09:00 Arrive @ Myeong Dong
10:20 Arrive @ Amsa subway station
10:50 local bus Gangdong No. 02 or 05 and get off at Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site (20 min interval / 10 min ride).
13:10 Arrive @ Jamsil (Lunch)
15:00 Arrive @ Sports Complexs Station (Bus to YongPyong)
17:50 Arrive @ YongPyong
21:30 Depart for Home

Labels: Amsa, Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, Jamsil, Myeong Dong, YongPyong

AMSA-DONG, Seoul - Amid the thriving and teeming urban sprawl of Seoul with its modern skyscrapers and towering apartment complexes, it might be hard to imagine that about 6,000 years ago a small group of perhaps a few dozen nomads settled down on the shores of the Han River and created what has become known as the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement.

6,000 years and over 10 million people later, this prehistoric settlement allows visitors to see how these ``early residents of Seoul’’ lived. Located in southeastern Seoul in Kangdong-gu, the prehistoric residential site of Amsa-dong _ the largest Neolithic settlement in Korea _ is comprised of a set of dwelling sites where people lived around 4,000 - 3,500 B.C., as well as an excellent museum with dioramas, displays of tools and farm implements, and films about Korea’s prehistoric past (some displays are in English).

Designated as Important Historic Place No. 267 on July 26, 1979, the prehistoric settlement site in Amsa-dong has been open to public since August 1988. Nine pit-houses have been reconstructed on the grounds to give the visitor an idea of what a village in the Seoul area might have looked like in the distant past. Developed as a park on a large parcel of land, this place has nicely laid-out paths, lawns and groves of trees, which add to its natural beauty.

This site was first discovered when a flood swept away sand from the hills in 1925, unearthing a large amount of comb-design earthenware. Earthenware of this design is characteristic of the Neolithic era. Over 20 pit sites, annexed facilities and stone mounds were found in Amsa-dong at that time, together with various kinds of pottery and stoneware. Together with the shell mound of Tongsam-dong in the Naktong estuary in Pusan, the Amsa-dong site has played a major role in determining an outline of Neolithic culture.

Based upon the discoveries of excavations at this site, the former residents lived mainly by hunting and fishing, with some rudimentary farming. The foundations of pit-houses, pottery chards, and stone tools have all been found in excavations that began in 1981.



Other Neolithic sites in Korea include Chongho-ri on Taedong River near Pyongyang and Misa-ri on the Han River near Seoul, both of which are the remains of settlements that came into existence about 6000-7000 years ago. People of the period lived by fishing, hunting and gathering wild fruits, having also ground acorns and wild grains.

People in the Neolithic era made deep dugout shelters, a number of which have been found on the broad, level land along the Han River. Evidence for the importance of fishing in the area is provided by tools that have been discovered, including weights for fishing nets and fishing spears. Arrowheads unearthed on the site also suggest that the same people practiced hunting.

Dugout shelters in the Neolithic era were built on hills and fields beside the river. Dugout shelters are representative of housing in the Neolithic era, there also being caves dating to the same period. The hollows were about 50-100 centimeters deep and were either round or square. The hollows included a cooking stove at the center and a roof above. The cooking stoves were made of stones or clay and were either round, oval or rectanglular. The stoves were used for heating and cooking.



The floors were made of clay and covered with either grass or animal skins. About two or three people are supposed to have lived in one of the smaller shelters, while five or six lived in a larger one. Typical dugout shelters consisted of floors below ground level and rafters touching together above without walls. The roof was held up by the rafters placed around the pit.

One pit-house is open to the public, allowing a visitor to gain a good idea of the living conditions of these early people as well as the construction of the shelter.

In addition to the comb-pattern earthenware, the site has also provided insights into diets and farming techniques of the time. Acorns found at the site with grinding boards and grinding stones suggest this was their staple food. The people living here are also believed to have engaged in dry-field farming due to agricultural tools unearthed at the site, including a plough and a stone sickle.

For those a little more curious about how these early residents of Korea lived, the highlights of the Amsa Prehistoric Settlement are the museum and exhibition hall located next to the nine pit-houses. This museum contains 8 shelters and one storage pit dating from 6,000 years ago. The sites have been vulcanized and the exhibition hall was built to protect them.

The exhibition hall is centered on a pit-house, and features maps displaying the distribution of other prehistoric sites along the Han River, details of prehistoric pottery, and a chronological table of the Neolithic age. It also has a diorama illustrating the lifestyles of Neolithic people in Korea.



Other exhibits include stone tools and comb-pattern pottery. Shaped like half an egg with their bases slightly rounded or pointed, comb-pattern pottery was made from clay tempered with asbestos and talcum on which the clay rings were stacked. Mostly brown in color, while the pottery is known for its geometric designs, some examples are plain without any design.

Admission: Adults 500 won, Students 300 won
Hours: March-October 9:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. / November-February 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and Jan. 1.

