Gyeongsangbuk-do

The Place on Korea’s ₩1,000 Bill — Walking Through Dosan Seowon in Autumn

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Autumn foliage framing the traditional wooden buildings inside Dosan Seowon, Andong

Take a look at the back of South Korea’s ₩1,000 banknote. Past the portrait of Confucian scholar Yi Hwang, there’s a painting of a man sitting in a wooden study, surrounded by trees and a river drifting by. That place is real — it’s called Dosan Seowon, a 16th-century Confucian academy built into the mountains … Read more

Binggye Valley: Where Ice Forms in the Middle of Korean Summer

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Binggye Bridge footbridge crossing the stream inside Binggye Valley

I visited Binggye Valley on one of the hottest days of the summer, sweating through my shirt before I even got out of the taxi. Twenty minutes later, I was standing in front of a crack in the rocks where the air coming out registered below zero. Ice — actual ice — clinging to stone … Read more