Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Canals in Amsterdam turn 400 years old

By Kim Se-jeongBeautifully carved inner-city waterways and boats, tulips, windmills, Dutch architecture and Vincent Van Gogh defines the color of Amsterdam, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.The capital of the Netherlands also has a proud history as a city for merchants and traders and as the birth place of the world’s first stock market and exchange bank.Yet, being in Amsterdam in January, especially when it snows, means you’ve got to look hard to find the hidden charms of the open small city in Europe. The tulips are gone and the canals are quiet with dormant boats and buildings covered with snow. Barges moored on a canal in Amsterdam                                                                           / Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeong CanalsThis year is very important for Amsterdam, which has different set of celebration

Jan 31, 2013

Tracing history of cosmetics

By Chung Ah-youngThe quest for beauty is an insatiable part of human nature although its standards differ with time and culture. In ancient times, makeup was used in rituals for protection against the outside environment. People used natural dyes to draw pictures on their bodies to visualize deities and dispel misfortune. Since then, interaction between cultures has spurred the exchange of makeup materials, methods and cosmetics production technology, creating a variety of cosmetics cultures and products worldwide. The Coreana Cosmetics Museum has long served to show off the human desire to become more beautiful through the beauty products of Korea from ancient times to the modern era.Makeup through historical prism of aesthetics  Cosmetics can make people look better. But in traditional Korean society, makeup was broadly defined as care not only for external purposes but also internally.Koreans in the past believed that a good appearance could affect ones inner self. Thus men and women cared about how they looked, creating a unique culture in cosmetics and accessories.An exhibi

Jan 31, 2013

Treading on the snow, meditating

By Yun Suh-youngSnow makes us feel like we’re in wonderland.The fluffy white dazzles us by magically descending onto earth from a place we would like to imagine as heaven.Somehow we feel like being purified when looking at the snow _ something that has not been stained by human presence or pollution.This picture-like scene cannot often be seen in the metropolitan region, but just a few hours’ drive from Seoul, it will be spread out right in front of you.When you see that scenery, perhaps only seen in photos before, stretching out before you, not many are be able to describe it articulately.Sometimes, a single photo can take our breath away. But the real scene makes us solemn.Woljeong TempleThere are several trails here that showcase the snowy vista in all its glory.Of those, the fir tree forest surrounding the entrance to Woljeong Temple on Mt. Odae in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, is mesmerizingly beautiful.To see the snow carpeting the forest, get out of your vehicle when you see a colorful wooden gate. If you drive past the gate, you may end up directly in the pa

Jan 24, 2013

D-11 The how-tos of Olympic travel- A tale of 3 cities

Collective creativity at Concept Korea

Concept Korea, a collaboration to promote Korean fashion in the U.S., will feature five of the most innovative and promising Korean designers at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York next month. Here is a preview of Concept Korea 2013, to be held under the theme "Rhythm of Korea" on Feb. 7 at New York's Lincoln Center.Representing Korea's most innovative fashion designers Through Concept Korea, Korean fashion designers have started to make a mark in New York.            / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports & TourismBy Do Je-haeConcept Korea returns to New York Fashion Week at the Lincoln Center on Feb. 7, representing the best of Korean design on a global level. The forthcoming collection at the 2013 F/S Concept Korea will be organized around the theme "Rhythm of Korea." Each of the five invited designers ― Kathleen Kye, Choi Bo-ko, Lie Sang-bong, Kim Hong-bum and Son Jung-wan ― will aim to bring the global audience closer to Korean culture by presenting designs that are uniquely Korean.Through the development of Concept Kore

Jan 24, 2013

How to spend a 'noble' winter

By Yun Suh-youngWinter makes us shrink inside our house, enclosed in our blankets.Not many people feel like taking part in sports when it’s cold ― unless they are real fanatics. And it’s not just because the weather is cold. It’s also because winter sports, which usually involve a lot of equipment, can be a bit cumbersome for some.For those who want to engage in winter sports activities but with the least amount of inconvenience, here are some alternatives to get you out of the house.Instead of going skiing or snowboarding with heavy equipment, hop in your car and head to where you can fish and golf without having to bring your own equipment.Children use fishing rods with fake bait to fish in a hole dug inside the tent at the glam-fishing site at The Ananti. /  Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-youngGlam-fishingWe have all heard of “glamping,” a newly created word which combines glamorous and camping to mean “glamorous camping.”Glamping, unlike real camping, simply provides a camping-like experience. At a glamping site, there’s a t

