Common Ground Bar & Grill
Common Ground, composed of over 200 industrial-style blue shipping containers, is actually a trendy cultural shopping center in Seoul that brings together various independent designer brands, physical stores of online shops, popular small commodity stores, and more. Its avant-garde design style has also attracted the girl group "SISTAR" to shoot their music video here, and now Common Ground has become a popular photo spot for Seoulites.
zapangi
This is a place where you can't help but want to take pictures with the POS machine before entering. It consists of a gray wall, a pink vending machine, a pink stuffed dog and a half-standing window. As for the door? Yes, the pink vending machine serves as the door to this café and is the place where people will definitely take photos before entering. Apart from this door, the interior decoration of the store is also very unique with randomly placed tables and chairs, neon lights covering the walls, and scattered pillows in corners, everything seems to be related to pink, ready to burst your girl's heart at any moment.
Skinfood
SKINFOOD is one of the earliest affordable cosmetics brands in Korea. The store is also the only concept cosmetics cafe in Korea, located on a tree-lined street. The color tone of the whole store is retro lemon yellow. The most representative feature is the yellow van at the entrance, which, along with the creamy white brick wall background, makes for a vintage style filter even with just a casual snap.
Haneul Park
Sky Park boasts different scenery throughout the year, especially during the Purple Aster Season in October and November. The vast expanse of purple asters dance lightly in the breeze, capturing the beauty of autumn perfectly. Interestingly, Sky Park used to be the largest landfill site in Seoul. To improve the ecological environment, the Seoul government transformed the landfill into four hillsides and planted purple asters, chrysanthemums, daisies, and clovers. They also released more than 30,000 butterflies, turning it into a popular tourist attraction nowadays.
Insadong is a famous traditional neighborhood in Seoul, known for its hanbok rental shops, tea houses, and art galleries. It offers visitors a chance to experience traditional Korean culture and arts. The streets of Insadong are lined with shops selling traditional crafts, paintings, and antiques, making it a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Don't miss the opportunity to explore the narrow alleyways and discover unique souvenirs or enjoy a cup of traditional Korean tea in one of the traditional tea houses.
Bukchon Hanok Village is one of the most representative places to experience traditional Korean residential culture. Here, you can feel the authentic living atmosphere as it is a residential area. Therefore, when you visit here as a tourist, please keep quiet so as not to disturb their daily lives. Of course, taking photos here is also an excellent choice. If you want to find the eight major attractions of Bukchon and take beautiful pictures, don't worry about getting lost because there are ground signs to guide you to the best shooting spots. The services here are very thoughtful and convenient for tourists.
COEX Aquarium is one of the oldest and most distinctive aquariums in Korea. It has 40 tour tanks and over 140 feeding tanks, housing over 6,000 species of marine life, totaling more than 40,000 individuals. Each tank is divided into six zones, and visitors can enjoy the beautiful underwater world through an underwater tunnel. In addition, the entrance of the aquarium showcases artifacts and a mysterious atmosphere of the Inca Empire, while the Amazon Adventure Hall features rare tropical freshwater fish, adorable otters, and astonishing marine creatures like sharks and axolotls. The World Ocean Hall presents stunning landscapes from California coast, Mediterranean, Antarctic, Arctic, and more, with dozens of predatory sharks, giant sea turtles, and countless fascinating marine fish, giving visitors a sense of being in the real ocean. Visitors can have a closer encounter with small sharks and other fish at the Petting Grass Exhibit, and explore the mysterious world of deep-sea creatures like large crabs and octopuses at the Deep Sea Mystery Hall. Finally, at the Western restaurant in the aquarium, visitors can enjoy a variety of seafood dishes, immerse themselves in the mysterious atmosphere of the sea, and have a wonderful time with the fish.
Starlight courtyard library
The Starlight Garden Library is also located in COEX Mall and has become a popular destination for literary enthusiasts and a new Instagram hotspot. The open book space is themed around "rest, encounter, books", with a 13-meter high wooden bookshelf spanning three floors and a central design of an open courtyard to let sunlight fall on the books. Visitors can bask in the sunlight and enjoy reading in the library, making it a pleasant experience similar to being in a European library. The library houses over 50,000 books and magazines, all of which can be borrowed for free. The library also frequently hosts various free performances and cultural lectures, making it a great place to enjoy art and literature in addition to shopping. The reading area in the library has long tables, personal desks, reading chairs, sofa areas, and tiered seating, ensuring that visitors can always find a comfortable spot to enjoy some peaceful reading time.
When it comes to traditional culture in Korea, many people think of the beautiful hanbok. But actually, experiencing temples in Korea is also a good choice! Among the temples available for experience in Seoul, the most representative is Bongeunsa, located on the north side of COEX. Built in the late 8th century during the Shilla period, this temple appears to be isolated from the outside world and is unaffected by the hustle and bustle, maintaining its solemnity and becoming a peaceful corner of the bustling Gangnam district. Traditional Korean architecture may seem magnificent, but it can also calm the mind, allowing tourists to settle their body and soul here.
Modern department stores are duty free
The modern duty-free store is located in the modern department store near COEX Mall, and is a city duty-free store established by the modern department store group. Its diverse commercial area, high-end living experience, and large discounts make it an unmissable duty-free store for people visiting the Jiangnan region.
Asian Restaurant
Those who are fans of Korean entertainment definitely know about one of the three major entertainment companies in Korea, SM. Top idols such as Girls' Generation, SHINEE, and EXO all come from SM Entertainment. SM TOWN COEX Artium, founded by SM Entertainment, is also a must-visit spot in Seoul for Korean entertainment fans.
Saoxi Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the city center of Seoul. It is the birthplace of the Jogye Order and a major sacred site of Korean Buddhism. The temple was established in 1395 and the current buildings were reconstructed in 1910. The main building of the temple is the Daeungjeon Hall, which enshrines the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. There is also a precious 500-year-old white pine tree near the hall. Additionally, the temple houses a seven-story stone pagoda that holds a relic of Shakyamuni Buddha presented by the Sri Lankan Dhammapala in 1913. Every year in May, the temple holds the grand Buddhist festival called Yeondeunghoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) to celebrate Buddha's birthday. The temple also offers a "Temple Stay" program for foreign visitors to experience Buddhist culture firsthand.
