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National Museum of South Korea or some more facts the history, culture and life in the country

National Museum of South Korea or some more facts the history, culture and life in the country

August 2018 · 6 min read · Ojeong-gu

We, as in a fairy tale, will go left - you will get to the National Museum, you will go to the right - you will get to the Khangyl Museum. Today we decided to go left ...

The National Museum is the place where you can generally learn about the country, its history, culture and much more. The National Museum in South Korea is 3 floors dedicated to different periods of Korean history, and not only. To get around it, you need at least 5-6 hours.

I remember how one day we came to a group in this museum, about 7-8 years ago, I could not connect two words to them in English. Having gone through only a couple of compartments of the museum, we were already tired of the fact that there were too many unfamiliar words in the tablets of the exhibits, and we understood little. Therefore, we all gathered together and went to the café at the museum to drink coffee, where we spent the remaining 2 hours, which we were assigned to inspect the museum.

The museum works every day from 10 am to 6 pm, on Wednesdays and Saturdays - until 9 pm, and on Sunday until 7 pm. In order to see the museum properly, you'll have to spend two days here. Fortunately, the entrance to the museum is free. Although there are different exhibitions in the special hall, in which the entrance is only for tickets. Now there is an exhibition "About Mongolia" and the entrance to it costs 3,000 Korean won, i.е. 3 dollars.

In front of the museum building is a small mirror pond, which is Cheongjianjon pavilion (청장 정) of the traditional Korean type.

Going upstairs to the museum building, you get under the refreshing water sprayers. In Korea it's already summer, the humidity is high, and consequently, it's very stuffy in the street. So such sprays will soon be in many public places, especially in amusement parks.

The museum itself is divided into 2 parts: on the right is the museum itself, and on the left there is a library, a theater, an educational center and a children's museum. At this fork, we will go to the right.

On each floor of the museum there are several recreation areas where you can sit and make a small break. Also there are coolers with water.


Floor #3

I, as usual, start from the top floor, i.e. from the third, on which there are 3 huge departments: the department of Asian countries, the department of Buddhism and the department with pottery.

The exhibition hall of Asian culture includes exhibits of different Asian countries that tell about the history, culture and features of the region. For example, in the hall "India" you can replenish your knowledge in the field of Hinduism, learn what kind of gods are worshiped in the homeland of the Taj Mahal.

The Silk Road Hall, which is located in the Central Asia department, is very popular among visitors. Probably because the Silk Road has always played a very important role in the Asian countries. Several hundred years ago, the first trade caravans passed along this route.

The Asian part of the museum consists of 5 large halls. 5 regions (Japan, China, Central Asia, India and South-East Asia, as well as a hall with exhibits found in the territory of Sinan). In total, in these 5 halls, more than 830 exhibits were collected.

All the halls are connected in a long corridor. Going into the hall with the Buddha, I was in a light shock. At the very beginning of this long corridor there are huge statues of Buddha. Here you can not only find the most diverse Buddhist statues, but also better learn the history of the birth of Buddhism on the Korean peninsula.

At the end of the corridor there are 3 rooms dedicated to pottery from Korea. There are a lot of beautiful handmade artifacts, and they date back to the 12th-14th centuries. In a separate room collected vessels found on the bottom of the sea. Some of them broke, some survived.

That section includes 710 items.


Floor #2


Going down to the floor below, we fall into 2 long corridors. In one corridor 8 halls, in which 300 works of art are exhibited, this corridor is devoted to calligraphy and painting. Perhaps the most important cultural heritage here is the 9-meter picture, which depicts the ritual of a Buddhist.

The second corridor connects 11 rooms, and it contains 1400 items of cultural heritage. In 11 rooms there are exhibits, which were donated to the museum. Here you can learn more about the culture of Korea.

Honestly, I walked 3-4 hours along the third floor, no less. And having descended to the 2 floor, my brain was not completely predisposed to studying the cultural heritage, he was already thinking about a cup of strong coffee, and the rumbling stomach also had no particular desire to continue the excursion. The clock was 3 o'clock in the afternoon. At the end of the 2nd floor there is a cafe, and I was already going there, I thought I would rest for a bit, and then with renewed strength I would continue to walk, but, alas, all the places were occupied. Apparently, not destiny.

Collecting all my will into a fist, I went down to the first floor.


Floor # 1


The first floor of the museum is dedicated to the history of Korea, from the Neolithic period to modern history. There are only 20 rooms and more than 7,500 items of cultural and historical heritage.

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On this floor I ran quickly. First, there were a lot of people here. Many schoolchildren, who had an open lesson. Many tourists who got acquainted with the history and culture of Korea. Secondly, my phone was discharged, it was impossible to take pictures. And thirdly, the time was around 6 pm, so I missed dinner, I decided to have supper. The museum has a good food court. There are Korean traditional dishes here. From European cuisine: pasta carbonarra and sandwiches. And in a coffee house at a food court you can drink coffee or eat something sweet.

I'll come back here and look into those corners that I did not have time to see this time.


@irisworld

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Travel Resources for your trip to South Korea

Recommended by TravelFeed

Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to South Korea.

Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in South Korea on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.

Travel Insurance: Medical emergencies abroad can be pricey, but travel health insurance is not. We always use SafetyWing for affordable and reliable coverage.

Transportation: Use 12go and Omio to find detailed bus and train schedules, making travel planning easier.

Car Rental: For hassle-free car hiring, DiscoverCars is our trusted choice with a wide selection of vehicles.

Internet: Got an eSIM compatible phone? Airalo is perfect for reliable internet access during your trip. Just install it before you go, and you're set!

Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.

Tickets: Save on entrance fees in South Korea with Klook and Tiquets.

Travel Planner: Need a hand planning? Our free travel planner chatbot is your personal guide to South Korea. Chat now.

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