Jan 17, 2013

Call of hot springs

By Baek Byung-yeulIt is winter, the season for visiting “oncheon” or hot springs. Immersing in the hot waters will relieve accumulated fatigue and stress. According to the Korea Hotspring Association, water with temperatures naturally rising above 25 degrees Celsius and containing alkaline substances, sulfur, calcium, or magnesium are defined as hot springs good for the body.Among some 400 hot springs here, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) recommended five hot spring districts in December. It chose the Asan area in South Chungcheong Province; Hwaseong area in Gyeonggi Province; Cheoksan area of Sokcho, Gangwon Province; Suanbo area in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province; and Bugok, Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province where water containing sulfur can rise to temperatures as high as 78 degrees Celsius.Asan oncheon areaAsan, South Chungcheong Province:There are three hot spring areas here where the 2013 Korea Hotspring Festival will be held in early October. They are Onyang oncheon area, in existence since the Joseon Kingdom period (1392-1910); Dogo oncheon area, des

Jan 17, 2013

Surfing on the ice

A snowboarder jumps over a structure on the side of the slope located at the top of the mountain at the High 1 Resort in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. The round tower is the revolving mountain top restaurant called “Top of the Top.”                                                                                      / Courtesy of High 1 ResortBy Yun Suh-youngSnow-struck was the word to describe the winter this season.The heavy snowfall recorded in December last year was greater than the total amount of snow that fell the previous year.Along with the snow, the nation was hit by a sudden cold spell. The weather was unusually cold, unlike the moderate winter temperatures that had steadily moved up and down the thermometer for the past few years.The weather conditions last month may have been too cold for those who wanted to enjoy winter sports such as skiing or sno

Jan 10, 2013

Seokpajeong

Restored pavilion of Heungseon DaewongunBy Kwon Mee-yooSeokpajeong, located in Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, is a stately “hanok,” or Korean traditional building, built by the Joseon Kingdom’s (1392-1910) man of power Heungseon Daewongun. He was the father of the Joseon’s penultimate king. The house was privately owned for decades, but is now on public view since last August at Seoul Museum, which is dedicated to Korean modern art.Seokpajeong looks like a newly-built modern hanok, but when examined closely, some of the wood bears the 140 years of the history of the building. Backed with beautiful scenery of Mt. Inwang, Mt. Bugak and a small valley in front of the building, Seokpajeong is a hidden gem in the center of Seoul.The stone wall structure in the Seokpajeong main building wall is found in only three other places — Nakseonjae of Changdeok Palace, Unhyeon Palace and Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon.Restored pavilion of Heungseon Daewongun Seo Yu-jin, 54, chairwoman of Seokpa Cultural Foundation, wore a graceful purple “hanbok,” Ko

Jan 10, 2013

Enjoy warm, relaxed stay with winter deals

Guests at The Plaza can help underprivileged children through the hotel’s Purple in Your Heart Package, which includes selling teddy bears to raise money for its charity campaign.                                     / Courtesy of The PlazaBy Kim RahnA freezing chill is gripping the nation. Taking a trip far from home is not a tempting proposition, especially when it is snowing.What about staying at a hotel instead? Here are some options that will guarantee not only warmth but also comfort, entertainment and refreshment of the mind and body.The Lotte Hotel Seoul presents three Winter Therapy Packages through the end of February. The Grand Hilton Seoul’s Winter Love Story Package includes a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve wine.          / Courtesy of the Grand Hilton SeoulThe first package at 260,000 won is designed for those seeking peace and tranquility. It features a one-night stay in a superior room and an aroma tea set for two at Salon de Th

Jan 3, 2013

Enjoy warm, relaxed stay with winter deals

Beat cold with ice fishing

People enjoy ice fishing at the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival in this 2011 file photo. This year’s festival will take place from Jan. 5 to 27.                                                                                                               / Korea Times fileBy Chung Ah-young Every winter, vacationers and tourists head bravely and purposefully toward Hwacheon, Gangwon Province.Some clad in half sleeves and shorts forget the biting cold and dive into icy waters to catch ?sancheoneo,? a mountain trout, with their bare hands. Others bundle themselves up waiting for the fish in the frozen river. Since the festival first began in 2003, the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival has attracted more than 1 million visitors every year. Named as one of the seven wonders of winter by CNNGo, it is

Jan 3, 2013

Travel & Food

Travel & Food

Canals in Amsterdam turn 400 years old

Tracing history of cosmetics

Treading on the snow, meditating

Collective creativity at Concept Korea

How to spend a 'noble' winter

Call of hot springs

Surfing on the ice

Seokpajeong

Enjoy warm, relaxed stay with winter deals

Beat cold with ice fishing

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