Seoul

==Culture==
===Museums===
{{Main|List of museums in Seoul}}
{{See also|List of museums in South Korea}}
[[File:国立中央博物館とソウルタワー - panoramio.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[National Museum of Korea]]]]
[[File:War Memorial of Korea main building.JPG|alt=|thumb|The [[War Memorial of Korea]]]]
Seoul is home to 115 museums,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stat.seoul.go.kr/jsp2/Octagon/jsp/WWS7/WWSDS7100.jsp?stc_cd=401&lang=eng|title=Status of Museum|access-date=18 September 2014|publisher=[[Seoul Metropolitan Government]]|archive-date=11 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911123740/http://stat.seoul.go.kr/jsp2/Octagon/jsp/WWS7/WWSDS7100.jsp?stc_cd=401&lang=eng|url-status=live}}</ref> including four national and nine official municipal museums. The [[National Museum of Korea]] has a collection of 220,000 artifacts.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web|url=http://travel.cnn.com/seoul/play/seouls-best-museums-060516|title=Seoul's best museums|date=27 October 2011|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=2 June 2013|archive-date=16 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140916014140/http://travel.cnn.com/seoul/play/seouls-best-museums-060516|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[National Folk Museum of Korea|National Folk Museum]] is located on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung and focuses on the daily life of historical Koreans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268152|title=National Folk Museum of Korea|publisher=[[Korea Tourism Organization]]|access-date=18 September 2014|archive-date=16 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716225730/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268152|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bukchon Hanok Village]] and [[Namsangol Hanok Village]] are old residential districts consisting of ''[[hanok]]'' (traditional Korean houses).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264116|title=Namsangol Hanok Village|publisher=[[Korea Tourism Organization]]|access-date=18 September 2014|archive-date=12 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012013656/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264116|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=561382|title=Bukchon Hanok Village|publisher=[[Korea Tourism Organization]]|access-date=18 September 2014|archive-date=15 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915192817/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=561382|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[War Memorial of Korea|War Memorial]] covers the history of wars that Korea has been involved with, especially the [[Korean War]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1848378_1848364_1848280,00.html|title=Seoul: 10 Things to Do|magazine=Time|publisher=[[Time magazine]]|access-date=18 September 2014|last1=Veale|first1=Jennifer|archive-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927065439/http://content.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1848378_1848364_1848280,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268131|title=The War Memorial of Korea|publisher=[[Korea Tourism Organization]]|access-date=18 September 2014|archive-date=14 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214214704/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268131|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Seodaemun Prison]] is a former prison built during the Japanese occupation, and is used as a historic museum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268143|title=Seodaemun Prison History Museum|publisher=[[Korea Tourism Organization]]|access-date=18 September 2014|archive-date=4 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604201044/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268143|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Seoul Museum of Art]], [[Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art]], and [[Ilmin Museum of Art]] are art museums in the city.

===Religious monuments===
[[File:Myeongdong Cathedral 01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|[[Myeongdong Cathedral]]]]
The city has buildings related to a number of religions. The [[Wongudan]] altar has been used since the Three Kingdoms Period. There are also a number of Confucian shrines, such as [[Jongmyo (Seoul)|Jongmyo]], [[Sajikdan]], [[Munmyo]], and [[Dongmyo]]. For Buddhism, [[Jogyesa]] is the headquarters of the [[Jogye Order]] of [[Korean Buddhism]]. Hwagyesa and [[Bongeunsa]] are also major [[List of Buddhist temples in Seoul|Buddhist temples in Seoul]].

The [[Myeongdong Cathedral]] is a landmark of the [[Myeongdong]], [[Jung District, Seoul|Jung District]]. [[Yakhyeon Catholic Church]] is the first Gothic church to be built in Korea. [[Yoido Full Gospel Church]] is a [[Pentecostal]] church affiliated with the [[Assemblies of God]] on [[Yeouido]] in Seoul. The St. Nicholas Cathedral, but sometimes called bald church, is the only Byzantine-style church in Seoul.

===Festivals===
{{See also|List of South Korean festivals}}
In October 2012, [[KBS Hall]] in Seoul hosted major international music festivals&nbsp;– First ABU TV and Radio Song Festivals within frameworks of [[Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union]] 49th General Assembly.<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU TV and Radio Song Festivals 2012|url=http://esckaz.com/2012/abu.htm|publisher=ESCKAZ.com|access-date=17 August 2012|archive-date=10 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410022318/http://esckaz.com/2012/abu.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=ESCKaz is banned by WikiProject Eurovision.|date=April 2022}}<ref>{{cite web|title=ABU GA Seoul 2012|url=http://www.abu2012seoul.com/|publisher=Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union|access-date=17 August 2012|archive-date=3 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303011118/http://www.abu2012seoul.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[Hi! Seoul Festival]] is a seasonal cultural festival held four times a year every spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Seoul, [[South Korea]] since 2003. It is based on the "Seoul Citizens' Day" held on every October since 1994 to commemorate the 600 years history of Seoul as the capital of the country. The festival is arranged under the [[Seoul Metropolitan Government]]. {{As of|2012}}, Seoul has hosted [[Ultra Music Festival]] Korea, an annual dance music festival that takes place on the 2nd weekend of June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umfkorea.com/|title=Ultra Korea – June 8, 9, 10 2018|website=Ultra Korea|access-date=31 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906042259/http://umfkorea.com/|archive-date=6 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Parks===
{{Main article|List of parks in Seoul}}
[[File:Seoul botanic park 05.jpg|alt=|thumb|Seoul Botanic Park]]
[[File:Hangang Park Overview 201604.jpg|alt=|thumb| [[Hangang Park|Han River Park]]]]
Seoul has a large quantity of parks. One of the most famous parks is [[Namsan (Seoul)|Namsan Park]], which offers recreational hiking and views of the [[downtown Seoul]] skyline, especially via its [[N Seoul Tower]]. [[Olympic Park, Seoul|Seoul Olympic Park]], located in [[Songpa District]] and built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics, is the largest park. The areas near the stream [[Tancheon]] are popular for exercise. [[Cheonggyecheon]] also has spaces for recreation. In 2017 the [[Seoullo 7017 Skypark]] opened, spanning diagonally overtop Seoul Station.

There are also many parks along the [[Han River (Korea)|Han River]], such as Ichon Hangang Park, Yeouido Hangang Park, Mangwon Hangang Park, Nanji Hangang Park, Banpo Hangang Park, Ttukseom Hangang Park and Jamsil Hangang Park. The Seoul National Capital Area also contains a [[green belt]] aimed at preventing the city from [[Urban sprawl|sprawling]] out into neighboring Gyeonggi Province. These areas are frequently sought after by people looking to escape from urban life on weekends and during vacations.