Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Momente din Seul 16. Turnul Namsan / Seoul Moments 16. Namsan Tower

Another way to see the city from above, is to go to the Namsan Tower. One may arrive there by bus, by cable-car or by the tourist bus. I picked out the last one.


The Korean capital is surrounded by mountains. Not high ones but spectacular! Namsan Mountain (meaning "the Southern Mountain") is one of them. The tower was erected on 1969 but only on 1980 the adjacent zone was put to public use as a park.

As Namsan Mountain is one of the places were the Seulites are going to admire the cherry-blossoms, the aleys were full of people. Up, on the terrace, many people, of all ages. Some were  picnicking, others were taking photographs and admiring the views. Not few were those looking at the love's lockers, exposed on a wall.


Namsan Mountain is a pleasant place to be in a spring day, when the whole mountain is adorned by cherry flowers.

P.S. for MKL, a Slovenian blogger leaving in Taiwan: a looked after your note there but I was not able to find it. May be I looked in the wrong place, I am sorry.

O alta posibilitatea de a privi orasul de sus este sa mergi pe Muntele Namsan, la Turnul Namsan. Se poate urca cu o telecabina ( (Linia 4, iesirea 3, statia Myeong-dong; biletul de telecabina costa 6000 won un drum sau 7500 won dus/intors; durata: 40 minute), cu autobuzul (metrou Linia 3 si 4, iesirea 2, statia Chungmuro, apoi autobuzul galben) sau cu autocarul turistic, despre care am vorbit. Eu am ales aceasta ultima varianta.

Orasul Seoul este inconjurat de "munti", cu inaltimi care la noi sunt atribuite dealurilor. Datorita imbinarii intre paduri si zone stancoase, unele greu accesibile, lasa impresia unor munti. Coreenii sunt mari amatori de drumetie si de catarare si nu rareori poti vedea in metrou oameni complet echipati ca pentru niste ture lungi si dificile pe munte.

Muntele Namsan are o inaltime de numai 265 m, iar numele sau inseamna "muntele de sud". Se spune ca el ofera unele dintre cele mai cuprinzatoare privelisti asupra Seulului. Aici se afla si unele dintre obiectivele importante ale orasului, Turnul Namsan.
Acesta a fost construit in 1969, iar zona din jurul sau a fost deschisa publicului, sub forma unui parc, in 1980. Exista aici cateva restaurante, inclusiv unul care se roteste. De asemenea, o punte de observare permite admirarea privelistilor. Dupa asfintit, aici are loc un spectacol de lasere, la care, din pacate, nu am asistat.
 logo-ul turnului
De indata ce autocarul s-a angajat pe serpentinele care conduc spre turn, au inceput sa se auda exclamatii de incantare: inaintam pe o alee de ciresi infloriti, plina de oameni care se plimbau. Din loc in loc, vedeam crampeie din oras.
La cateva sute de metri de turn este statia la care toti coboara si parcurg pe jos ultima portiune de drum. Chiar la inceput, vad o parte din vechiul zid de piatra care inconjura vechea capitala regala.
Vizibil din aproape orice loc din oras, Turnul Namsan masoara 480 m inaltime. In mica piata care il inconjoara e foarte multa lume. Unii s-au asezat, pregatiti cu tot ce le trebuie pentru picnic.
Altii se plimba, fac fotografii, admira privelistile sau lasa cate un lacat al iubirii pe zidul special dedicat.
Vizitatorii sunt de toate varstele, pana la cei mai tineri. Pe toti ii vegheaza Haechi, mascota Seulului.
Haechi
Panorama oferita din varf este, probabil, spectaculoasa seara, cand se aprind luminile orasului. Poate este insa locul sa spun ca, de cand lumea se lupta sa faca fata crizei mondiale, orasul Seoul a decis sa restranga iluminatul public la strictul necesar. In consecinta, cred ca fotografii nocturne, facute de pe Muntele Namsan, asa cum am vazut pe internet, nu vor mai fi posibile, cel putin o perioada de timp.
Totusi, esarfele de ciresi infloriti ne transmit optimismul lor, cand admiram orasul de sus.
E vremea sa ma grabesc spre autobuz. Mai sunt cateva ore pana se intuneca, asa ca mai pot vizita ceva.

30 comments:

Joop Zand said...

Everytime it's a pleasure to see your nice photowork...thanks !!

greetings, Joop

Traveling Hawk said...

It's me who should say "thanks" to you, Joop, for your comment!

joo said...

It's really fantastic place! Thanks for sharing:)

Randy said...

I love those beautiful trees! What a lovely walk.

Rama Ananth said...

I love the cherry blossoms, I have only seen it in pictures, must visit places where they bloom in abundance. It is indeed a visual pleasure to come to your blogs.

Traveling Hawk said...

Glad you enjoyed, Joo!

Traveling Hawk said...

Those trees make the place to look like a fairy land, Randy.

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you, Rama, for your visit and comment. Japan, South Korea, and China are the best places where you may see the cherry blossoms or sakura.

Liliana said...

Si aici au lacate?! Pe mine m-au fascinat in Florenta, dar se pare ca sunt multe locatii in lume unde sunt aceste lacate.

Unknown said...

frumos timp ai prins cu ciresii infloriti. desi se vede ca era multa lume, parca acesti copaci degaja o atmosfera de calm si liniste.

Traveling Hawk said...

Da, Liliana, obiceiul s-a raspandit:)

Traveling Hawk said...

pharaonx, ciresii aia creeaza o atmosfera de vis; cred ca fotografiile nu reusesc sa arate tot; in alta parte erau doar ciresi roz, o sa-i vedeti si pe aia! nu-mi venea sa plec dintre ei desi ploua...

VP said...

A quite different perspective, I always like a view from above.

Traveling Hawk said...

There are many places in Seoul, VP, to see the city from above. I only visited these two. There are still so many things I have not seen there that I am inclined to go the second time there:)

magda said...

Oooo, flowers, nice view, very interesting place!!
Thank you for so beautiful trip!
Many greetings

TG said...

Great photos, bring back memories to me :P I guess my writing was washed away already, haha. Anyway, thanks for the effort and the mention :)

So nice of you.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

The trees with white blossom are really quite beautiful!

Duncan In Kuantan

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you, Magda, for the comments!

Traveling Hawk said...

Of course I looked for it, MKL! Yours was the first good presentation of Seoul, I found on internet!

Traveling Hawk said...

Yes, Duncan Namsan Mountain is one of the great promenade places, when the cherries are blooming.

ruma said...

Hello.
Awe inspiring your works...

Thank you for your love and sincerity.
Have a good weekend.

Greetings.
From Saga, Japan.
ruma

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you so much, Ruma, for your kind words. A nice weekend to you too!

cartim said...

Multitudonea aceea de flori de cires este extraordinara, iar orasul vazut dwe sus indiferent cat de luminat este acesta , cred ca e superba.
Pare un loc deosebit.

Traveling Hawk said...

Da, Cartim, un loc in care - ca si in altele - am stat prea putin...

LifeRamblings said...

a wonderful place with plenty of great photo ops.

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you, Life Ramblings, for the visit!

J_on_tour said...

Once again, some spectacular views of the city. I see that the Koreans love their dogs as well !!

Traveling Hawk said...

Yes! it's a major change of attitude. The young generation is more inclined to adopt Western habits.

Swit Rocs said...

Superb! Parca ar fi drumul pe sub Tampa din Brasov, doar ca strajuit de ciresi!

Traveling Hawk said...

Da, cam asa, Rocs dar ciresii fac diferenta!