China--Beijing

Beijing being about 2 hours by plane from Seoul, is a good 3-day weekend getaway. 

I went in 2019 before the Pandemic, but in retrospect, I do wish I had chosen Shanghai instead. Shanghai is a more modern city and has more options for skyline views. 

Beijing however has more historical structures and sites, and of course, The Great Wall.

1. Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is very famous in the West of course for the 1989 protest, otherwise more commonly known as the June 4th Incident in China. Despite its large size, the Chinese government manages to still maintain a lot of restrictions on its population. Google, Whatsapp, Wikipedia, and other major sites are blocked in China--although there are some tech-savvy people who know how to bypass them and can show you if you know them. 

I was shocked to find that many people did not have much information as the Tiananmen Square protest is not taught in depth in schools and it is so difficult to get information about it in China as the CCP considers it a direct affront to the party. 

I am not an expert but any means, but a very brief summary about it to interest you in visiting this historical site:

During the 1980s, China experienced a steep economic growth, which brought with it more exposure to foreign ideals and liberation ideas for the people. As more people, especially students, starting demanding more individualistic rights and freedom, Hu Yaobang, a high-ranking official in the CCP, pushed for more democratic reform. He was forced to resign in 1987 after years of working as the general secretary. 

Yaobang passed away in 1989, and his funeral lit the spark to mass demonstrations across multiple cities, most notably the one held in Tiananmen Square by students, for democratic reforms. The CCP installed martial law around end of May, and the mounting protests led to this famous picture and the deadly massacre in Tiananmen Square:

2. The Great Wall of China

"He who has never been to The Great Wall is not a true man." is a common saying in China. Ironically, the Great Wall is a site that is more popular amongst international tourists than the Chinese. Nonetheless, over 10 million people visit this wall every year.

Even if you are not a man, the Great Wall is worth visiting, as it is 1 of the 7 wonders of the world. This 13,000 miles of the longest man-made architectural wonder is about 2,300 years old. Much of it was built by prisoners, and an estimated 400,000 men sadly died during the construction. 

Did you know that besides earth and stone, sticky rice was used to build the Wall? Sticky rice is actually so strong that in some parts of the Wall, weed can't even grow!

3. Wangfujing Night Snack Market

In Asia, whichever country you choose to visit, you must pay a visit to a food market. Food markets are a great place to find local food and knickknacks, see traditional and modern culture of the country, and burn some calories while enjoying yourself! My favorites are night markets. I love the casual vibes:

Wangfujing Snack Street is a night market and is open from 6PM to 9PM every night. The snacks are cheap and it is a popular spot for locals and tourists to hang out with their friends. It has 100 stalls with 100 local snacks.

4. The Place Shopping Mall

The Place is a huge shopping mall with many international brand shops, eateries, cafes, movie theater, and the largest overhead LCD screen. It is an especially nice place to go to at night to see the lit-up shops and screen.

5. The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is famous for having the biggest ancient palace complex in the world. It served as the home and center of the Chinese kings and government for over 500 years. It is even more popular than the Great Wall, attracting 14~19 million visitors each year!

I believe my favorite pictures from my short visit to Beijing was taken at the Golden Water Bridge. (if I am wrong, please correct me...It's been several years and I lost many of my photos and captions.)

Overall, Beijing is a wonderfully clean city (there are part time government employees who clean the streets and public places constantly every day) with no shortage of historical sites and places to visit. Albeit not as "modern" as Shanghai, Beijing is a must stop for anyone who loves history and you will be sure to at least learn a thing or 2 while enjoying the exotic environment of China!

Until next time, then!

South Korea

I was born in San Francisco but raised in Seoul, South Korea by my grandmother. In 2019 I took my parents to Seoul to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday.

1. Daehakro

My hometown in Seoul is Daehakro, which is widely known as the center of arts, protests, and political liberalism. I guess the American equivalent would be Berkeley (where I actually went to for my undergrad). I went to elementary school here: Hyojae. The school has been so renovated that I could not even recognize it.

