Insight Guides South Korea (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

Description

Let us guide you on every step of your travels.

From deciding when to go, to choosing what to see when you arrive, Insight Guide South Korea, is all you need to plan your trip and experience the best of South Korea, with in-depth insider information on must-see, top attractions like Gyeongju, Dadohae Haesang Maritime National Park, Hahoe Folk Village, N Seoul Tower and Changdeokgung Palace, and hidden cultural gems like Haein-sa Temple.

This book is ideal for travellers seeking immersive cultural experiences, from exploring Beomeo-sa, Yongsan and the National Museum of Korea, to discovering Jagalchi Fish Market and Bukhansan.

- In-depth on history and culture: explore the region's vibrant history and culture, and understand its modern-day life, people and politics
- Excellent Editor's Choice: uncover the best of South Korea, which highlights the most special places to visit around the region
- Invaluable and practical maps: get around with ease thanks to detailed maps that pinpoint the key attractions featured in every chapter
- Informative tips: plan your travels easily with an A to Z of useful advice on everything from climate to tipping
- Inspirational colour photography: discover the best destinations, sights, and excursions, and be inspired by stunning imagery
- Inventive design makes for an engaging, easy-reading experience
- Covers: Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Gyeongsangbuk, Gyeongsangnam, Jeolla and Jeju-do

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

Sujets

• Travel
• South Korea
• Far East
• East
• Asia

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781839051784
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book
This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to South Korea, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editor’s Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in South Korea. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in South Korea are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of South Korea. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

© 2019 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd




Table of Contents
South Korea’s Top 10 Attractions
Editor’s Choice
Introduction: The Shrimp Between Whales
Geography
Decisive Dates
Early Kingdoms and Dynasties
A Century of Conflict
Recovery and Prosperity
The Koreans
Business Culture
Religion
Insight: Vibrant Festivals
Sport and Leisure
Performing Arts
Arts and Crafts
Insight: Traditional Korean Costume
Food and Drink
Traditional Korean Architecture
Introduction: Places
Introduction: Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon
Seoul
Insight: Street food
Gyeonggi Province
Gangwon Province
Insight: Hiking and National Parks
Introduction: Chungcheong and Gyeongsang Provinces
Chungcheong Provinces
Insight: Mountain Temples
Gyeongsangbuk Province
Insight: Gyeongju Treasures
Gyeongsangnam Province
Introduction: Jeolla and Jeju-do
Jeolla Provinces
Insight: The Way of Tea, Korean-Style
Jeju-Do
Travel Tips: Transportation
Travel Tips: A–Z
Travel Tips: Language
Travel Tips: Further Reading


South Korea’s Top 10 Attractions



Top Attraction 1



Changdeokgung Palace (Seoul). Splendid Korean palace buildings and serene, Zen-inspired grounds highlight the grandeur of Korean royalty. Be sure to see the Secret Garden (Biwon), the gem within a gem. For more information, click here .
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Top Attraction 2



Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The world’s most heavily fortified border almost seems part of an absurdist play, but there’s no denying the barbed wire or the grim skirmishes that have occurred here. The Third Tunnel of Aggression is a must-see. For more information, click here .
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Top Attraction 3



Gyeongju. The giant tumuli mounds are just one of the captivating sights in and around Korea’s magnificent Silla-era capital, the “museum without walls.” For more information, click here .
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Top Attraction 4



Seoraksan National Park (Gangwon). South Korea’s most popular national park, Seoraksan’s natural beauty consists of towering rock pinnacles, dense alpine forests, wildflowers at every turn, and wonderfully remote temples. For more information, click here .
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Top Attraction 5



Insadong Shopping Street (Seoul). A maze of streets and alleys harbors a copious quantity of galleries, antique stores, souvenir stands, and tea houses. Hawkers, street performers, and throngs of tourists all add to the fun. For more information, click here .
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Top Attraction 6



N Seoul Tower. Whether you walk up Namsan, take a taxi, or ride the cable car, this tower offers an eagle’s eye view of the vast metropolis that is Seoul. Best at night, but spectacular anytime. For more information, click here .
Shutterstock


Top Attraction 7



Manjang Cavern (Jeju). One of the world’s largest lava tubes and part of an even larger cave system, Manjanggul offers unique glimpses of geologic wonders. Highlights include the tube itself and various features, such as a massive lava column. For more information, click here .
Alamy


Top Attraction 8



Haein-sa Temple (Gyeongsangnam). Perhaps South Korea’s most venerated temple, this Unesco World Heritage Site houses one of the world’s oldest copies of Buddhist scripture, carved into wooden plates that have been preserved for centuries. For more information, click here .
Getty Images


Top Attraction 9



Dadohae Haesang Maritime National Park (Jeollanam). Looking like a thousand scattered jigsaw pieces, the “ten thousand” islands off the southwest coast offer a wealth of unmatched maritime vistas. For more information, click here .
Korea National Tourism Corporation


Top Attraction 10



Hahoe Folk Village (Gyeongsangbuk). The best place to come to gain an understanding of traditional Korean life. For more information, click here .
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Editor’s Choice




A display at the National Palace Museum of Korea.
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Best festivals and events

Lunar New Year. Koreans ring in the New Year with an exuberant combination of fireworks, drums, festive costumes, and music. For more information, click here .
Dano Festival. The Dano Festival is Korean “May Day” and offers masked dancers and staged performances. For more information, click here .
Boryeong Mud Festival. A relatively new tradition that celebrates the art of getting dirty. Wear a swimsuit or old clothes and take part in this lively mudfest. For more information, click here .
Cherry Blossom viewing. After the cold winter months, Koreans enjoy the coming of spring just as much as anyone. Picnic, drink, and socialize beneath the pink snow of the petals. For more information, click here .



Relic in the National Museum of Korea.
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Best museums and galleries

Gyeongju National Museum. Countless treasures from the country’s most spectacular ancient site. For more information, click here .
National Museum of Korea (Seoul). An outstanding collection of ancient Korean treasures, archeological finds, modern art, and much more in permanent and rotating exhibitions. For more information, click here .
Samsung Museum of Art LEEUM (Seoul). Divided into two sections of traditional and modern art, with a stunning permanent collection and exhibits from around the globe. For more information, click here .
Hahoe Mask Museum (Gyeongsangbuk). Come to the country’s premier folk museum to delve into the fascinating world of Korean mask-making, and see a variety of masks from around the world. For more information, click here .
Gansong Museum (Seoul). Local hero Jeon Hyeongpil used his own fortune to keep these Korean treasures from being taken abroad. Only open twice a year, in spring and fall. For more information, click here .



Bronze bell at Jikji-sa.
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Best temples and shrines

Bulguk-sa (Gyeongju). Buddhist architectural masterpiece with stunning stone pagodas, bridges, and the Seokguram Grotto nearby. For more information, click here .
Jikji-sa (Gyeongsangbuk). Expansive temple set in lush, forested grounds. One of South Korea’s oldest temples, it was rebuilt after the Japanese invasion in the 1500s. For more information, click here .
Dosan Seowan (Gyeongsangbuk). A beautiful Confucian academy situated in a peaceful rural area near A