Islamic Tourism: By Motaz Othman: Seoul is the most developed of the Asian Tigers' cities. It combines its glorious past with Western civilization. The most valuable asset is its people, with their good tastes, discipline and mild manners in dealing with visitors. The country also has a rich culture and proud heritage.
I have long dreamt of visiting the peninsula of Korea. The opportunity presented itself during my participation in the travel and conference exhibition, held at Chang-Hai in April 2008.
I visited many cities in the Asia-Pacific region, but Seoul is one of the more developed and better organized. We arrived from Chang-Hai, after a flight of an hour and a half and booked into the famous Lotte Hotel. It seems that the organizers wanted us to discover Korean gastronomy - we had lunch at the Samcheong restaurant while listening to the rhythms of beautiful live music. Korean food is more like Japanese food than Chinese.
The Koreans are proud of their ancient civilization of more than 5000 years. We visited the royal palace, where the ruling dynasty resided for nearly 400 years. This palace, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO, is distinguished by its extensive gardens and beautiful architecture. Near by, we passed by the Blue House, the seat of government, built on the style of the White House. This was followed by a shopping trip to the malls to buy souvenirs and gifts and a boat tour on the Han River.
In Korea, you can't escape mention of the war between the north and south, more than fifty years ago. The second day we visited the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, where we noticed the tunnels dug during the war. It is clear that the people of South Korea want the reunification of the country. That's what I felt and that is what I thought the people of North Korea want. Among the beautiful features found on this site, was a large globe divided in two, with North Korea in the first half and South Korea in the second, and all the people pushing for the reunification of both sides . It symbolises the strong wish of both countries to unite.
Seoul is a modern, clean, well organized city. Its population is respectful of law and order, well dressed and virtuous. We felt their warm welcome everywhere. Officials are working with professionalism for the promotion of their city, both to tourists and to organizers of conventions and exhibitions. They created two international centres (KINTEX and COEX), to house conventions and exhibitions
The only obstacle to the development of tourism in Korea may be its remoteness, at the east end of the globe. Despite this, Koreans do not hesitate to participate in tourism exhibitions throughout the world.
The famous Seoul tower is certainly the city's main attraction with a magnificent view from the revolving restaurant offering French dishes. One can also observe the original lighting system that changes depending on the season.
Seoul hosted the 1988 Olympic Games and, in partnership with Japan, the 2002 World Cup. As regards football, I spoke with a female friend on a trip between Jordan and Syria about my visit to Seoul and the customs of its inhabitants. She told me that South Korea participated in the World Cup held in Germany. After winning a match, its supporters celebrated the event as usual. But the Koreans distinguished themselves by cleaning up after the party. This prompted the German organizers to send a letter of thanks to the Korean government, praising this highly civilized behaviour.
The Korean peninsula is located between China and Japan. The population of South Korea is 50 million. Due to its relations with these two Asian giants and with the USA and the West in general, its economy is ranked among the top ten in the world. The average wage is high, $2300 per month for a new university graduate. But prices are also high. The climate, it is pleasant most of the time, with four distinct seasons.
In all sincerity, the residents of Seoul are well mannered and highly cultured. Their behaviour is exemplary. The country's economic development is undoubtedly due to the family discipline inculcated from an early age.
Having experienced the delights of the south, I'd like to have the opportunity to visit North Korea and see how the other half lives.
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