i was just in the yeongju area a couple of months ago, and had one of the best times there that i’ve had in korea. yeongju has some great beef and grapes should be in season.

a good day is to visit buseoksa (don’t miss the caged shrub), the confucian temple, then drive through the valley going east to uljin. hit the seongyundongul caves (very impressive) which have been used to shelter soldiers and civilians during many invasions/wars. head south along the coast to baekam hot springs, take a dip, continue south to pohang (actually there’s a good little port city just before pohang) and get your crabs on. depending on the car you’re driving, you can have a lot of fun heading back up the coast and through the valley on the return trip.

It’s a bit unfair to compare gigantic, vast, multi-cultural
multi-climate China as a whole to Korea as a tourist destination.
How about comparing South Korea with any one particular Province
of China…? by size/population — that would seem more fair

Your point is valid, but you’re the one who made the initial comparison. I was merely responding to it. Mile for mile, dollar for dollar, Korea has more to offer than either China or Japan, but the most important point is that each country has its own unique treasures and each is worth a visit. If I had an all-expenses paid one-month vacation to one of the three Asian countries, I’d pick Japan. If I had a couple thousand dollars and three months off, I’d choose China. If I had the same money and only two weeks to spare, I’d opt for Korea.

My sole complaint about Korea is the lack of historically and architecturally interesting neighborhoods. America is only 400 years old, yet some of our major cities, NYC, Chicago, Boston, and Washington, DC, are virtual outdoor architectural museums. I nearly wore out the soles of my shoes the first time I visited NYC and Boston. Beijing, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, and even staid Singapore are home to vibrant neighborhoods with distinct styles although Beijing’s hutongs are fast falling under the wrecking ball. I realize that much of Seoul’s historical architecture was lost while Seoul changed hands four times during the war. However, Germany managed to rebuild after being bombed to smithereens.

One difference I noticed between China and Korea is that China has not tried to erase visible evidence of its colonial past. In Korea, virtually every major Japanese colonial landmark has been razed; meanwhile, Chinese flags fly proudly from the masts atop the old European buildings along the Bund. The French concession is touted in tourist literature. The historical area of Changchun, seat of Pu Yi’s puppet Manchukuo government, is filled with buildings constructed by the Japanese.

Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have also preserved many European colonial structures. In Kuala Lumpur, the beautiful Moorish-styled high court overlooks the Padang, where English fools used to play cricket in the tropical heat. The historical city of Melacca proudly shows off its colonial legacies from the Portuguese, Dutch, and British.

It seems contradictory for Korea to destroy physical evidence of Japanese colonialism yet at the same time fill pages of its history books with the 35-year experience.

It is also pathetic that officials in Seoul and Incheon have constructed artificial Chinatowns in order to attract tourists. In other countries, Chinatowns were established by the Chinese themselves.

I visted Busan only once and that was enough for me. If I missed something special about Korea’s second-largest city, please enlighten me, and don’t bother mentioning Haeundae Beach.

During my stay in China, I lived in Qingdao, which will host the sailing events during the 2008 Olympics. The local and national governments are pouring a lot of money into urban development, creating pedestrian malls with pretty street lamps, pleasant landscaping, and lots of benches, and revitalized an old run-down shopping area by turning all the buildings into giant murals. The entire exterior of each building is painted with a different theme. A huge 4-mile boardwalk has been constructed along the downtown waterfront. A Korean-Chinese friend, upon returning from her first trip to Korea, remarked, “In twenty years, Qingdao will be better than Seoul.” Former capital Suzhou gave itself a make-over by installing bus shelters with traditional tiled roofs and paving pedestrian malls with bricks arranged in pretty geometric patterns inspired by the pathways of Suzhou’s famous gardens, in pedestrian malls. Suzhou’s redevelopment efforts were commended by the national government and held up as a model for other cities.

Seoul has tremendous potential to be a world-class city. Its geographic location is outstanding, surrounded by mountains and straddling a wide river. It is a 600-year-old capital. It is clean and safe and has efficient public transport. It is not costly for the traveler. What Seoul needs is some imaginative urban planners who can work with developers and district officials to give local neighborhoods more distinct flavors and make them more attractive to locals and visitors looking for a pleasant place to stroll. Korean architects also need to creatively find ways to give modern buildings a touch of beautiful Korean traditional aesthetics. Two excellent examples are found in Shanghai: the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, shaped like a pagoda, and the China Merchants Tower, whose top resembles a Manchu imperial hat.