가을~ Peaceful Autumn Vibes in Seoul

Winter officially started yesterday (Nov.7th), though I am not fully ready to say goodbye to my favorite season. Weather is the most comfortable in autumn, while the autumn leaves are so colorful and beautiful. In China, there is a popular slang to describe the autumn views saying "it looks like an overturned palette". Most trees in Shanghai are the evergreen types, but here in Seoul, the autumn vibes were literally everywhere.

#1 Yonsei's Campus

When I traveled back to Seoul from Jeju in late October, leaves were already turning yellow. I'd say definitely walk around the campus in autumn times because Yonsei has such a beautiful and even photogenic campus. The leaves on the most iconic building were red and the ginkgo trees on both sides of the main road were golden. Spending some time sitting outside or taking a class on one of the benches with a warm sunbathe was very relaxing.

#2 Seoul Olympic Park

Although the Olympic Park is a little far away from campus (about 1h20min by bus and subway), it is one of the most popular parks in Seoul, especially in autumn. I went there on Halloween with a friend (hahaha because I am not a party person) and it was quite crowded as it is a very family-friendly and pet-friendly park.

The "Alone Tree" is a famous photography spot for young people: the tree stands in the wild field by itself; there are really no other trees nearby. The tree is 'alone' but definitely not 'lonely' because there were so many people around it to take pictures with it lol.

Another photogenic spot is the pink flower sea. I do not know the name of the plant/flower, but I do know the blooming is autumn-limited. I'd recommend wearing something cream-colored or coffee-colored in order to fit in the autumn vibe. Recently, there is a huge statue of the "Squid Game" girl in a corner of the park near the previous swimming stadium, which attracted a lot of people. The field is also very suitable for playing frisbee with friends.

#3 Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Goyang

On the last day of autumn, Fei and I went to a Hanok village in Goyang (FYI: Goyang is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities). The travel time for one-way is about 1 hour with only one transfer, which is quite convenient. Since the village is close to Bukhansan, the highest mountain in Seoul, we saw many elder hikers on the way.

There are quite a few cafes in the village, serving traditional Korean tea and desserts such as omija tea and rice cakes. We went to the most famous one in the area called "1 person 1 cup", which is a 6-floor building. The view is the best on the 5th floor and the rooftop on the 6th floor is also a wonderful outdoor space to have a seat and take pictures. Yet it is so popular that there are long waiting lines in the afternoon.

It was also very nice to take pictures in front of the traditional Korean-styled houses. Outfits such as a honey-colored trench or long coat suit the vibe there the most. The only downside of the village is that there is barely any restaurant serving Korean food. We found one by walking 12mins to the northeast corner of the area but the price was pretty high.

Autumn lasted about one month and a half this year. Though I am kind of excited about the winter for Christmas vibe and wearing my winter coats, I will definitely miss this special autumn in South Korea a lot.