Simply put, another supersized zoo meets amusement park surrounded by nature – Korean style. Not sure this is what I’d recommend culture addicts roaming Korea for local experience but if you’re already in the area to visit the nearby parks and museums (e.g. National Museum of Contemporary Art) or you’ve got kids, then this would be a good place to spend half a day. I’ve had neither, so I’m still not sure what I was doing there.
So what do we have? animals? ofcourse! we’re in a zoo! cable cars? long and high, just the way we like’em. Botanical gardens? check, but that whole mountain area scenery is gorgeous. Seems like we’ve got everything we need for some kiddy fun.
So, being in a zoo and all, let’s just go through the obvious animal captures…
Special? hmm… not really. Where’s my Kimchi eating bear? Actually, strike that, I already feel generally uncomfortable with the notion of animals caged for my entertainment, but I gotta say that the Koreans atleast seem to provide them with a space that they probably wouldn’t enjoy in many other zoos.
Want some of the cable car scenery? Here you go… I was there on a weekday and it was dead EMPTY.
Oh, no, wait! some kids! finally, my people!
Alright, and now for the main reason why we came here in the first place… the museum.
But, sadly, no photos allowed inside. And after chasing all the animals around with my camera, I was already too tired to admire magnificent works of contemporary art, which I usually don’t get anyhow.
Inside, the only thing that is permitted shooting, is this very famous artwork…
I stand in awe!
Love your website!
Many people have mentioned that this zoo should be one of the best zoo in Asia other than Singarpore. But how about Taipei zoo? Could you tell the differences between them?
Thank you!
@b9e2d029f4720552a9097200d8fab5e3:disqus – thanks, Emily, that’s nice to hear.
I haven’t been to the one in Singapore, but the Korean one seems nicer than what I remember from the Taipei Zoo 5 years ago. It’s bigger, in a nicer mountain area, and has cool stuff like a cable car and an amusement park, not to mention the nearby museums. But, with that said, just next to the Taipei Zoo is the Maokong Gondola and teahouses, which I consider one of Taipei’s best attractions, so, you know each of those places has its own charm 😛
I have tres strong opinions about the whole zoo business, but almost always keep my mouth shut – simply because I know what a giant hypocrite I am…… aye
That’s Nam Joon Baek (or Paik)’s work, if you recall from your visit 😉 not that I “get” his work but he’s very cool…
@b2a74963cf7b9f90de7db41bff58369a:disqus – oh, thanks for pointing out whose work this is. ^_^
lots of see in that museum, and i wish i could have shown more….