Bongeunsa Temple and Coex Mall in Gangnam

A temple in the middle of Seoul?

Yes, here you can clearly see how modernity and tradition come together in South Korea.

You walk through hectic streets, surrounded by huge skyscrapers and next to a huge mall, a Buddhist temple appears.

The temple is located in Gangnam-gu, the exclusive, modern center of Seoul. Designer brands, nightclubs, high-class restaurants and bars, beauty clinics and gleaming skyscrapers characterize this district south of the Han River. It is the most affluent area in the whole of South Korea.

Due to its unusual location in the middle of the lively district and its history, this temple is an oasis of calm and a place of pilgrimage.

The wooden block inscriptions with 13 different sacred texts, which are exhibited in the Panjeon next to the main temple, are considered a special cultural treasure. The largest Buddha statue in Korea can also be found here.

The temple shines everywhere with its colorful lanterns. In the midst of the pulsating metropolis, you will find a quiet and relaxed oasis here.

It is an incredibly beautiful temple. The many colorful lanterns, the beautifully designed temple complex and the spiritual tranquility that you find here. I can well understand that in our hectic times and in this metropolis, this place invites you to come to rest.

A stone's throw away, just across the road from this beautiful temple, is the world's largest underground shopping and entertainment center, the Coex Mall. It has over 200 stores and almost 100 restaurants. There is also a multiplex cinema and a huge aquarium, which is even home to a beluga whale.

It's hard to imagine the size of this mall, which covers around 15 soccer pitches. The most famous picture of this mall is probably that of the Starfield Library.

When I was in South Korea with Leon, we spent almost a whole day here in this mall to pass a rainy day. We really saw a lot here, but by no means everything. We were really impressed by the aquarium.

We were amazed at how beautifully this aquarium was laid out. The size of the tanks and the many places to sit and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere here was great. You could almost spend a whole day here.

It's like many things here - absolute superlatives.

The aquarium is not only well frequented by families, but also by many couples who have just fallen in love. It's part of the dating culture here to do lots of things and enjoy time together outdoors with leisure activities. We also find it interesting that you can recognize these couples in love straight away. But not by holding hands like we do, it's often the partner look. The dating culture is so different from ours that it's almost worth a blog post of its own ;)

Gangnam's most famous landmark is right in front of the mall. Even non-Korean fans are familiar with this song “Gangnam Style” from back then

For all Kpop fans, you can see handprints of all kinds of stars here

And there's more right by the Coex Mall that you shouldn't miss!

An incredible advertisement right by the SM Town Museum next to the mall. KPop fans of SM Entertainment related groups should definitely pay a visit here. For everyone else, just enjoy this stunning billboard. This is just one of many, but by far the best ;)

If you're ever out and about in Gangnam, you shouldn't miss the Hallyu KStar Road...