SEOUL, A CITY OF DUALITY By Fiona Hartmann Fiona Hartmann is an avid traveler who is always looking to embark on the next adventure. She has her B.A. in English Literature and minor in history from McGill University. She is an aspiring author looking for inspiration in the farthest reaches of the globe.
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eoul is a city of tradition and modernity, where history meets the ideas of the future. I journeyed through unique sites throughout the city that each made me contemplate what it means to live in this modern world. To visit Bukchon Hanok Village is to be transported back six hundred years ago, where I see homes constructed in the traditional style of Korean architecture, called hanoks. A hanok is characterized by its wooden frame and the curved, tiled roofs, and in constructing a hanok the surrounding environment was just as important to take into consideration, as the home and nature were to exist in harmony. This area was originally home to high ranking government officials and nobility and now has a little under ten thousand residents who continue to live there and is area filled with art galleries, cozy cafes and boutiques. To complete the experience, it is possible to rent a hanbok to walk around the village, which is a traditional Korean dress which was used for special occasions such as festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies. Down every narrow alley and around every bend is another glimpse of
history frozen in time.
