Law School Blog
Sunday in Seoul
Sunday, October 15, 2006
In addition to recovering from the six hour train ride from Gwangju and immediately attending a private dinner with an alumnus of our Asian Law Center on Saturday night, Sunday was an opportunity to explore a bit of Seoul--present and past.
From the past, we started with a visit to one of the old Imperial Palace complex. The site is stunning, with more than 41 different buildings and other structures on the compound which date back to the 15th century! Below are a few pictures which illustrate the magnitude of this impressive bit of Korean history:
We also traveled to Insadong, one of Seoul's popular arts areas. If you can imagine Greenwich Village in New York, the Bellevue Arts Fair, and Seattle's SeaFair all wrapped up into one event, then you have a sense of this popular location. Great bargain shopping, wonderful local food, and thousands of people enjoying a summer-like day. I have been impressed by the large number of couples and young families, as well as the intense energy that fills the city. Bargaining with merchants over small gift items was expected and fun. When you see me next, don't be surprised if I weigh a few pounds more---the food is fantastic! It seems that every meeting includes some offering of food and drink before we go to lunch or dinner.
And speaking of dinner....time to go! More later.
Dean Knight