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Thousand years of Tripitaka Koreana

By Do Je-hae HAPCHEON, South Gyeongsang Province — There are over 2,000 Buddhist temples in the nation, but Haein Temple in this tiny mountainous town enjoys a unique reputation as home of the world’s oldest Buddhist canons in Chinese script. The millennial anniversary of the Tripitaka Koreana which falls this year is an exceptional landmark in the 1,700 years of history of Korean Buddhism. The region is planning a major international festival late this month to celebrate the occasion. Ahead of the 45-day cultural event to be held from Sept. 23 to Nov. 1, organizers invited members of the media for a preview of the festivities centered around the collection of 81,258 Buddhist scriptures carved on woodblocks. Haein Temple is already one of the most famous tourist sites in the province, but regional officials are hoping that the festival will serve as an occasion to establish its status as a major attraction in East Asia. “We hope to introduce the global value of the Tripitaka Koreana to the world,” Jeong Jong-in, a senior organizer, said. The organizing c

Sep 8, 2011By Do Je-hae

KTO road show to attract Chinese business travelers

By Lee Hyo-sik The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will hold a road show in Shanghai today, inviting hundreds of corporate executives, tourism officials and journalists, to promote Korea as an attractive location for commercial meetings and corporate tour programs. The state-run tourism promoter said its CEO Lee Charm and other KTO officials will make every effort to publicize the nation’s convention and tourism infrastructures, encouraging Chinese firms to organize corporate meetings and employee tour programs here. “We have been making efforts over the years to promote Korea as one of Asia’s top meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) destinations. The road show in Shanghai will provide a boost to such efforts, attracting more Chinese firms to hold conferences and organize employee tours to Korea,” a KTO spokesman said. KTO held a road show in Guangzhou in December last year and was able to persuade several companies to send a total of 4,000 employees to Korea on a corporate-sponsored tour scheme. For instance, Infinitus China sent 2,000 employees to Ko

Sep 1, 2011

Unmanned tour guide system serves foreigners at Daegu stadium

By Lee Hyo-sik Both Korean and non-Korean visitors to the southeastern city of Daegu where the 2011 World Athletics Championships are currently being held are easily able to obtain tourism information via tour guide terminals set up by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The state tourism promoter said the terminals, equipped with a high-definition touch screen, provide a wealth of information on hotels, popular tourist destinations and appropriate means of transportation in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. Professional operators fluent in English, Japanese and Chinese at the TT Call Center answer questions directly via the terminals. The center is located at the KTO headquarters in downtown Seoul and offers 24-hour travel information. ``We installed the machines primarily in and around Daegu Stadium to help foreign athletes and tourists obtain relevant information, means of transportation and other travel-related matters. They have been such a useful tool for us to promote local tourism while foreigners are here to attend the championships,’’ a KTO official said.

Sep 1, 2011

Hotel Lobby

Westin Chosun Seoul Named one of the Top 25 Business Hotels in Asia for four consecutive years by online magazine Smart Travel Asia, Westin Chosun Seoul continues to maintain its high standards and quality service. It was ranked 15th, tying with Peninsula Shanghai and the St. Regis in Singapore. The hotel’s ranking was the highest among Korean hotels, as Shilla came in at 16th, the Grand Hyatt Seoul was 20th, and the Park Hyatt at 21st. Overall, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong was selected as the best business hotel, followed by Fullerton Hotel Singapore and the Four Seasons Hong Kong. Jualin Lew, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, said, “The Westin Chosun has the tradition of being the first hotel in Korean history. All parts of the hotel have been renovated for over six years. We presume business travelers highly evaluated its unique service, such as express check-in and digital information service.” Hyatt Regency Jeju For those planning a late summer vacation, Hyatt Regency Jeju offers the Starry Night at Jeju package throughout September. The package incl

Sep 1, 2011

Diverse packages to spice up Chuseok

By Kim Rahn Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving, is a major holiday when families gather together and visit their hometowns. Hectic schedules and a shortage of time prevent everyone from doing so and some remain in Seoul, relaxing their exhausted bodies and souls. During this year’s four-day holiday that starts from Sept. 10, the city’s hotels are presenting seasonal packages especially for such people. They are also suitable for those who return early from visiting their hometown. It is an ideal way to spend the rest of the holiday by relieving fatigue from the long drive and from conducting the worship ceremony for ancestors. What to eat The Sheraton Grande Walkerhill presents Full Moon Packages from Sept. 9 to 13. A one night stay at a Douglas Room with a breakfast buffet at The View is priced at 197,000 won, while a one night stay at a deluxe room with breakfast starts at 207,000 won. All deals also include a free Zain cosmetics kit from Coreana, a Korean dumpling making event with the hotel’s chef on the day before Chuseok, Korean folk game “yut nori”

