Korean Dolmen Posted by Ginny on Nov 15, 2010
A dolmen is a stone marker of a grave or burial site. There are several famous dolmens in Korea. Many of these dolmens originate from B.C. times, and are considered important archeological finds. The Gochang Dolmen (고창고인돌) Site is located in Jeollabuk Province (전라북도). These dolmens are quoted as one of the tallest, largest and…
Dong Dong Dongdaemun Posted by Ginny on Nov 7, 2010
There’s a Korean nursery rhyme. When Korean children play dong dong dongdaemun, they hold hands in an arch. The rest of the children walk through the arch and have to avoid being trapped when the “gate” closes. 동, 동, 동대문을 열어라 (Dong, Dong, Dongdaemuneul yeoreora) Open the East, East, East Grand Gate 남, 남, 남대문을…
Hwaseong Fortress Posted by Ginny on Nov 4, 2010
Hwaseong (화성) Fortress is a large mausoleum built by King Jeongjo (정조) for his father Prince Sado (사도). Prince Sado tragically died in a rice chest after he was politically framed by the nobles of the court. His son, King Jeongjo, built Hwaseong Fortress as a way of restoring honor to his father (Prince Sado)…
Bibimbap Posted by Ginny on Nov 1, 2010
Bibimbap is a rice and vegetable dish mixed with hot pepper paste. Bibimbap is healthy and many varieties of bibimbap exist. Here are some you may be interested to try. Dolsot Bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥) is bibimbap that is cooked in a black, hot stone bowl. When the bowl is heated, sesame seed oil is poured and…
Scary Korean Movies Posted by Ginny on Oct 28, 2010
Are you wondering what horror/suspense/thriller Korean movies are out there? Here are some old movies that you may not have known about : Phone (폰) is a 2002 movie starring Korean actress Ha Ji Won (하지원). Ha Ji Won plays a journalist in possession of a cell phone. Not to give the story away, but…
Korean Museums Posted by Ginny on Oct 22, 2010
There are just too many museums to count in South Korea. I haven’t even come close to visiting half the number of museums in South Korea, and I’ve been visiting them since the year 2000. Here are the more memorable museums that I’ve visited so far. The Bank of Korea Museum (한국은행화폐금융박물관) is located in…
Korean Masks Posted by Ginny on Oct 19, 2010
Traditional Korean masks have been around as long as plays and satire have been used to express the discontent of the lower classes. Masks were word not only to represent various characters in a play, but to hide the faces of the actors who made fun of powerful people. Here are some of the more…