This is the building where I grew up:

2. Gyeongbokgung Palace

There are 5 Grand Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. If you are limited on time, i recommend Gyeongbokgung as it is the main and the biggest palace, built in 1395. It served as the home of the kings and the government of the Joseon Dynasty.

I haven't worn a Hanbok (traditional clothing of Korea) since I was a child. Nowadays, there are several tourist spots where you can rent a Hanbok for the day and feel like a Queen back in ancient Korea. 

My mom picked out my Hanbok at a nearby rental shop and we headed to Gyeongbokgung Palace to take a look around and get some photos--because I honestly don't know when I will be able to wear a Hanbok again. 

3. Bukchon Hanok

Besides the palaces, you can also rent a Hanbok in Bukchon Hanok village. This village is one of the few remaining areas in Seoul that preserved traditional Korean houses. Here you can experience what life may have been like centuries ago in Korea, not just for royalties, but for local people:

4. Seokparang--traditional Korean style fine dining

I took my family to Stonehill (Seokparang) for the big 90 for my grandma. This isn't the best Michelin star restaurant I've been to, but the ambiance was beautiful and the food presentation was lovely. It was quite an emotional day for me because I knew how much my grandma endured and persevered--she has survived WWII, the Japanese Occupation, and The Korean War, coming from rags to building her own multimillion wealth as a lone woman in a quite misogynistic society.

5. Gangnam

Gangnam is basically the Times Square of S. Korea. Most nightlife happens here and the young, hip crowd love to come here for the speakeasies, clubs, and for shopping. I tried a speakeasy (I forget the name) where they served a drink called "The Cheshire Cat" (the Cheshire cat is my favorite Disney character!)

The Galleria has most high end designer stores. I loved the building itself:

There is a Dior Cafe in Gangnam District. The only other Dior Cafe is located in Miami. The food and the drinks are not that great--you're basically going for the luxury experience and Instagram-able photos:

6. Namsan Tower 

The Namsan Tower was built in 1969 to provide TV and radio broadcasting to the city of Seoul. This was my first time being here:

The walk up to the Namsan Tower has a bunch of lockets--lovers come here to "lock" their love, hoping their love will last:

7. War Memorial of Korea 

There are several museums in Seoul but this was my favorite by far. It's a huge museum and you can easily get lost all day here. A life-sized copy of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin's turtle ship was there. Admiral Yi Sun-Sin is one of the greatest generals in history who saved Korea from being taken over by Japan:

8. Cheonnan Cemetery 

My grandfather passed away in his 60's. An old Korean tradition is to visit the place where the relatives' remains lie and pay respects by having a feast there. When I was younger, all our relatives would come and we would have a huge feast every year. This year we did a mini table of food for us--and our grandfather who I unfortunately never met. The Cheonnan Cemetery is well-known in Korea:

9. Myeongdong

One of the best things about Korea is the very well connected and clean train system. The subway is not 24/7 unlike NYC, but the ride is a lot smoother and there are very few delays: 

You can take the subway to MyeongDong, which is the Times Square of Korea. There you will find everything from cheap to high end fashion, and street food as well as fancy restaurants. 

My favorite street food (my favorite Korean food period) is the Kimchi Jeon (Korean-style pancake with Kimchi). Tteokbokki is made of rice cakes in spicy-sweet sauce, and is especially popular among kids. 

10. Cheonggyecheon Stream

Cheonggyecheon stream has a peaceful walkway, and many couples in Korea love to stroll here:

11. Gwangjang Market

Gwangjang Market is a huge street food marketplace. Tourists come here to try casual street food and locals come after work for some Soju and bar type food. Korea has a strict no-drug policy and even possession of marijuana is punishable by prison sentences. Thus, soju, which is a rice or sweet potato based vodka, is ubiquitous. A bottle of Soju can be as cheap as $3 USD, costing less than a pint of milk!

Cherry blossoms are found all over Seoul in the spring. Absolutely stunning! 

So many things changed in Seoul since I left there. It felt both nostalgic, beautiful, and saddening. Almost like the memories I had of my childhood were completely distant, never to return because of the inevitable passage of time: