It's been ages since I last posted on my blog, five months in fact, and it's about time I did something about it!
Before I post anything new, I've actually got to put up some pictures from my last trip to Korea in early March.
Apart from the snowboarding trip that I've talked about below, I also had some spare time in Seoul, so I decided to go the the Folk Museum, which is located in the 경복궁 (Gyeongbok Palace).
The palace is really pretty, with many big buildings that have all be restored to a fantastic condition.
Seoul is such a modern and fast growing city though that the enevitable modern buildings enter the backdrop in some pictures like these below.
This is a picture taken in the Folk museum showing a primitive Korean underfloor heating system.
Even today, most properties in Korea are heated by underfloor systems, though I imagine that these are hot air or electric types these days.
Most of the domestic buildings in the Gyeongbuk Palace are heated in a similar way to this reconstruction - by hot air from an open fire, drawn under the floor and out through the walls and chimneys on the rooftops. In some cases, as shown here, the fire used for heating, can also be used for cooking.
When I was reading about this, I couldn't help but notice that this heating system is remarkably similar to the Roman system called Hypocaust. The Korean system is called 온돌 (On-Dol), so the names are not even remotely similar, but further research suggests that maybe the Koreans were first, with the first finds dating to around 1000 BC!
The Wikipedia entry on On-Dol can be found here.
I wish I had taken some more photos inside the Folk Museum. For me the most interesting section is that of modern history, which shows the development of Korea from the end of the last century 'Opening Of Ports' time, to today. I am awestruck at the speed that the country has changed. Especially when you consider the times of Japanese occupation, and civil war.
Shown below is an example of the rapid introduction of western culture and products to Korea. The Beatles had truly become a worldwide sensation at this time with records on sale even in Korea.
Korea will always be for me a country that I never tire of reading about. I'm so pleased that due to recent career changes, I will have the opportunity to live there for a few years, even though I believe that the rate of change has now slowed considerably since these early days.
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