Once-in-a-Lifetime Encounter: Seoul, South Korea

Procrastination at its peak. I wanted to share a small travel note casually, but it dragged from 2018 to 2020. Fortunately, I finally “settled down” (though actually my heart was extremely restless—during the days when I couldn't go out, every travel destination made me excited) to finish it. I hope it can be helpful for friends who plan to go to South Korea in the future. On days when we can't travel, we can only get by on these beautiful memories. My buddy said, “Over the years, from colleagues to close friends, traveling together has left our footprints, acting silly together has left a treasure trove of ‘black history,’ and we've made colorful future travel plans together. It's really a lucky thing to have someone who understands you when you mention a time, place, or keyword, and to recall past stories together.” Traveling with someone who truly connects with you is indeed a very lucky thing.

I went to South Korea twice within a year. Maybe it's because my first overseas trip was to South Korea, so my impression of the country is quite good. In September 2018, just before the Chuseok holiday, Yan Jie and Miao Biao decided on our first overseas destination—Seoul. It was the top choice for travel beginners due to its proximity, low cost, and language barrier. Later, I also went to Jeju Island. That trip was sparked when I boasted about live octopus to my buddies, and then a friend who snagged a round-trip flight for 1 yuan strongly recommended it. So in March, when I noticed a one-way ticket for 7 yuan, I decisively got round-trip tickets for the Dragon Boat Festival with my buddies. There were some hiccups along the way, and since it was the first time I planned a trip so far in advance, I always had an incredulous feeling. But the little surprises along the way made it all worth it.

Overall, I think South Korea is a great place for a little relaxation, a little indulgence, a little vacation, and a little leisure. You don't need to spend too much time in any city—three or four days is enough. You can stroll around, look at things, eat, drink, shop, and buy. For office workers, it's a perfect short vacation destination that meets multiple needs. Moreover, the weather in South Korea is generally cool, making it a great summer escape for friends from the south. And the feeling of shopping is amazing—ever since I experienced the irresistible prices at South Korea's duty-free shops, I think everything in China is expensive!

Seoul: Average cost 3,000 yuan per person (excluding shopping)

(1) Preparation:

1. Flight: 1,303 yuan, Ctrip, Jin Air

2018-09-15 Hong Kong–Seoul, LJ0114, 13:20–18:05

2018-09-20 Seoul–Hong Kong, LJ0113, 09:30–12:10

Because my friend and I work in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, we mainly looked at flights departing from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Hong Kong. We booked about a month in advance. After comparison, Hong Kong was the cheapest, while flights from Guangzhou and Shenzhen at the same time cost over 2,000 yuan per person. Later, I also checked flight prices from the Pearl River Delta to Japan and other parts of South Korea. If time permits, for friends in the Pearl River Delta, departing from Hong Kong or Macau offers the best value for trips to Japan and South Korea.

2. Visa: 368 yuan, Ctrip

Compared to other countries, South Korea visas are quite easy to obtain. So we booked the tickets first and then found an agent on Ctrip to handle the visa. After submitting the required documents, we basically got the visa within a week. South Korea visas don't require income, employment, or asset proof. For those with a bachelor's degree, you only need basic materials plus education documents and a photocopy of the entire household register. Last year, some other friends got a five-year multiple-entry visa for over 900 yuan. If you plan to fly to South Korea once a year like we do, a multiple-entry visa saves a lot.

3. Accommodation: 800 yuan per person, 5 nights, guesthouse

There are many accommodation options in Seoul. We don't have high requirements for lodging, so we directly found a cost-effective guesthouse on a homestay platform. It was near Ewha Womans University, and it was a 200-meter walk from the airport bus stop. Personally, if your Seoul trip is mainly for shopping, staying near Myeongdong would be much more convenient. Although Seoul is not big overall, most attractions are spread around Myeongdong, so staying near Myeongdong is the most convenient choice.

4. SIM Card: Yidian Card

Because of work needs, after consulting colleagues, I chose the Yidian Card. It has a matching app called “Yidian Connection.” The advantage is that you can link it with your domestic phone number to forward calls and texts, and it can be used long-term. You just top up the data for different countries through the app. Each top-up is valid for six months. The downside is that the price is a bit high.

5. Tmoney Card

This is a universal transportation card for South Korea, usable on buses, airport buses, some taxis, and some convenience stores. You can buy and top it up at the airport service counter. We spent a total of 50,000 won on the card and top-ups during our six days in Seoul. After using it for round-trip airport buses and subways, we still had more than 10,000 won left, which we spent at convenience stores when we went to Jeju Island.

6. Power Adapter

South Korea uses round-pin plugs. Most hotels and guesthouses provide adapters.

Just exchange currency at the bank in advance.

Overall, the weather in South Korea is similar to that of northeastern China. Maybe due to our luck, it rained almost every day in mid-September in Seoul. The temperature was around 20°C, with a large temperature difference between day and night. Most Korean girls on the street still wore sweatshirts and shorts, very much like Korean girl groups. We were shivering while admiring their style.

