What do you think of when it comes to Korea?
beer, fried chicken, barbecue, kimchi...
or a romantic and beautiful Korean drama.
This issue of CapitaLand impression takes you on a trip to Korea.
01
Night in Seoul: a bit different from the Korean drama
The plane was delayed. When it arrived in Seoul, South Korea, it was dark and the snow on the road had not melted. The night in Seoul was very cold, but I still wanted to go for a walk. The hotel is just near the Gangnam Subway Station. The Gangnam Subway Station is probably the most visited station in South Korea. This big station has 12 exits, and various trendy shops around it attract many young people.
Put on a down jacket, take a camera and go out. Being in an unfamiliar environment, there will always be a little excitement. You don't have to be strong in front of familiar people and scenery. Every time I go to a strange city, I like to go to the street and take a photo. Because it is unfamiliar, it can be evaluated with curiosity. When you get used to being in one place, it's hard to find the passion to shoot.
At 11 or 12 in the middle of the night, although there are not many people on the small roads around the Gangnam subway station, the nightclubs, restaurants, and convenience stores are brightly lit, and the nightlife of young people in Seoul is still very rich.
In winter, Seoul is relatively cold. Pedestrians on the road wear thick gloves, scarves, and hats. They are almost "fully armed". The streets are neither luxurious nor beautiful, they are very down-to-earth. This kind of scenery is really different from those in Korean dramas.
02
Living in Gangnam: The comfortable and warm hotel rooms
Han River divides Seoul into two, and the scenery of Gangnam and Gangbuk is very different. Even in the most prosperous area in the south of the Yangtze River, a turn from the bustling main road into a small road, the whole feeling is different. And I prefer those small roads hiding behind the bustling city. Those taverns, makeup shops, game halls, and convenience stores all reflect the unique life style of the locals.
Seoul, as the capital of South Korea, has relatively rich accommodation options. Take an express bus from the airport and drive for about an hour to reach the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Gangnam (Novotel Ambassador Seoul Gangnam). The hotel is located next to the bustling Gangnam Avenue and has very good traffic. Convenient, but the environment is quite quiet. The snow around
has not completely melted yet. The grass outside the hotel is still covered with a thin layer of white snow. There are Christmas decorations in the hotel, which complements the white snow, making it particularly beautiful.
The color of the hotel is mainly wood, and the marble is matched with retro wood grain, giving people a warm feeling. The comfortable and soft big bed is undoubtedly happy for a person who likes tossing and turning.
03
Gangwon-do: the "variable" way to eat mentai
Gangwon-do is in the northeastern part of South Korea, the level is equivalent to the province of China, about two hours' drive from Seoul, where winter is suitable for skiing, hot springs and eating Mingtai fish. Mentai fish is a special product of Gangwon Province in South Korea. It is also called yellow taeyu and Dongtai fish. Its appearance is similar to that of cod. The fish is rich in high protein and beneficial unsaturated fatty acids, and it has no fish bones, so it is a popular dish in Korea Ingredients.
In Gangwon-do, 200 meters away from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics venue, there is a Mentayu drying field. Pieces of magnificent wooden shelves leaped in front of you, neatly hanging on the shelvesWith fish, you can't see the side at a glance, forming a unique landscape. The drying method of
is rather peculiar. After the whole winter, the fish is dried in the sun, snow and water, and continuously cycled dozens of times. After the water is dried, the fish will naturally turn into golden yellow, and finally become dried yellow croaker. There are many ways to eat yellow croaker
. People who love wine like to just tear it off and chew it in their mouths and eat it with beer. The dried fish is torn off the fish skin, wrapped in the whole fish skin with special rice, and steamed in a pot. When it is cooked, it will taste endless after being dipped in sauce. This is the legendary fish skin wrapped rice. The most common way to eat it is to grill the dried yellow croaker and top it with a sweet and spicy sauce. The meat is soft and fragrant!
