32 - North Shore News — Sunday, March 19,

Toni Dabbs
Contributing Writer

ONCE reserved for
nobility, today Seoul is
home to about a quar-
ter of South Korea’s
44.8 million citizens,
making it the fifth
largest city in the
world.

The country’s capital, it is
the diplomatic, political,
commercial, financial and
cultural heart of the nation.
The modernity of its high-
rise office towers and neatly
aligned apartment blocks
masks its antiquity.

Namdaemun, or South
Gate, is one of the most
imposing of nine city gates
that punctuated the 17-kilo-
metre wall which once encir-
cled the city. The 14th cen-
tury structure now is the
centre of a traffic circle sur-
rounded by 20th century
skyscrapers.

Fanning southeastward
from Namdaemun is the
market that bears its name.
Pushcarts, open-air stalls and
indoor shops congest its
extensive maze of narrow

_lanes, covering an area of
several city blocks.

Some real bargains can be
found here by shoppers wili-
ing to elbow through the
rows, racks and piles of all
manner of merchandise: silk
shirts, linen jackets, straw
hats, sports shoes, children’s

$i

March 7: Singapore
It might not be much fin

living in a benign dictatorship,
I know I didn’t like it much as
a teenager, but a tourist in
Singapore can certainly see the
result of their tough no-non-
sense rules about no littering
($1,000 fine), no smoking in
confined areas ($500) , and no
graffiti, potentially a public
whipping.

.. Asa Vancouverite I’m
always proudly delighted when
someone remembers our city

2000

toys, lacquer boxes, celadon
pottery, ginseng. and more.

At the end of Sejong
street on the north side of
downtown, separated from
city traffic by a high stone
wall, is Kvongbokkung, the
greatest of the Choson
Dynasty (1392-1910)
palaces.

Although its name means
Palace of Shining Happiness,
it has a history of intrigue.
During the Japanese invasion
of 1592, it was burned by
slaves who wished to destroy
the records of their serfdom,
and in 1895, it was the scene
of the murder of Queen
Min.

During the Japanese
occupation (1910-1945), all
but 10 of its 500 buildings
were destroved. Among
those remaining is
Kyonghoeru or Pavilion of
Joyous Meeting, which sull is
used for special functions.
Rising on pilings above a
mat-made pond, it is the
largest clevated pavilion in
Korea.

The compound also con-
tains many historic stone

agodas and monuments, re-
located to the palace grounds
from their original sites by
the occupying Japanese.

Adjacent to the complex
are two important museums.
The Nationa! Museum, 2
1926 Romanesque building
used for government offices
during the Japanese occupa-
tion, houses a collection of
15,000 artifacts, ranging

as clean and beautiful but

Sin re beats even us with
such pristine streets and beach-
es that a single discarded butt
stands out.

Downtown for the vaca-
tioner i pamaniy shopping
and Rai a gracious colonial
hotel famous for inventing
Singapore Slings which you
too can sip, at $20 US apiece,
with logo glass to go. The
peanuts are free and you're
supposed to throw the shells
on the floor while large raffia
fans make the heat and humid-
ity so bearable you order
another round.

The afternoon was spent
exploring a large island icisure
park accessible by bridge,
water ferry or a cable car
which swooshed over the
Rotterdam presenting a fasci-
nating bird’s-eve view of our
ship.
fl March 9: Viemam

I must admit to not doing

trom wicked looking
weapons to beautiful Buddha
figures. The National
Folklore Museum, a pagoda
stvle building set atop a
modern structure, displays
dioramas of everyday life in
Korea, from the prehistoric
era through the Chason
Dynasty.

Also on the aorth side of
downtown is Chogyesa, tem-
ple headquarters of the
largest Buddhist sect in
Korea and regional office of
the World Fellowship of
Buddhism.

A metal archway on busy
Ujongguk street marks the
entrance of an alleyway lead-
ing to the quiet, tree-shaded
courtyard where the temple
stands. Monks in soft grey
robes chant prayers in the
temple's ornate main hall,
the largest of any in Korea.

Founded fairly recently, in
1910, the temple is the focal
point of a parade commemo-
rating Buddha’s birthday
each May. Colourful lanterns
cacried in the parade are used
to decorate the courtyard’s
buildings and trees.

A rewarding day trip from
Seoul is a visit to the Korean
Folk Village at Suwon, 48
kilometers to the south. A
living museum, the village is
a working community recre-
ating Choson Dynasty life.
An information officer at the
village appropriately
describes it as “Korea’s

See Living page 33

justice to our day in Vietnam.
The ship closed its main tour
to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
at 500 le and those of us
left behind had few alternatives
as we docked in the mouth of
a river one hour away from the
Nearest town with only a

handful of taxis which went to

the early risers.
Never mind. With a litde
looking a lot of Vietnamese

Photo Toni Dabhs
AIRBORNE performers demonstrate the Farmer's Dance at the Korean Folk
Village in Suwon.

ugging the slings of Singapore |

culture was still available.

Eating breakfast out on
deck to enjoy the lush scenery
a group of iocal ladies touring
the ship presented me with a
red rose and big smile. Their
coolie hats said “Vietnam
Tourism Association” and they
wore satin pants with a colour-
fil overdress that fic the

See Postcards page 38

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