Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013 - (Page 90)

TOWN AND COUNTRY From left: The Secret Garden, known as Biwon, in Changdeokgung, the Palace of Illustrious Virtue; a busy street in Myeong-dong. 90 W w w w. r i t z c a r lt o n . c o m Wandering the narrow alleys of Bukchon, surrounded by traditional hanok homes, is to walk into historical Seoul. These low-slung buildings with imposing wooden doors and intricately tiled curving black roofs inspire passersby to imagine what it would’ve been like to live here during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), when Korean royalty and nobility called this neighborhood home. Today, Bukchon’s hanoks are likely to house chic wine bars and cafés. High real-estate prices have driven longtime owners to sell, and the number of the area’s original hanoks — made from wood, stone, straw, soil, clay and paper — has diminished to fewer than 800; the others are copies, built with concrete. Still, weaving through these narrow alleys, past the Bukchon Hanok Guest House, a restored hanok where the painter Bae Ryeom once lived, and past the remaining authentic old houses, glimpses of Seoul’s past still exist. Like so much in Seoul, Bukchon illustrates how the past and present coexist side by side in a way that can only be described as unexpected. After all, in the eyes of the rest of the world, South Korea today equates to hyper modernity, and its capital is known as the most wired city on the planet, as one of the most sophisticated design capitals on any continent, as Asia’s contemporary art hub. But amid the neon skyscrapers, sleek subways and people young and old texting, emailing, gaming, and watching live TV on superslick mobile devices, is a deep, complex history. And there is no better way to appreciate this city than to experience those places that speak to its centuries-long history. Legends take Korea as far back as 2333 B.C., but the official era of Korea’s Three Kingdoms — Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla — begins in 57 B.C., with Silla unifying them in A.D. 668. It wasn’t until the succeeding Goryeo Dynasty ended that Seoul became the capital, in 1394, as part of the new Joseon Dynasty. While few architectural relics remain from the earlier kingdoms, five royal palaces from the Joseon era have been preserved carefully. Majestic and unchanged, these palaces live cheek by jowl with the indistinguishable block concrete apartment complexes that were rapidly erected in the years following the Korean War. These ancient palaces present, and represent, an otherworldly Seoul — one that evokes grandeur and deep tradition. http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013
Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... Los Angeles
Design
Technology
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Family
Local Knowledge
Sports
Abu Dhabi
Seoul
Fashion
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013