04
Wuzhuxuan: Meet the Chinese taste in Korea
Wuzhuxuan is a wooden building with Chinese characteristics, but it is located in Gangneung City, Gangwon-do, South Korea. Legend has it that Wuzhuxuan is named after dark bamboos all around. As a Korean attraction, many people may be unfamiliar, but when you pick up 5,000 won and 50,000 won, you will find it a bit familiar.
5000 won on the back is the overall building of Ojuxeon, and on the front is its owner, Mr. Lee Gok, Lee Er, a great Confucian during the Li Dynasty in North Korea. The figure on the 50000 won is Lee Er’s mother Shin Saimdang .
Wuzhuxuan's overall building is mainly made of wood. The entire building covers a relatively large area, and it takes nearly an hour to stop and go to complete the tour. I can see obvious Chinese elements in these buildings, but I can distinguish them sensibly. These are Korean Chinese elements.
The Lee family belonged to the Ming Dynasty, and it followed the Ming Dynasty to govern the country with Confucianism. These buildings must have a more Chinese flavor back then. However, after the Ming Dynasty, which was regarded as the orthodox Chinese by Li Chao, fell to the Eight Banners Iron Horse, the Chinese influence began to slowly dissipate in North Korea. After several hundred years, South Korea has been on the road to sinicization, and even the capital Seoul was renamed Seoul. . However, the influence of the Han culture that embraces Vientiane is so easy to eliminate. What's more, the convenience of transportation in modern society and the frequent exchanges, food, clothing, housing and transportation have long included me in you, and you in me!
05
Playing in the local area: experience the endless fun
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picking strawberries
Strawberry picking in South Korea is especially sweet in winter. I drove from Gangwon-do to May Village in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do every year. During this period, the "Yangpyeong Strawberry Box Festival" will be held here. Strawberry gardens in the ice and snow are planted in greenhouses.
As soon as I walked into the strawberry experience room, I smelled the sweet strawberry scent. What caught my eyes was a large strawberry field, and the red fruits appeared unusually jumping among the green leaves.
South Korea’s strawberries are mostly grown in greenhouses. With a suitable climate and green planting, a large number of juicy and thick original strawberries can be harvested every year. In the strawberry experience room, you can also experience making strawberry cake and strawberry ice cream, which is a one-time "strawberry addiction".
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Han Guo
Han Guo, an indispensable traditional cake in Korea, has been developed for many years. In terms of taste, it is a bit similar to the rice candy that I ate when I was a child. It is sour and delicious, sweet but not greasy. This time we came to the Han Guo Experience Exhibition Hall in Gangneung and learned about the traditional Han GuoThe development history and types of hanko, and I have personally experienced the production of Korean fruit.
Han Guo is not too difficult to make. It is mainly composed of glutinous rice. After deep-frying the glutinous rice, it will taste better after being cooled with honey, rice, and flax. Koreans eat rice as their staple food. Han Guo is a rice snack that has been handed down since ancient times. It is an indispensable snack for tea. Not only is it beautiful in appearance and rich in flavor, it is also very convenient to carry. It is also the best choice for souvenirs.
Every trip will let me know more about the world. For many things, reading a book, watching TV or watching a movie is not as real as going to see in person. I think we will not stop traveling, even if every trip will end, the journey has an end, but the heart of exploration is endless, just as we will not stop living, even if death is bound to come.
Travel Tips
1, there is a one-hour time difference between South Korea and China, remember to watch the time when setting the alarm;
2, the distance between Seoul and Gangwon-do is almost an hour’s drive, Gangwon-do is the venue of the 2018 Winter Olympics;
3. The Han River divides Seoul into Gangbuk and Gangnam areas. The development of Gangnam area is obviously better than that of Gangbuk. Most of the hotels and shopping malls are concentrated in Gangnam;
4, Incheon International Airport is almost an hour’s drive from downtown Seoul, and there are shuttle buses at the airport exit to major landmark hotels in the city. You can also take the subway express to Seoul. ;
5. There are still many differences between Korean food culture and China. Korean restaurants have a lot of side dishes and small dishes, which can be added for free after eating.
(Original written by Cade Impression professional shooting)
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