Lunar New Year in Seoul
Jan 19th, 2010, 02:43 AM
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Lunar New Year in Seoul
Hi everyone,
I'll be in Seoul over the Lunar new year holiday. Will everything be closed? Is there anything that might be open or any special events going on? I've heard most of Seoul closes down as people go to the country for the holiday.
Thanks,
Carl
I'll be in Seoul over the Lunar new year holiday. Will everything be closed? Is there anything that might be open or any special events going on? I've heard most of Seoul closes down as people go to the country for the holiday.
Thanks,
Carl
Jan 21st, 2010, 05:42 PM
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I see that you have not had any responses (Seoul is not hugely popular on this board), so I thought I would at least give my experiences from living in Hong Kong and Singapore, where the Lunar New Year is also celebrated. I don’t know that you would find things to be exactly the same in Seoul, but you may. You may want to check something like the Ministry of Tourism website at http://www.mct.go.kr/english/index.jsp or Visit Korea at http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto
If you are there in the lead-up to the holiday, there may be special markets open to sell food, special red paper goods, and flowers. These are usually open into the late evening hours so people can shop after work. You can buy souvenirs like paper lanterns. Your hotel may know of the nearest ones.
You should check with your hotel as to what special events are going on. I am not sure if fireworks are part of the celebrations in Seoul, but if they are, your hotel would know when and where to see them. Here in Hong Kong, fireworks are traditional on the second evening of the holiday. You may also want to visit local temples, as the first or second day may be an auspicious time for people to go and make offerings, and it can be an interesting thing to observe.
Over the holidays, you probably will find that some stores and restaurants outside of hotels are closed for some or all of the holidays. You should not have trouble finding restaurants in hotels open, so you won’t go hungry or anything. Grocery stores and drug stores may be closed on the first day, but are likely to be open on the second. (Assuming you need either). However, tourist sites are most likely open, and public transport should be running on a regular if not more frequent schedule on all days.
You should find traffic to be very light, which can make just touring the city itself much easier, even on foot. It is a good chance to get a good look at things without the crowds. (One of my favourite things to do in Hong Kong on the first day of the New Year is to go to the financial centre which is completely shut down and eerily quiet).
If you are there in the lead-up to the holiday, there may be special markets open to sell food, special red paper goods, and flowers. These are usually open into the late evening hours so people can shop after work. You can buy souvenirs like paper lanterns. Your hotel may know of the nearest ones.
You should check with your hotel as to what special events are going on. I am not sure if fireworks are part of the celebrations in Seoul, but if they are, your hotel would know when and where to see them. Here in Hong Kong, fireworks are traditional on the second evening of the holiday. You may also want to visit local temples, as the first or second day may be an auspicious time for people to go and make offerings, and it can be an interesting thing to observe.
Over the holidays, you probably will find that some stores and restaurants outside of hotels are closed for some or all of the holidays. You should not have trouble finding restaurants in hotels open, so you won’t go hungry or anything. Grocery stores and drug stores may be closed on the first day, but are likely to be open on the second. (Assuming you need either). However, tourist sites are most likely open, and public transport should be running on a regular if not more frequent schedule on all days.
You should find traffic to be very light, which can make just touring the city itself much easier, even on foot. It is a good chance to get a good look at things without the crowds. (One of my favourite things to do in Hong Kong on the first day of the New Year is to go to the financial centre which is completely shut down and eerily quiet).
Jan 26th, 2010, 10:00 PM
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Seoul empties out for Lunar New Year and a lot of business are closed. From what I understand, there is no big celebration downtown b/c most people go home and spend time with their families. Not sure if you want to do any touristy things, but Everland/Caribbean Bay are open. It is the amusement/indoor water park run by Samsung on the outskirts of Seoul. Unlike normal days, on Lunar New Year, it isn't packed with people.
