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The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics took place from February 9 to 25 in the city of Pyeongchang, which means 'Peace Prosperity' in Korean. It was the first time the Winter Olympics were held in Asia.
Hello PyeongChang! Greetings from PyeongChang!
The organizers aim to bring peace and prosperity to the world, and the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang was a celebration of winter sports and Asian culture.
Besides enjoying the winter sports competitions, visitors also have the opportunity to admire the natural beauty and traditional culture of the Korean peninsula, along with delicious local cuisine, right after the Olympic flame is lit at PyeongChang Olympic Plaza.
Getting to this destination is not too difficult for tourists, especially those coming from Southeast Asia.
Just about 1.5 hours from Seoul or approximately 2 hours from Incheon Airport by high-speed train. Once you're in Gangwon, drop your bags at the hotel and head straight to Seoraksan National Park to witness the majestic Taebaek mountain range.
The Sorak cable cars will slowly take tourists up to high peaks for breathtaking views and to explore distant trails with the naked eye.
Along the hiking trails, there are roadside stalls providing essential supplies for hikers such as kimbap rolls or warm bottles of soju.
Nearby is Woljeongsa Temple, a place of worship as well as a Buddhist cultural museum from the 10th to the 14th century, where visitors can register for overnight stays or weekend stays.
In Jeongseon, a system of rail bikes running through coal mine tunnels has been integrated into the Samtan coal art at the contemporary art museum and complex hotel and art museum 'Haslla Art World' along the coast built by famous Korean artists Park Shin Jung and Choi Ok Yeung with multidirectional exhibitions and a magnificent hotel within.
The museum entrance ticket is 9,000 won (about 200,000 VND) but the hotel room prices are extremely high, up to 1,300 USD per night, perhaps due to the artistic value of the room furnishings as well as the ocean views and stunning sunrise views that cannot be described in words due to Pyeongchang's altitude of 700m above sea level, with some places reaching 1,000m above sea level.
Welcome to PyeongChang! Discover the culinary delights of Hanwoo town, where you can indulge in tender slices of 'Wagyu' beef seasoned with locally made cheese reminiscent of the distant burrata from Italy.
On the eastern side of PyeongChang, seafood reigns supreme! Don't forget to visit the Daepohang fish market in Sokcho to savor local delicacies like 'Ojingeo sundae', a specialty dish of steamed squid stuffed with glass noodles and vegetables resembling a cinnamon ice cream cone, or 'hwe', thinly sliced raw seafood marinated in fiery chojang sauce.
If you're still undecided about what to order, simply go for 'Haemul Jeongol' – a hearty hot pot brimming with abalone, sea snails, and clams along with essential accompaniments like noodles, vegetables, and tofu. With the cold cuisine style, experiencing a whirlwind of spicy flavors that reveal 50 shades of expressions on your face won't be too surprising!
It's important to remember that due to the similarity in names, South Korean hosts fear that tourists will mistakenly visit Pyongyang (the capital of North Korea) to attend the 2018 Winter sports event.
South Korean hosts have widely announced the renaming of Pyeongchang to avoid confusion. They've slightly altered the venue name from Pyeongchang to PyeongChang with a capitalized 'C' in the middle.
This will also be the first Olympic Games to implement 5G network technology. With this hosting, South Korea becomes the 8th country in the world to have the honor of hosting both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
By Quoc Vinh/Tuoi Tre
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourFebruary 2, 2018
