The Seoul tour program for 2014 spring and fall Semester students took place on September 5^th, which was a brand new experience. The tour started from Namsan Hanok Village in Central District of Seoul, which was a well-preserved place with a long history dating back in 1826. The interior of each house is designed to reflect different walks of life from the middle class government officials to royal families from Chosun Dynasty (1393-1910).  The village is open to public and it displays traditional craft-wood exhibitions as well.

The N Seoul Tower at Namsan Tower was the next destination. It is open to public since 1980, and it presents a variety of spaces for cultural events as well as the places for souvenir on the third floor. What caught students’ eye was the terrace filled with thousands of locks which symbolize everlasting love. The tower also offers a digital observatory with a 360 panoramic view that shows Korean history through 32 LCD screens.

The following destination after lunch was the famous Gwanghwamun Square. It is located in the middle of the hectic city for citizens of Seoul to rest and socialize.  At the center of the square stand a statue of King Sejong the Great and a statue of admiral Yi Sun-sin.

The best part of the tour was a stroll to Cheonggyecheon stream. Cheonggyecheon is an 11-km long public recreation space in Seoul. The stream was covered with an overpass after the Korean War (1950-1953) as part of the post war remnant, but in 2003 the overpass was removed to restore the stream to its present form. The stream starts from Cheonggye Plaza, a popular cultural art venue and passes under a total of 22 bridges before flowing into the Han River with many attractions along with its length to include the coin wish.

The tour came to an end at Insa-dong. It is one of the most memorable attractions in Seoul for Korean traditional culture and crafts.  Insa-dong district stretches over 700 meters, filled with restaurants, traditional teahouses and various folk crafts. It is a center for Korean art, painting and artists.

Overall, this was a day well spent in that students learned extensively with unforgettable memories. It was a meaningful time for students who just started their life in Korea, filled with excitement and expectations.

By Leah Waweru (2014 MDP, Kenya)