Labels: Amsa, Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, korea, Seoul

Shinsegae Chelsea Premium Outlets, Korea’s first designer shopping outlet center, has opened in Yeoju province. The Yeoju Preumium Outlet Shopping Center is enormous, taking up 265,500 square meters, and is Asia’s 2nd largest outlet to Japan’s Gotenbar Outlet. The outlet center houses such shops as Adidas, Armani, Burberry, Coach, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Royal Copenhagen, Ferragamo, and Valentino, with over 120 popular brand names, 90% of them being foreign brands, also including Korean designer brands such as Kuho, Kim Young Joo, and Hazzys.

On your own:
From the Gangnam Express Bus Terminal located in Banpo, Seoul, take the Yeongdong line bus headed towards Yeoju (station #21) and get off at Yeoju Terminal. The ride takes about 1hr and 30mins, but may take up to 2hrs during the weekends due to traffic congestion. Across the street from Yeoju Terminal, there is a bus that takes you all the way to the outlet. A taxi ride will take about a 15min ride, and come out to about ￦7,000.

Going with Tour:
Good Bus Daegyeong Express Tours 1588-9722
* Reservations in foreign languages are unavailable; so please contact Korea Travel Phone (+82-2-1330) for assistance.
Rates: 24000W for adults and 18000W for children
(Inclusive of lunch)

Personally I feel that it is more value for money if going with tour

Labels: korea, Seoul, Yeoju Premium outlets

09:30 Depart for Jamsil subway station
11:00 Lotte World+ Folk Museum+ Shopping

Whole day event!! :)

Labels: Folk museum, Jamsil, lotte mart, lotte world, shopping

Labels: amusement park, Jamsil, korea, lotte world map, Seou

10:00 Arrival @ Namsangol Hanok Village
12:30 Lunch @ 'Namsan Dongaseu' (Yellow Bus No.02 stops near Exit No.4 of Chungmuro Station, stop at Seoul Animation Center, walk across the overpass located to the center right (when you are facing the center entrance). Walk up the slope about 100m to reach the alley lined with Dongaseu restaurants.
02:30 Proceed to Teddy Bear Museum N Seoul Tower
06:30 N Seoul Tower other attractions
08:00 Dinner + Shopping at Myeong Dong

Labels: Chungmuro, Myeong Dong, Namsan Dongaseu, Namsangol Hanok Village, Seoul Animation Center, seoul tower, Teddy bear museum

08:00 - Breakfast
09:30 - Arrival @ Gyeongbokgung subway station
09:50 - Arrival @ Gyeongbokgung Palace
10:00 - Gyeongbokgung Palace (Chinese Tour)
11:00 - (National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum) + Cheong Wa Dae(President house)
13:30 - Lunch n walk to Changdeokgung
15:00 - Changdeokgung (Chinese Tour)
16:00 - Jongmyo Royal Shrine
17:00 - Insadong
19:00 - Myeong Dong + Dinner

Labels: Changdeokgung, Gyeongbokgung, Insadong, korea, Myeong Dong, Seoul

19Dec 2008 (Friday)(Namiseon Island + Chuncheon's Myeong Dong)

07:50 Depart to Myeong Dong Subway station
08:30 Leave from Seoul Cheongnyangni Train Station
09:50 Arrive at Gapyeong Station
10:10 Gapyeong → Namiseom Island
15:00 Leave Namiseom Island
16:00 Arrive at Namchuncheon station
16:30 Arrive at Chuncheon's Myeong Dong
10:00 Arrive at Namchuncheon station (Take the last train back to Cheongnyangni then back to Myeong-dong)

Labels: chuncheon, Day 3, Gangwon-do, korea, Myeong Dong, Namchuncheon, Nami island, namiseon

18Dec 2008 (Thursday)(Busan)
06:30-Breakfast
07:30-Departs for Seoul Station
08:20-KTX train to Busan (KR Pass)
11:00-Reached Busan
-Shanghai streets (lunch)
-Start Taejongdae course (City tour-8,000W)
-1) Yongdusan Park
(statue of Admiral Yi Sun Sin, bust of Ahn Huijae,Tower of dragon, Bell of the citizens, flower clock)
-3) 75square
(South Park Point)
-4) Taejondae observatory platform
( Mother and Child-Suicidal Rock,Mangbusek-Husband-waiting stone)
-5) Jagalchi Market
(Gukje Market, Gwangbok-ro Fashion Street)
-6) Busan station (Change to Haeundae course-if before 16:40)
.........................................
18:20- Take subway to Seomyeon
- Dinner and Shopping
22:00-Depart Busan via KTX back to SEOUL or to Sarang Chae if available

Labels: Busan, City Bus Tour, Day 2, Jagalchi Market, korea

17Dec 2008 (Wednesday)

08:30-Depart Singapore Changi Aiport
15:20-Arrival @ S.Korea Incheon Airport
17:00-Arrival @ Namsam Guesthouse (Unpack)
18:00- Dinner @ Myeong Dong/dongdaemun
19:30- Shopping @ DongDaemun District

Labels: Day 1, Dongdaemun, Incheon, itinerary, korea, Myeong Dong

Labels: Namsangol Hanok (traditional Korean house) Village

Downtown Tour Course
(A total of 27 bus stops / The bus leaves every half hour.)

