Korean Cultural Experience Programs

I am sure that most of the international visitors will like to have Hanbok and Kimchi experience when they come to Korea. Worry to pay more? You can save your worry now as you can have your Hanbok experience FREE in Seoul Global Culture & Tourism Center. It is located in Myeongdong, a place that you must pass by during your city tour in Seoul. Therefore it is very convenient. Hanbok experience is available everyday from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm. 

Hanbok experience

Besides Hanbok, they offer Kimchi making class, K-pop dancing class and Korea handicrafts making class as well with affordable price. Do visit their website and apply for the classes if you are interested. 

Handicrafts making class

K-pop dancing class

Kimchi making class

On top of that, there are a series of Happy Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) events in September. Those events are:

1. Make your own Korean traditional doll with Hanji (4th Sept)
2. Visit 'Tteok' rice cake museum and learn how to make Tteok (5th Sept)
3. Upload your photo and get free rice cake (from 4th Sept until end of stock)

For more information, please visit their website:

www.seoultourism.kr

http://facebook.com/seoulcenter3789

Happy Chuseok Events

Homestay & Home-Visit at Incheon, Korea

For international visitors who are coming to Korea for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, grab this opportunity to stay with Korean families via this program!

This program will be held from 1st September 2014 to 31st October 2014. You can stay at a cheaper price as compared to hotel prices while watching the 2014 Incheon Asia Gams. And of course, Orangji Guesthouse is one of your option as we are located only 10 minutes away from the main stadium. On the other hand, for home-visit purpose, you may spend approximately 4 hours with the Incheon residents to gain new experience. 

For more information, please visit www.homestay2014ag.com

Seoul City Walking Tour

Good news for all the backpackers who wish to travel Seoul with the minimum budget. Under the Seoul Cultural Tourism Volunteer Guide Program, you are now able to get a free tour guide while walking around various parts of the city. Reservation is needed at least three days in advance for individual (up to 10 people). While for group reservation (more than 10 people), you need to book the tour at least five days in advance.

There are 23 different tours under this program and it can be categorized into seven themes, which are: traditional culture, modern historical culture, ecological restoration, traditional market, ancient historical culture, thematic theme and Seoul city hall tour. Tourist hot spots such as Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace, Changgyeong Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Cheonggye stream, Namsan fortress, Seonggyungwan, Insadong and etc are some of the examples for this walking tour.

Those guides are experts who are knowledgeable in Seoul's history and culture. In addition, the tour is available in Korean, Japanese, Chinese and English. By following the tour, you are able to understand Seoul in a deeper way.

For more information, please visit http://dobo.visitseoul.net

Bukchon Hanok Village route map

Gyeongbok Palace route map

Insadong-Unhyeon Palace route map

Seoul City Tour Bus

Although subway is the most popular public transportation for the tourists, it is not the only way for you to travel around Seoul. Travelling by using subway, you may not be able to see the beautiful scenery of Seoul during your journey. To overcome this, the Korean government launched the Seoul City Tour Bus in order to help the tourists in traveling around Seoul.

By purchasing just one ticket at KRW12,000, you are able to hop-on and hop-off the shutter bus as much as you want throughout the day. The city tour courses cover most of the major attractions and shopping venues in Seoul, such as Namdaemun Market, Seoul Station, Itaewon, Myeong Dong, Namsangol Hanok Village, Dongdaemun Market, N Seoul Tower, Insa-dong and Gyeongbokgung. All the passengers will be provided with individual headsets to listen to tourism guides in several different languages, such as Chinese, English, Korean and Japanese. As a matter of fact, you will not be able to get lost during the journey.

There are four major courses, which are:

1. Downtown – Palace Course
2. Seoul Panorama Course
3. 1-story Bus Night Course
4. 2-story Bus Night Course

However, it will be closed on Monday. You can get the ticket at Line 5 Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 6 (in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Gwanghwamun).

For those who are interested in travelling Seoul with a different way, you may visit www.seoulcitybus.com for more information. Wishing you a pleasant trip in Seoul!

Seoul City Tour Bus 

Downtown - Palace Course

Seoul Panorama Course

1-story Bus Night Course

2-story Bus Night Course

Hwamunseok Mat

Something special to introduce here: Hwamunseok, a hand-made mat woven made from pure white sedge, it's the unique product from Ganghwa, South Korea. This is because the pure white sedge is only grown in Ganghwa. It was originated during the Goryeo ages and continually developed into home handicraft industry during the present times. 

The main function of hwamunseok is to absorb moisture in summer and protect the nature from chill of cold weather in winter. It is durable and the glossiness of the mat can last for a long period. Nowadays, many Koreans use it as a sleeping mat for babies and also as decorative purposes in the living room. 

Making hwamunseok is not an easy job. It may need 2 to 3 craftsmen to produce 1 ordinary hwamenseok mat in 7-10 days time. This fully hand-made traditional product should be widely introduced to the tourists so that they can further understand the culture of Korea. In conjuction with this, Orangji Guesthouse is offering a day trip to Ganghwa area and one of the activities is making your own Hwamunseok. We will bring you to visit Hwamunseok Cultural Center so that you can see the process of making Hwamunseok and purchase some of the products if you are interested. 

Hwamunseok Cultural Center

The major raw material for Hwamunseok mat: sedge. 

Manufacturing process for Hwamunseok mat.

Dyeing process of the sedge.

Traditional hwamunseok mat during Goryeo ages.

Hwamunseok working place

Hwamunseok learning center

Process of making Hwamunseok

Your own hand-made Hwamunseok

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1846252
http://www.ganghwa.incheon.kr/open_content/english/product/product_02_02.jsp
http://agri.ganghwa.go.kr/agricenter_e/spc_crops/hwamunseok.asp

Our First Customers!

Ja jang!!!! Here is our's first customer, the lovely family from Malaysia! It's our pleasure to guide this family for 2 days in Seoul area. They were so kind and friendly. Surprisingly, I did not feel that they were my customers. We are just like friends! Maybe it was because that I am a Malaysian too. Therefore, I felt like I was meeting some old friends in Korea. In addition, they even brought me a lot of local foods from Malaysia. Instant noodles, Milo, Kaya, biscuits, keropok.... I love it so much! Thank you very much!!! 

For the first day, we brought them to Kimchi making class at Tea Guesthouse. Honestly speaking, they ate a lot of Kimchi before, but that was the first time for them to hands on making their own Kimchi! All of them were very concentrating in cutting the ingredients and preparing the Kimchi. Hopefully they will like the Kimchi that they made when they back to Malaysia. Besides, they also had their photo session with Hanbok (Korean traditional costume). Everybody chose their preference Hanbok and got ready for the photo session. In Korea, we don't say "Cheese" during the photo session; we say "Kimchi"... In my opinion, making Kimchi and wearing Hanbok are the least you need to try if you visit to Korea. This is because these are the uniqueness of their culture which you cannot find it at an other places in the world. After Tea Guesthouse, we moved on to Korea Folk Village. Here, they were able to see the traditional houses and traditional cultural programs, such as wedding ceremony. 

Second day, the young ladies wanted to visit the film shooting scenes for the popular Korean dramas such as Winter Sonata and My Love from Stars. So, we went to Nami Island and Petite France to fulfill their desire. They were so exciting to be in the film shooting scenes. From here I can feel the POWER of Korean drama.... Hahahaha....

We are so thankful to this family. Hopefully they enjoy our tour and hope to see you again in the future!