A few weeks ago, Korea celebrated the holiday of Chuseok (추석) – which is most comparable to American Thanksgiving in which you spend some quality time with family while you consume (engorge) your daily calorie allotment in one meal and loosen your belt a few notches. Overall, the main theme of these gatherings revolves around spending […]
Every fall, the nearby city of Suwon holds the popular Suwon Cultural Festival centered within the late 18th century Hwaseong Fortress. It’s a 3-day extravaganza with cultural performances, activities, and other events. My boyfriend and I had already planned on taking the train out to see the famous fortress, so the festival was an unexpected […]
Since living in South Korea, we’ve visited two of the “Five Grand Palaces” built during the Joseon dynasty. As with a lot of the historical structures in Seoul, the palaces were ravaged, pillaged, and destroyed by the Japanese. All have been burnt down or partially burnt down, or burnt down multiple times and rebuilt over […]