A Seoul-full of wonders

Bound for Seoul, I have one friend asking me to bring back cosmetics and another warning me that South Korean immigration is not friendly and will deport people �or no reason�

I find myself wondering at Incheon International Airport how I� supposed to buy cosmetics if I� deported. It makes me that much more nervous as I hand over my passport. The emotionless official stares at me. The floor seems to be quivering.

He stamps my passport and says, �ext!�P>

Time to buy some cosmetics.

Seoul has gone out of its way to meld ancient and modern. The venerable palaces and stirring architecture of old sit side by side with high-rise tower blocks and chic urbanity.

The Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace, the biggest of the five grand palaces erected during the Joseon Dynasty, dates to 1394, when the dynasty� founder, King Taejo, relocated his capital to Hangyang, as Seoul was originally known.

The Gyeongbokgung was expanded continuously during the reigns of Taejong and Sejong the Great, the latter of whom created Hungul, the native script of Korea.

â€�here are sculptures all over the palace of lion-like creature with horns,â€�says our guide, Kim, pointing out a beast at the bridge by the entrance. â€�hey are haechi â€" a mythical fire-eating creature.â€�P>

The haechi, or haetae, is believed to protect the palace from both disaster and violent change, and in payment for services rendered, was chosen in 2009 to be the city� official symbol.

This honour graciously overlooked the fact that most of the palace was razed when the Japanese invaded in 1592.

The Gyeongbokgung sat deserted for 250 years, finally being rebuilt in 1865 as a gigantic complex of 330 buildings and 5,792 rooms.

Then, early in the last century, the Japanese wrecked it again, leaving fewer than 10 buildings standing. The latest reconstruction has continued in earnest since 1989 on what is known, ironically enough, as �he Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven�

Close to the palace is the Insa-dong shopping street, its twisting lanes dotted with souvenir shops, teashops and restaurants, a nice place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea after the long walk around the Gyeongbokgung Palace.

�e�l cook some kimchi, one of the most important dishes in Korean cuisine,�Kim announces en route to Korea House in the Jung-gu area. It turns out to be a school, and the famous treat of fermented vegetables is basic education.

â€�ou have to slice onions, pears, radishes and leeks into small pieces â€" big pieces mean you need more practice,â€�says the instructor.

My first chopping produces hefty nuggets of onions, but I focus and get things tinier.

There are more than 100 different types of kimchi, the recipes varying from region to region and family to family.

�f a woman can� make kimchi, she� not ready to marry,�our teacher declares. �nd once married, she has to learn her mother-in law� recipe.�P>

The chopped vegetables and fruit are mingled with garlic, ginger, red-pepper powder, pickled shrimps and anchovies, sugar and salt. Then we smear the gluey red mix onto cabbage leaves.

�ou keep the seasoned cabbage in a plastic box or earthenware pot. Leave them at room temperature for three days to ferment, then store them in a refrigerator, and they�e ready to spice up your meal!�says the maestro.

A short walk from the Korea House is Namsangol Hanok Village. A hanok is a traditional house built in the style suiting its owner, from peasant to royalty, and the village has samples of them all.

One predominant feature is the ondol, the heating system under the floor, a network of flues carrying heat from the kitchen.

Next on our tour is the famed shopping street, Myeong-dong, a mecca for the young and trendy since 1970. I end up with several bags full of cosmetics, skincare products and clothes.

One friendâ€� request honoured, I can now take another friendâ€� suggestion to see â€�nother face of Seoulâ€�â€" the Cheonggyecheon.

This clear stream running through the heart of downtown was once a drainage ditch and, after the Korean War of the early 1950s, became an eyesore. They covered it over with a roadway, but then in 2003, Lee Myung-Bak â€" who was then Seoulâ€� mayor and has since become the countryâ€� president â€" decided the old waterway should be restored.

Today it� flanked with greenery and fish swim in the water. The picturesque surroundings are a popular leisure and recreation spot, couples strolling hand in hand along the creek, seemingly far from the traffic and urban jumble.

Crossing Seoul from west to east, the Cheonggyecheon meets the Hangang, or Han River, which has also become another scenic haven. The fresh smell of green grass and the soft light of the evening sun lure people to the riverside.

A child giggles as she� shown how to ride a bicycle, a couple shares a secret conversation, and a lone man quietly contemplate life between sips of beer.

Beyond the static image we get from Korean TV dramas and the pop music, Seoul has shaped a unique character from the silhouette of the past and the light of the future.

The new and the old, the greenery and the technology are harmoniously blended. Subtly and transparently, the delicate sense of Seoul slowly touches my heart.

The writer travelled as a guest of Seoul City Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organisation.

IF YOU GO

Mobile phones run on the CDMA system, so check with your phone operator before you go.

Taxis and most shops in Seoul accept credit cards, but not the street stalls.