Geumcheongyo (Bridge)

This bridge was built over the stream that sprang from the north and encircled "Oedang" which means the outer buildings of the palace. It is derived from our ancient belief that a place such as this one was one of the most auspicious sites for a palace. This is the reason why Yeongjegyo bridge in the Gyeongbokgung palace and Okcheongyo bridge in the Changgyeonggung palace were built over each stream that flowed from the north and encircled the Oedang. The bridge is 12.9m long and 12.5m wide. It was constructed by king Taejong in 1411. The banks of the stream were made up of long rectangular stones.

This is one of the oldest stone bridge to remain in Seoul now. The structure of bridges is as follows: It has two arches, and a mighty mythical animal called "Haetae" to the south and a turtle statue called "Hyeonmu" to the north were installed on the stand in the middle of the arches. Behind these statues, a monster, which is said to keep off evil spirits, is carved on the lateral side of the base where the two arches meet. On the both sides of the bridge, balustrades are established. The balustrades are composed of stone pillars with animal-shaped statues on the top, balusters, and flat stones with wind holes. Especially the lotus petal design on the balusterades, the statues in the shape of animal heads at the foot of each baluster, and a mighty mythical animal statue, called "Haetae", on top of the last baluster is very charming. This bridge is not flat, but arched with the rise in the middle. In front of the bridge, there was a gate called "Jinseonmun" which lead to "Oedang" that in Korean belief, had some relationship with the Myeongdangsu stream. Inside of the Donhwamun, there was a garden which was covered with the trees, like a locust, a zelkova, and so on. This is derived from an ancient Korean institution, too, and it's also why the palace was called "Goesin", which literally means the palace where the trees, including a locust, a zelkova, etc., were planted.

Changdeokgung

This is main entrance to the Changdeokgung palace. When it was first built, there was a white granite substructure, on the top of which a two-storied gate building was erected. This is a typical structure of the entrance to our palace that was transmitted from the Three Kingdoms period. Unfortunately, now, the substructure has disappeared; only the two-storied building remains. This is quite different from the structure of the Gwanghwamun, the main entrance to the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty, which was erected on the structure with three open arches on the ground.

As one may observe, the Donhwamun is elegant but simple because it was built as an entrance to a separate palace of the Changdeokgung palace.  The Donhwamun was set on fire by the Japanese invaders, but it was reconstructed as it had been by King Seonjo in 1607. It's the oldest entrance to remain in Seoul. Only the threshold of the entrance was reconstructed so that an automobile could pass through it easily. (Treasure No.383).

seoul going green

Seoul boasts impressive natural resources – stunning mountains that surround 
and define the city, and the beautiful Han River, running right through its center. 
In addition, Seoul City is focused on bringing out its natural resources with an
emphasis on a greener downtown. The efforts include an extensive clean-up
and renovation of the area around the Han River as well as of Namsan
Mountain, in the heart of Seoul, to restore their natural beauty and turn them
into more eco-friendly areas. Seoul City will also gradually replace all carbon
fuel-powered public buses with natural gas-powered ones, a project scheduled
to be completed by the end of 2010. Having made remarkable progress in 
reducing air pollution, Seoul City is already known as one of the cleanest
cities in Asia.

seoul,as a business hub in notheast asia

Seoul is also making its mark in the business arena. It has been listed among 
the top ten cities in the world for doing business and is working hard to cement its
position as a business center. Geographically, Seoul is strategically located in the
center of the Northeast Asian economy and offers a city with a pool of one of the
world’s best-educated workforces. Among its growth industries: conventions,
tourism, digital content, fashion, design, R&D, finance, and retail distribution.
Seoul City is currently planning to designate an international financial zone in
which local and foreign financial companies will be given extensive support, both
through infrastructure development and various tax exemptions and reductions. 
Also now under development are plans to turn the the Dongdaemun Design Plaza
& Park in the Dongdaemun area into a world-class design and fashion district.

seoul, heart of korea culture

Seoul is a city characterized by variety 
and cultural vibrancy.
 The city has over 700
museums, including the National Museum
and the National Folk Museum – which 
boast extensive collections - and numerous
performance centers such as the Se-jong
Center for Performing Arts and the National
Theater. In addition, the city has more than
400 galleries exhibiting everything from the
most contemporary modern art to traditional
Korean furniture and African artifacts. Alternatively, 
enjoy traditional festive dances, eat like the Choseon emporers, 
or visit a Bukcheon traditional house (a Hanok) in the town of the
 Choseon dynasty. For a taste of the contemporary, experience a wide

range of modern and fusion culture, then go to world-class performances like ‘NANTA’, ‘JUMP’ and ‘B-boy’. Not tired yet? You can also see performances at Daehakro, Seoul Playground and Citizen’s park, all outdoor cultural spaces in Seoul.

history of korea

The Baekjae Dynasty first established Seoul as the capital city of the Korean people
in the year 18 BC. In traditional Korean, the word 'Seoul' actually means 'capital'.
As the capital city for the next 476 years, Seoul – and Korean culture – thrived. 
Much of Korean culture evident today evolved during that period. Even after
the Baekjae Dynasty moved the capital to present-day Gongju, centuries later,
Seoul retained some of its prominence. Underscoring Seoul's importance, 
competing dynasties fought for control over the area of Seoul bordering
the Han River. With the founding of the Choseon Dynasty in 1394, Seoul's
future was assured. In 1394, Seoul once again became the capital and flourished as a cultural and economic center for centuries.

Although Seoul was called “Hanyang” during the Choseon dynasty and “Gyeongseongbu” during the years of Japanese imperialism, the city officially became “Seoul” again after Korea regained its independence on August 15th,1945. In 1946, Seoul became a “do,” a reference to a specific type of region, and was named the capital by the new Korean government.

visiting seoul

Official Name	Seoul Teukbyeol-si
Location	Central west on the Korean Peninsula
Geography	Han River flows through Seoul from east to west and mountains surround the city. Bukhan-san (Northern mountain) and Dobong mountain are to the north of Seoul, Geomdan mountain to the east, and Gwanak mountain and Cheongye mountain to the south.
Population	10,488,327 (As of September 2009)
Surface Area	605.33 sq.km
Governing Area	25 Jachigu 497 dong (As of December 31st of 2009)
Language	Korea (Japanese, English and Chinese available in main tourist areas)
Religion	Christianity 25%, Buddhism 25%, and other various religions
Climate	Seoul has four very distinct seasons, with spring and fall being quite mild, summer hot and humid and winter being cold and dry. Although in August, considered to be the heart of summer in Seoul, the temperature reaches above 30℃, the average year round temperature remains around 11℃. Average annual rainfall is around 1,370mm, with seventy percent of that falling between June and September.