On the way from the airport, I caught a glimpse of Songdo, a new, master-planned city being developed on reclaimed land along the Yellow Sea, 40 miles west of Seoul. At an estimated cost of over $40 billion, Songdo is the largest private development project in the world and will include features such as a Jack Nicklaus golf course, global academic complex, city-wide wireless systems, mile-long seawater canal, electric water taxis, and abundant parkland. Pretty awesome.
My family and I then headed to Namsan Valley, home to well-preserved residences and gardens of Joseon-era aristocrats in the heart of downtown Seoul. These traditional structures are surrounded today by skyscrapers and the observation tower on Namsan Mountain.
