Korea 240505b: Incheon Airport [FINAL]

I arrive at Incheon, one of the best airports I have ever used. Well-designed, pleasant and functional. I wish some US airports are like this. :-)

Details on Incheon can be found here:
http://www.airport.or.kr/Eng/home.jsp

#1: Approaching Incheon terminal with the silvery roof of the exhibition hall in sight.

#2: Check-in area of Incheon. Airy, spacious and pleasant - how every airport should be. 

#3: The Koreans really adore their soccer heroes! 

#4: This young lad and his family are going all the way to Houston, Texas. Non-stop over the North Pole to Dallas first, I guess. Bon voyage, my friend! 

Korea 240505a: Gimpo Airport

Today I'm leaving for home. I take the airport bus which makes a mandatory stop at Gimpo, the former premier airport in Korea, before heading for Incheon. When I last came to Korea in '96, I landed at Gimpo. Now Incheon is the main gateway to Seoul, an airport built in quick time after the '97 crisis.

#1: Gimpo Airport - the main Seoul gateway before Incheon took over the role in 2001. 

#2: Korean Air plane ready for take-off at Gimpo...in the ricefields? That's an Airbus A-330.

Korea 230505e: River Han walk

After visiting the boring electronic shopping centre, I catch the subway and soon find myself enjoying a noon stroll on the bank of river Han, in company of lunchers. A cool relaxing walk quickly turn into drama when somebody spot a dead body floating in the river. In no time the police boats, patrol cars and ambulances are on the scene. Ah well, not a boring lunchtime after all...

#1: On the southern bank of river Han, looking towards a portion of the northern side of Seoul. More than 20 bridges connect the two sides.

#2: River Han cruise ship glides by. 

#3: Next to the river bank are the Twin Towers of the famous LG group. A prominent Seoul landmark. 

#4: Onlookers watch as the police fish a body from the river, fully clothed and still limp. 

#5: Police and the covered body. 

Korea 230505d: Shopping for gadgets

Specialized shopping malls for electronic gadgets are scattered all over the city:

- the interior is normally white-washed and bright, so bright that it hurts the eyes.
- display goods are inside glass cases, with no price tags.
- the vendor will punch the price on his calculator, and no haggling.
- display goods inside the cases are lit with very bright bulbs, which hurt the eyes even more.
- all vendors sell the same models of digicams, mp3 players, videocams, cellphones, etc.
- all vendors seem to agree on a similar price for each stuff, so not competitive at all.
- no photography,which is odd since the vendors are selling countless digicams.
- there are hardly any customers!

In short: forget Seoul if you are shopping for gadgets. Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong or our own KL are much better!

#1: Glitzy bright shopping malls like this hawk all sorts of electronic gadgets. Unfortunately very few customers to be seen. I like the Akihabara (Tokyo) or Low Yat (KL) or Sim Lim (Singapore) ambience better.

#2: PDP - plasma display panels are the craze now. Korea is a world-leader (+ Taiwan) in this technology. Watching high-definition TV on PDP, one can distinguish each single hair on a guy's moustache! 

Korea 230505c: COEX Mall in Seoul City

Like everywhere else on Planet Earth, it's STAR WARS time!

These are Episode III displays at a cineplex in COEX Mall, Seoul City - a fancy, glitzy high-end shopping mall adjacent to the World Trade Centre. But the low ceiling and dark interior make the place a tad claustrophobic. Gimme good ol' Subang Parade anytime!

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Korea 230505b: Street scenes

#1: Busy street near the World Trade Centre, Gangnam. 

#2: Koreans being urged to be better. 

Korea 230505a: Good Morning Seoul!

View from my hotel room in the Gangnam area of Seoul. Looks like a pleasant day today. I think I'll go for a walk, maybe a bit of Seoul searching (pun intended!).

#2: Looking north - the TV tower atop Mt Namsan is actually across the river Han.

#1: Looking northwest - cute orange water tanks. In Busan they painted them blue. 

#3: Looking northeast. 

