

The price range differs greatly depending on the customers and items. Old books are usually popular among Japanese and Chinese tourists whose cultures also use Chinese characters. As they are often quite expensive, Japanese tend to purchase these more than the Chinese. Buyers of old books vary from history professors to antique collectors. Archeology and history books are the most popular books. One representative store, Tongmungwan, sells old books and has been run by the same family for three generations. This bookstore was opened by the grandfather of the current shopkeeper. Many consider it a living proof of Insadong’s long history, and find it a place worth visiting even if they do not intend to make a purchase.

Much of the art sold in Insadong – and the most popular selling item for tourists – is traditional Korean ceramic ware. It has practical uses, and is also considered decorative by many. Ever since Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited Insadong in April 1999 and praised its beautiful artwork, many tourists have sought out the area. The prices may vary from 10,000 won to some 10 million won. The most popular piece of ceramic ware is pottery in the shape of a gourd bottle, which can cost from 100,000 won to 200,000 won….from wikipedia

 

 

 

Finding Korea

 

Where do you want to visit in Seoul? MyoungDong ? Jamsil Lotte world ? Or World cup stadium?

I guess that 70% of traveler desire to visit in Insadong

What makes foreigner come to Insadong?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If someone asks me ‘why do you go to Insadong ?’

I can say it without hesitated

“I like to see the performances. Especially making Korean taffy,

Having a hotteok, playing baseball batting practice and visiting Ssamjigil’

 

Do you expect my answer?

I believe that you’ve never expected my answer

Many visitors come to Insadong to buy the Korean souvenir

I know that it is very important both side society’s economics and travelers’

Remembrance

But I think that the Insadong has to be one of icon in Seoul

The government has to strive to offer many information of Insadong

Not limited shopping area,

 

If you are interested in learning Korean ceramics, you can easily join the class in Insadong

And also you can enjoy the Chinese tea at the café

I know it is very small things but it makes people satisfied

 

I might be a little stimulated, oops sorry!!

 

While you walk on the street you can see the this figurative art

It normally uses a chair 

Do you know what toad means in Korea?

Many elderly said that please have a baby like a toad to newlyweds

It means sun

If you need having a baby, please try to touch it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you drop by the Jongno, you can easily ignore the Bosingak with out of interest

I think that it is one of icon in the Korea

It was kind of role model in the history parts

 

It’s a big bell in middle of city. King Taejo rational after opening the Joseon Dynasty, and the first it now was set as the capital of the Seoul in HANYANG.

He built a Kyeongbukgung and move many office to Hanyang

He also built 4big gate around in Hanyang to protect properties and himself from the other country

All the people allow entering the city through the gate, but only daytime, and the gates closed at night.

4 a.m. to open the gates of time, Hit 33 times the Bell to notice its opening. Closing the gate to the bell 28 times, ran 10 p.m. Because national religion was a Buddhism

Heating the bell 33times and 28times, according to the Buddhism, it meant health of country and people and also peaceful moment at night time

There was curfew

Before closing the gate, everyone that comes from outside of gate had to go back their home

Unless they did, they had got a punishment by patrol

For men, after pants off, beat him in the bottom as he ignore the time 10 up to 30

Women was also same as well, but without pants off

 

At now, If you can go to there at New years day eve night, you can hear the sound of bell