Travelline

Travel Blog Hosting Site Opens

A Web site hosting tour blogs has opened to provide a high-quality travel network to travelers around the world.

The site, www.tour.com, provides free blog space where travelers can create their own online travel journals with photos and video clips and share them with other users. By joining the membership and community, tourists can get travel information from other users' blogs based on their first-hand experience.

The site is operational in English.

``Blogging is one of the most powerful and popular tools to communicate with the world. Tour.com will become a one-stop, comprehensive global travel site where users can effectively access extensive travel-related information covering nearly 3,000 regions,'' Lee Woong-jin, founder of the site, said.

To commemorate the launch of the site, it is hosting an event ``Let's Promote Asia.'' Travelers are encouraged to create their blogs about attractions in Asia by June 30. After voting, one first prizewinner will be given $10,000 and free roundtrip ticket to Korea, and if the winner is from Korea, a ticket to any other Asian country.

Taiwanese Museum Offers Free Admission

The National Palace Museum in Taipei is offering free admission for evening visitors from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every Saturday.

The free admission is provided regardless of nationality or age. The museum previously offered the privilege only to Taiwanese people aged under 30, but has expanded it to all visitors on Saturday.

The museum started opening on weekends last July, and extended the opening time to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.npm.gov.tw.

Wangin Festival to Open in Yeongam

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival will open on April 5 through 8 in Yeongnam, South Jeolla Province.

Wangin was a scholar from the ancient Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660), and Yeongam is his hometown. Wangin went to Japan and became a teacher of Japanese crown prince, handing down Baekje Culture to Japan and thus leading the country to develop the Aska Culture.

The festival will present various programs that commemorate and reenact the scholar's achievements ― a parade and a rafting will reenact Wangin's heading for Japan.

Visitors can also experience traditional Korean culture ― they can make local food, pottery or paper craftwork, take part in folk games, and try traditional costumes from the Baekje period.

Interpretation for English, Chinese and Japanese tourists is available at the information center at the entrance of the festival venue.