Sep 1, 2011

SPAF brings int’l theater scene into heart of Seoul

37 works from eight countries will be shown from Sept. 28 to Oct. 31 By Chung Ah-young The Edinburgh Festival, which runs through Sept. 4, is undoubtedly one of the most notable performing arts events in the world, boasting decades-long history, diversity and size. Compared to the Scottish time-honored event, the Seoul Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) is still in its infancy but gradually improving its program and attracting diverse acts from around the world. A total of 37 works from eight countries will be presented at the SPAF from Sept. 28 to Oct. 31 at major venues at Daehangno, the Arko Arts Theater and Daehangno Arts Theater and the old Seoul Station. Every year, the annual event draws a large number of visitors through major international and domestic contemporary performing arts from theater, dance and multidisciplinary arts. Initiated in 2001, the SPAF is one of the most prestigious culture and performance brands in Korea and is gradually emerging as one of the best performing arts festivals in Asia. From this year, the event will be hosted by HanP

Sep 1, 2011

Hotel Lobby

Grand Hyatt Seoul The Wine Club of Grand Hyatt Seoul will hold its fifth event of the year on Sept. 1. Guests can taste as many premium wines from all over the world and as much as they want along with a tapas-style buffet. Under the theme “Made for Japan,” the event will take place at the Japanese restaurant Akasaka, with a variety of wines perfectly paired to the restaurant’s authentic Japanese cuisine such as sushi, tepanyaki, grilled skewered delicacies and noodles. It will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. the price is 75,000 won and 65,000 won for Dine@Hyatt members. For more information, call (02) 799-8403.

Aug 25, 2011

Hotels offer one more night promotion

This is the 11th in a series featuring hotels offering a “one-more-night promotion” to guests who stay for three or four nights with a one-night complementary stay. A total of 36 hotels across the country will be presented over a six-month period. The series will introduce three hotels at a time biweekly and is in conjunction with the nationwide campaign to promote the “2010-2012 Visit Korea Years.” ― ED. Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Sheraton Grande Walkerhill is offering a special rate for guests wanting to stay for an extended period. Foreign guests who book three nights at the hotel get the third night for free. Guests must check in Monday or Sunday. Room rates are 250,000 won per night, exclusive of tax and service charges. The promotional period will continue through Nov. 30, 2011. To receive a 20-percent discount on the must-see Korean dinner show, “Legend of Flower II,” guests should present an e-coupon, available at the Sheraton Walkerhill website. For more information, call 82-2-455-5000 or visit the hotel’s website (www.walkerhill.com). Pullman Ambassador Changw

Aug 25, 2011

Korean low-cost carriers going global

By Lee Hyo-sik The country’s five budget carriers ― Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, Eastar Jet and T’way Air ― used to offer only domestic routes. Now they have flights linking Korea with destinations in Japan, China and Southeast Asian countries. Over the past few years, they have been providing outbound Korean and inbound foreign travelers with more choices in airlines. Low-cost carriers have been able to woo substantial numbers of customers from Korean Air and Asiana Airlines by offering lower airfare and differentiated services on international routes. This year local budget carriers have made a huge leap forward as a record number of Koreans have headed overseas. More foreign visitors from China, Japan and Southeast Asian countries have also helped them grow at an explosive pace. According to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, the number of Korean and non-Korean travelers using five low-cost carriers on a combined 13 international routes reached 276,000 during the January to February period this year, accounting for 4 percent of the total cr

Aug 25, 2011By Lee Hyo-sik

Spicy hearty ’galbi-jjim’ for adventurers

By Kim Ji-soo DAEGU ― It’s hearty, meaty and spicy. And that’s all from a Korean’s point of view. The “it” is the dish of spicy braised “galbi-jjim” literally soaked in spicy red peppers and tons of garlic. Located in Dongin-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu, there are bunch of these spicy galbi-jjim stores all line up in one section. As host to the 13th IAAF World Athletics Championships , the city is currently host to some 2,000 athletes, some 2,000 journalists and IAAF staff and others. Look into any tourist information brochures and you will easily find these galbi-jjim restaurants mentioned among the top in “must-try” eateries in this city some 300 kilometers south of Seoul. The origin of this dish was actually noodles. The story goes that dish was born when laborers who used to frequent the noodle dish sometimes brought meat to the store for added nutrition. As the chef of the humble noodle shop struggled to prepare some feast, there came advice from people to add this or that ― usually red pepper, garlic and other basic ingredients used in Korean dishes. It’s a story that r

Aug 25, 2011By Do Je-hae
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