Seoul (proverbial: 서울; English: Seoul), known as Seoul Special City, was formerly known as Seoul. It is the capital of the Republic of Korea, the tenth largest city in the world, the largest city on the Korean Peninsula, and one of the major financial cities in Asia; it is also the political, economic, technological, educational and cultural centre of Korea.
It is well known that geography is the fundamental reason for the formation of eating habits. In terms of breadth alone, even Korea and North Korea, plus Japan next door, are no match for the many genres of cuisine that we have here, not to mention the many varieties of snacks that exist in the north and south, east and west, and the many different tastes.
China is a great country with a rich heritage, and some of the cultures left behind by our ancestors are still being used today. Just like how we usually eat with one hand always holding a bowl at the table, the older generation did this and if they saw the younger generation eating without a bowl, they would knock with chopsticks.
The older generation talked a lot about table manners, apart from holding the bowl at the table, there are also things like not sticking chopsticks in the bowl vertically, not knocking the bowl while eating, not pointing chopsticks at others, and not flipping the food around when you are picking it up.
However, Koreans consider such behaviour to be unruly. If you are visiting a Korean home or have Korean guests, it is important to remember that you should not lift the rice bowls on the table with your hands or touch them directly with your mouth out of respect.
Because it is commonly believed in Korea that only displaced beggars pick up their bowls to eat, people who eat with their bowls in their hands have bad luck. Furthermore, in Korean food culture, it is a very rude act to eat with your bowl up in front of your elders.
Seoul is located in the Han River valley in the northwest of Korea, in the middle of the Korean peninsula. The city was first inhabited by the small nation of Jinpan Dong Yi during the Zhou Dynasty, but in 1394 the capital was moved to Hanyang by King Yi Sung Gye and changed to Seoul, and since 1948 it has been known as 서울 (meaning capital), the only city on the Korean peninsula without a Chinese character. In January 2005, the Korean government announced that the Chinese translation of the name “서울” would be changed to “Seoul”.
Seoul is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with 25 districts and an area of approximately 605.25 square kilometres. Although Seoul covers only 0.6% of Korea’s area, it accounts for 21% of the country’s GDP. Seoul is one of the world’s top ten financial centres, an important economic centre in the world and has the fifth highest consumer price index in the world. It is also a highly digital city, ranking first in the world in terms of internet speed and digital opportunity index.
Seoul is also a young city, with a vibrant population, a bustling city, a fascinating natural landscape, and a long history and culture. With 34 universities and colleges, including Seoul National University, Hanyang University and Sungkyunkwan University, vibrant Seoul presents exciting sights everywhere and is a veritable city of universities.
Seoul is home to such famous sights as Gwanak Mountain, Samsan Mountain, Inwang Mountain, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace. Under the shade of the city, old palaces and temples are interspersed with modern buildings that reach into the sky, showing the history and times of Seoul, which is both ancient and modern.
