Seoul by subway: 25 stations, 25 neighbourhoods – in pictures

Seoul by subway: 25 stations, 25 neighbourhoods – in pictures

 

Charlie Usher

 

the guardian.com, Tuesday 15 July 2014 13.22 BST

 

Seoul's underground system is a great way to see firsthand the city's remarkable urbanist legacy, from royal tombs to markets and 'moon villages'. Join Seoul Sub→urban, whose book about Seoul's neighbourhoods is out now, for a tour by tube

 

• Why Seoul shows us the future of cities

• 

  1. Anguk (Changdeokgung) one of five former royal residences in Seoul, Changdeok Palace is renowned for its balance with the natural landscape, a signature of traditional Korean architecture. After decades of development, the city is once again looking for ways to harmonise nature and urban living. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  2. Euljiro-1-ga (Cheonggyecheon) Paved over for an elevated highway in the 1950s, the Cheonggye Stream was unearthed and restored in 2005. It's now Seoul’s signature urban renewal project and a favorite with locals, tourists and waterfowl. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  3. Bonghwasan A view across the city from Bonghwa Mountain, with Nam Mountain and N Seoul Tower in the distance. Copy-and-paste apartment towers are a legacy of the population boom and development push after the Korean War. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  4. Dangsan The Han River is the city's defining geographical feature. It bisects Seoul into northern and southern halves and gave its name to South Korea’s astonishing postwar growth, dubbed the Miracle on the Han. In recent years it has been the focus of extensive redevelopment: parks now line both banks. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  5. Anguk (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) Previously located in a suburb, this major gallery re-opened last year in its new downtown home: the former Defense Security Command building, where in the 1970s and 80s the military government allegedly tortured pro-democracy activists. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  6. Dongjak (National Cemetery) Magnolias bloom in Seoul National Cemetery. Green space is at a premium in Seoul, so despite being the final resting place of presidents, independence activists, and soldiers, it’s also a popular urban retreat, particularly in spring when its hundreds of cherry trees blossom. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  7. Garak Market Garak in southeastern Seoul is the country’s largest wholesale market, covering 540,000 sq m and selling a daily average of 7,300 tons of food. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  8. Gyeongbokgung The Joseon dynasty’s (1392–1897) main palace was where Hangeul, the Korean script, was developed, and where the Edison Company installed the country’s first electric lights. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  9. Hongje (Gaemi Maeul) Gaemi Maeul is one of Seoul’s last remaining daldongnae, or ‘moon villages’, the poor mountainside settlements that sprung up after the Korean War. Undeveloped and impoverished, they give a glimpse of the Seoul that the country’s economic development left behind. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  10. Hwarangdae (Gangneung) The royal tombs of the Joseon dynasty were collectively named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2009. Of these, Gangneung, in north-eastern Seoul, is one of the most accessible. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  11. Hyehwa (Ihwa-dong) Murals adorn the alleys and buildings in Ihwa-dong, on the slopes of Nahk Mountain. The public art project has turned this old school neighborhood into a minor tourist attraction. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  12. Hyehwa (Daehangno) Daehangno was once home to Seoul National University, moved to the outskirts (see below) in the late 1970s by the military dictatorship in reaction to student protests. Today, the area is Seoul’s independent theatre district, with dozens of playhouses ranging in size from small to very small. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  13. Seoul National University (Gwanaksan) ... And here's where the dictatorship moved the university. The mountains are dotted with military posts – a consequence of being only 55km from the demilitarised zone with North Korea – and serve as escape hatches for harried workers. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  14. Insadong South-east of Gyeongbok Palace, this was a neighborhood of artists and artisans. Now crammed with tourists, it retains a feel of the past thanks to traditional tea houses (pictured), restaurants and back streets. Whether it will retain this atmosphere is uncertain: the city has lifted a development ban. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  15. Konkuk University (Kondae Taste Street) Neon signs advertise restaurants and bars on Kondae Taste Street. Korea doesn’t have a culture of flirting in bars, and meetings usually require an introduction, so bar staff do the dirty work of pairing off young singles in a sort of instant blind dating. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  16. Mongchontoseong (Olympic Park) The Olympic Flame continues to burn in Seoul’s Olympic Park. The 1988 Summer Games was seen as confirmation of the country having finally arrived after decades of struggle following the Korean War. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  17. Munjeong Sometimes thought of as a barren expanse of concrete, Seoul has in fact made great efforts to add parkland and carve out green space amid its blocks and towers. This protected zelkova tree is believed to be 500 years old. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  18. Myeongdong Home to some of the highest real estate prices in the world, central Myeongdong is Seoul's shopping epicenter. It’s also the best place witness the city’s cultural influence, with tourists stocking up on cosmetics, local fashion labels and socks emblazoned with K-pop stars. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  19. Noryangjin (Noryangjin Fish Market) The country’s largest fish market, the 24-hour Noryangjin puts two things on ready display: the peninsula’s close relation with the seas, and the blue-collar work ethic that underlies the city’s newfound glitz. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  20. Samgakji (War Memorial Museum) Inured to Pyongyang’s bluster and caught up in day-to-day existence, Seoul can often feel like the last place in the world affected by North Korea’s threats, but the War Memorial Museum and the sprawling US army base remind one of geopolitical realities. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  21. Seolleung The Seolleung royal Joseon tombs originally existed well outside the capital, but the city’s expansion quickly turned farmland into skyscrapers and swallowed them up, leaving a green oasis in what is today the city’s famous Gangnam district. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  22. Seonyudo Host to a water purification plant for decades, this island was recently turned into a park – but instead of dismantling the plant, it was incorporated into the park’s design: support columns are given over to ivy, chemical settling basins turned into lily ponds. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  23. Sindang Seoul has both eyes set firmly on the future, but glimpses of the city’s past remain: just down from glitzy Myeongdong, blacksmiths still ply their trade in the Sindang neighborhood. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  24. Sinseol-dong (Folk Flea Market) The Seoul Folk Flea Market is full of pre-K-pop pop records, pre-Samsung electronics and goods that have found their way off US Army bases – a reminder of the foreign military presence that’s still a prominent part of life here. Photograph: Merissa Quek

  

  25. Yeouido (Yeouido Hangang Park) Yeouido Island is Seoul’s nexus of power: parliament, major financial offices and the church with the world’s largest congregation (800,000 members). For one week every spring, however, it’s the city’s favourite place to view cherry blossoms and pursue that national pastime, the selfie. Photograph: Merissa Quek