Gwanghwamun → Deoksugung Palace → Namdaemun Market → Seoul Station → USO → Yongsan Station → National Museum of Korea → War Memorial → U.S Army Post → Itaewon → Crown Hotel → Myeong-dong → Namsangol Hanok (traditional Korean house) Village → Sofitel Ambassador Hotel → National Theater of Korea → Namsan Seoul Tower → Grand Hyatt Hotel → Tower Hotel → Shilla Hotel → Dongdaemun Market → Daehangno → Changgyeonggung Palace → Changdeokgung Palace → Insa-dong → Cheongwadae (The Blue House) → National Folk Museum → Gyeongbokgung Palace → Gwanghwamu

Downtown Tour course
Operation hours 09:00-21:00
(The last bus of the day
leaves at 19:00 from the
Gwanghwamun bus stop.)
Term The bus leaves every half
hour from Gwanghwamun bus stop.
tour Duration About 2 hours



Night Tour Course
Operation hours 20:00-21:30
(The bus leaves at 20:00 from the Gwanghwamun bus stop.)
tour Duration About 90min


[Visitor Information on Seoul City Tour Bus]

Departure Point: Front of exit 6 at Gwanghwamun subway station (Line 5).

Price: Adult 5,000 won / 18 and under 3,000 won (One-time pass)
Adult 10,000 won / 18 and under 8,000 won (One-day pass)
Notes: One-time pass is for single use only. After disembarking from the bus,
passengers must purchase another pass to get on the bus again.
Passengers holding a one-day pass can hop on and off
at anytime during the day.

Ticket Purchase: Tickets can be purchased on board the bus.

Languages: Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese

Closed: Every Monday except when it is a holiday.

Labels: City Bus Tour, korea, Seoul

Labels: admission, discount, Everland, korea

Rental Fees

(won)

Slope and Lift / Gondola > 9 Slopes (Beginner 2, Intermediate 5, Advanced 2), 4 Lifts > Lift Usage

(won)

Skiing/Snowboarding Lessons

(won)

Other Facilities

Sledding hill, drive-in movie theater, Korean/Western restaurants, cafeteria, snack bar, rock cafe, billiards, game room, singing room, ski shop, rental house, souvenir shop, supermarket, banquet hall, seminar room, and camp site

Nearby Attractions

Suanbo Hot Springs (Tel. 82-43-845-7829, 5 minutes away), Woraksan National Park (Tel. 82-2-3272-8830/2, 25 minutes away)

Transportation

> Dong Seoul Bus Terminal → Chungju Bus Terminal → Suanbo (Free shuttle buses are operated between Suanbo and the resort.) > Seoul Station → Chungju Station → Suanbo Bus Terminal → Resort (Free shuttle buses are operated between Suanbo and the resort.)

Accommodations

Condominium (50 rooms), Youth Hostel (70 rooms) * For reservations, call 82-43-846-0750.

Labels: cheap, convenient, hot springs, korea, resort, Seoul, ski

The venue is often crowded with people who enjoy ice-skating in the middle of skyscrapers as an outdoor ice rink has been temporarily installed at the eastern part of the square like the one in New York's Central Park.

The outdoor ice rink in Seoul Plaza has been full of citizens and tourists since its opening on Dec. 24 2004, cutting the ice under sunny skies or moonlit nights. With easy access to the facility and the cheap cost, the 40-meter by 30-meter ice rink provides enough space for a maximum capacity of about 300 skaters.

Like last year, the outdoor skating rink will be situated at the center of the grass plaza and will be fully equipped with facilities such as a lounge area and medical center for the convenience of visitors. This year there are also plans to open the <2008> in the nearby area. The theme of the festival is ‘lights’ and there will be beautifully decorated chairs, snow sleds, igloos, and other light installations.

On Friday December 12, the opening day of the ice rink, various celebratory events and performances will take place from 5.30pm. The Seoul Plaza Outdoor Skating Rink will be open until February 15, 2009 for a period of 66 days, and rates will be 1,000 won.

☞Location: Seoul Plaza in front of the Seoul City Hall Main Building
☞Contact: Travel Information +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese)
☞Period: December 12, 2008 (Fri.) – February 15, 2009 (Sun.) for 66 days
☞Hours of Operation: 10:00am ~ 10:00pm (open until 11:00pm on weekends and holidays)
☞Rates: 1,000 won (maximum use of 1 hour each day)

Labels: event, outdoor skating, Seoul, special, winter

Labels: Korean song, Seven