GANGHWADO, Incheon -- If you are looking for an escape from the scorching weather that’s under the cool shade, and with a fair view of the sea, sansa –- a mountainside Buddhist temple -– may be just the destination. Located deep inside mountains, sansa offer visitors a break from the city and the noise that comes with it. On Ganghwado, an island off the west coast, you will find Jeondeungsa, a temple on Jeongjoksan, a 220-meter mountain. It is about an hour’s drive fro

Travel Aug. 6, 2022

Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel launches ‘Suite Party’ package Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel is launching a party package with an overnight stay at the hotel‘s Suite and a room party dining set that includes two bottles of wine and a platter of grilled shrimp and lamb chops, with fruits and cheese on the side. A whole cake and seasonal afternoon tea set for four guests are also served at the hotel’s first-floor bakery. The indoor swimming pool and fitness center can be us

Food Aug. 5, 2022

Marking the 77th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15., Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a special concert at Gwanghwamun Square on Aug. 14. Pianist and conductor Kim Sun-wook lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in the concert hosted by the Seoul City. The World Vision Korea Children’s Choir and Forte di Quattro will join the orchestra onstage for the concert that starts at 7:30 p.m. The program consists of works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Dvorak, as well as pop

Performance July 29, 2022

Marking the 77th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15, a special concert will be held as part of the “Visit Korean Heritage Campaign” at the Cheong Wa Dae compound on the evening of Aug. 13, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday. Hosted by the CHA and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the event has been held at different historical locations in the past, including Suwon Hwaseong in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province in 2020, and Gwanghanruwon in Namw

Culture July 29, 2022

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul launches epicurean dining service for takeout Cafe One at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul is presenting “Salad and Sandwiches to Go,” a new gourmet selection of takeout salads and sandwiches. The salad menu includes Burrata Cheese Salad and Cobb Salad. Salads are complemented by a quartet of sandwiches including the Râpé Sandwich, featuring dressed grated carrot, soft avocado and egg; the Ricotta and Chicken Sandwich, filled with grilled chicken, fre

Food July 29, 2022

Two months after the Cultural Heritage Administration was delegated operational management of Cheong Wa Dae, tentatively until the end of this year, the CHA remained hesitant to speak up on issues regarding Cheong Wa Dae’s future use. At a press conference announcing the vision and upcoming plans of the CHA held Wednesday in central Seoul, the overlying theme of the statement was on upgrading systems and data-based support for preservation and use of cultural heritage in general. The e

Culture July 28, 2022

A box for holding the royal seal called “borok,” estimated to be made after the 1800s, has returned home from the UK, the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation announced Wednesday. The state heritage foundation initially obtained information of the borok last year, which had been in possession of a British corporation. The British company acquired the borok via an auction and was in the process of selling it to an unknown buyer. The item was acquired on July 12, after a seri

Culture July 27, 2022

An exhibition on the Mesopotamian civilization is underway at the National Museum of Korea in conjunction with the US’ Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Mesopotamia: Great Cultural Innovations, Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art” is the first long-term exhibition in Korea dedicated solely to the theme of Mesopotamian cultural heritage. It is also the third special world-themed exhibition to be held at the NMK following the Egypt Gallery, which operated from December 201

Culture July 27, 2022

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation are hosting an online royal palace tour program, “Gung On.” The annual “Gung On” was launched in 2020 amid the pandemic to offer wider access to palace-related content to be enjoyed at home. This year, participants will be chosen by lottery. A total of three events are available -- Dalbitgihaeng (Moonlight travel), Byeolbityahaeng (Starlight nighttime walk) and Saenggwabang. A total of 1,100

Culture July 25, 2022

The National Folk Museum of Korea, Paju, a massive open storage facility in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is marking its first anniversary with a special exhibition, “Folklore x Crafts: Simple and Neat.” the first-ever exhibition at the venue. Some 49 works by 13 contemporary craft artists bridging tradition and modernity are on display in collaboration with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation. The 200 other pieces on show come from the NFMK Seoul’s collection. Two types of cr

Culture July 25, 2022

Gimbap, the seaweed-wrapped rice roll stuffed with vegetables and other ingredients, has long been the meal-on-the-go staple in Korea. A humble roll of gimbap can vary in size and taste, depending on the filling. While all you need to do is pop a round slice in your mouth, making gimbap is a multistep process that takes effort and time, from preparing the filling to actually making the rolls. Featuring a plethora of stuffing combinations, today’s gimbap creations have come a long way

Food July 23, 2022

The Ven. Hongseung has worked diligently for close to 30 years to popularize temple food. Along the way she often heard criticism from people who said “temple food has lost its tradition and become fusion food because of too much emphasis on popularization.” But she disagrees. “I am not sure where the boundary between traditional food and fusion food is, but it could be a matter of ingredients. Vegetables like broccoli and paprika didn’t exist before in Korea. I use thes

Food July 23, 2022

Four Seasons Seoul holds mud crab promotion Yu Yuan, a Cantonese restaurant located in Four Seasons Seoul, is presenting a mud crab promotion starting July 26, just in time for Busan’s blue crab season. The restaurant’s crabs are selected by the head chef Koo Kwok Fai, who created the new crab menu using Yu Yuan’s unique Cantonese cooking method. Guests can choose from a number of sauces -- chili, black pepper and white pepper -- which are used during cooking process. Man

Food July 22, 2022

Hanbok saenghwal -- a series of cultural practices which encompass the whole experience of making, wearing and enjoying hanbok -- made it to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Wednesday. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee decided to finalize the official name as “hanbok saenghwal” instead of its provisional title, “hanbok wearing,” announced earlier in March, considering the name to be a better rep[resen

Culture July 20, 2022

Guards slowly opened the gates to welcome visitors to Cheong Wa Dae as dusk fell. On Tuesday evening, a day before the official opening of the Cheong Wa Dae nighttime tour, a press event was held with some 50 reporters and public honorary promotion ambassadors in attendance. The 90-minute tour was led by Shim Yong-hwan, a historian, writer and professor, who gave a brief overview of the buildings and facilities. He also provided fun facts and tidbits about former presidents who worked and li

Culture July 20, 2022