(2) Itinerary:

Day 1: 2018-09-15 Hong Kong–Seoul, LJ0114, 13:20–18:05

Since our guesthouse indicated that the airport bus line could go directly, after arriving at Incheon Airport, my friend and I went straight to the service counter, bought a T-money card, found the bus stop, and got on. Of course, due to the language barrier, we still missed our stop and had to carry our suitcases uphill for one stop to reach the guesthouse.

Day 2: 2018-09-16 Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village

The weather in Seoul was gloomy. On the first day, we chose the most classic attraction, Gyeongbokgung Palace. The Hanok Village is about a kilometer away from the palace. If you rent a hanbok outside Gyeongbokgung, you can enter for free. The hanbok rental is quite cheap, about 20,000 won depending on the style and fabric. They also offer Korean hairstyling, provide headpieces and handbags, and store your own bag for free. For someone like me who loves immersive experiences, I think it's very worthwhile to rent the clothes. It feels great to imagine yourself as a Korean drama heroine.

Of course, having seen the grandeur of Chinese palaces, entering Gyeongbokgung for the first time wasn't too overwhelming. The grayish-blue tones, combined with the drizzling rain, created a melancholic, gloomy atmosphere. It suited the scenes of Korean dramas perfectly. After strolling through Gyeongbokgung for about two hours, we went out, changed clothes, and took a taxi to Bukchon Hanok Village. The village has many cafes and small jewelry shops. We wandered around, had a cup of coffee—which was the only coffee I craved for in Korea—and felt a bit regretful. I really wanted to have some ginseng chicken soup in the Hanok Village, but my friend preferred grilled pork belly. So on the way back, we chose an eight-flavored grilled pork belly restaurant. A set menu of 60,000 won filled the three of us to the brim.

Day 3: 2018-09-17 Ewha Womans University, Hongdae

We woke up naturally and went to the nearby Ewha Womans University. The campus is beautiful with many pretty Korean girls. I really envied their fair skin. There are many jewelry shops around the university. Our main task that day was to buy all kinds of earrings and accessories. We shopped from Ewha to Hongdae and probably bought dozens of pairs of earrings. If you plan to start a small business selling accessories in China, you might want to check it out; many shops offer special prices for Chinese e-commerce platforms. Although I haven't worn many of those earrings often, the excitement at that moment was so strong that even if I go again, I think I will still be unable to resist buying more.

Day 4: 2018-09-18 N Seoul Tower

During the day, we shopped at Myeongdong's duty-free stores. Since I wanted to see both the daytime and nighttime views of the famous N Seoul Tower (made popular by “My Love from the Star”), we walked over in the late afternoon, about ten minutes. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed—it was the typical lock bridge, far less stunning than the Canton Tower. Fortunately, it was close to the duty-free shops, so it wasn't too tiring to include in the itinerary.

In the evening, we had a delicious meal at a restaurant called Jeonju Jungang Hoe-gwan in Myeongdong. The ginseng chicken soup was really savory, better than any I've had in Guangzhou! The restaurant owner was very gentlemanly—he helped us mix rice, grill meat, and serve soup. His English voice was very pleasant. Even now, when I think back to the first sip of that ginseng chicken soup, I still miss it.

Day 5: 2018-09-19 Gwangjang Market

At my strong insistence, we got up early and went to Gwangjang Market, which often appears in Korean variety shows. It's somewhat like a food street in China, but the difference is that people sit around the stalls to eat, making it lively and full of everyday life. There, I finally had the live octopus I had been longing for. And it was this live octopus that led to our next trip to Jeju Island, hahaha. An auntie from Northeast China chose a huge live octopus for us. We first touched it and took photos before she processed it. She just sprinkled some sesame oil and sesame seeds on it, but it was surprisingly delicious. Especially when I put the squirming octopus on my tongue and felt it crawling—it was an indescribable excitement and joy. We also had some common snacks like fried dumplings and kimchi pancakes, but none could compare to the live octopus. Unfortunately, my friends didn't try it, so I enjoyed it alone. A small regret.

After the delicious snacks, we continued shopping. It seemed that shopping was the main theme of this Seoul trip. Looking back, we spent half of each day in duty-free shops. The joy of shopping is truly unparalleled.

Oh, and by chance, we ran into a comeback performance by WJSN (Cosmic Girls). South Korea is indeed a place where you can randomly encounter idols anytime—what a pleasant surprise!

Day 6: 2018-09-20 Seoul–Hong Kong, LJ0113, 09:30–12:10

Since it was our first time in Seoul and we needed to pick up our tax-free purchases at the airport, Miao Biao and I left at 5 a.m. to catch the airport bus. It was quite troublesome because our accommodation was at an intermediate stop. The first airport bus had no empty seats, so we couldn't get on. Then we dragged our suitcases to the subway station, but the subway hadn't started running yet. We had almost spent all our cash the day before to avoid bringing it back, so we couldn't even take a taxi or the subway. It couldn't have been worse. Fortunately, another airport bus with empty seats arrived soon after. And thus, our Seoul trip ended with the joy and excitement of picking up our duty-free purchases at the airport!

I hope to have a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with my buddies every year!