Korea 220505o: More Seoul night scenes

In Gangnam district still.

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Korea 220505n: Seoul night scenes

A major street in Gangnam district, Seoul.

#2: We bump into a Google Bus, and soon got ourselves a pair of Google T-shirts. :-)

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Korea 220505m: Hwaseong Fortress

Built 1794-1796 by King Jeongjo, it was one of the five fortresses built to protect Seoul. The fortress design and construction have strong Chinese influence. The length of the wall is some 5.5km and it encircles the old Suwon. For more information on Hwaseong Fortress see:
http://www.hwasong.henny-savenije.pe.kr/

The Hwaseong was dedicated to Jeongjo's father, Crown Prince Sado, who was punished to die in a rice chest by his father King Yeongjo, the 21st king of the Joseon Dynasty. Young Jeongjo must be one confused kid! Upon Sado's death, Jeongjo became crown prince and eventually replaced his grandfather to become the 22nd king of the dynasty.

Jeongjo had wanted to shift the capital from Seoul to Suwon, but when he died in 1800, the idea was scuttled.

#1: The wall goes around old Suwon for 5.5km. Skyline of modern Suwon as a backdrop.

#4: A major gate. Note the size.

#3: Another major gate. Reminds me of the other great old walled city - Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany.

#2: Well-tended path makes the wall a favourite for the local joggers.

#5: Here the wall crosses a river. Scenic setting, and the river is still very clean. There are ladies cleaning vegies down there!

Korea 220505l: Suwon

After seeing the happy Canadian-Korean couple off at Namsan, we decide to travel to Suwon, a city south of Seoul, made famous by the recent 2002 World Cup Soccer. It takes one hour to reach Suwon Station, first on subway, then a transfer to a Korean Rail train somewhere along the way. We come here to pay tribute to King Jeongjo, one of Korea's greatest leaders (and some say, the smartest of the lot). He ruled 1777-1800 as the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

It is drizzling when we exit Suwon Station, and the sight that greets us is very similar to KL - chaotic traffic with buses and cabs picking up and leaving passengers all over the place. After giving up on catching the right bus to take us to the famed World Heritage List-ed Hwaseong Fortress, we hail a cab and manage to get the driver to get us to the visitors' complex.

#1: The Hwaseong Palace and visitors' complex.

#2: Skyline of modern Suwon, a centre for hi-tech electronics now. Samsung Electonics is here. 

#3: That's King Jeongjo himself, on a pedestal overlooking his beloved city.

#4: King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty. Arguably the smartest of them all.

Korea 220505k: The finale

To close the ceremony, the newly-minted husband and the wife face each other again. More chantings, and then the show ends.

Wishing the Canadian-Korean couple (wherever you are now, Sir/Ma'am) a very joyful life together! And thanks for 'inviting' us to the occasion. :-)

#2: I have no clue why the best man is there, but he is smiling all the time.

#1: Facing each other again as the finale. 

#3: Peering at her proud parents, I suppose.

Korea 220505j: The couple

After the tea ceremony, they both stand up and face the crowd. The lady now covers just half her face, the bottom half lah. I think they are considered married at this point.

#1: Acknowledging the crowd. 

#2: Now she covers just half her face. 

Korea 220505i: The bride, unveiled

To drink tea offered by the groom's side, she has to expose her face. And what a pretty bride she is.

#1: Business is conducted under the table, literally.

#2: I like the red dots on the cheeks.

Korea 220505h: The tea ceremony

They sit down and face each other, but the lady remains veiled. The groom's maids proceed to pour tea into little golden cups. Meanwhile the Master-of-Ceremony keeps on chanting, in Korean, of course.

#1: Both sit down and face each other under the table.  

Korea 220505g: The face-off

The bride and the groom (each with a pair of maids) take up position on either side of the Master-of-Ceremony. Both face the ceremonial table, and the rite starts. Is this getting exciting or what!?

#1: The groom takes his position to the left of the Master-of-Ceremony, facing the ceremonial table. Flanked by two 'groomsmaids', I guess.