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Banpo Bridge – South Korea
The Banpo Bridge (Korean: 반포대교) is a major bridge in downtown Seoul over the Han River, South Korea, connecting the Seocho and Yongsan districts. The Banpo Bridge is on top of Jamsu Bridge, forming a “double deck” bridge. When the water level rises too high, the Jamsu Bridge becomes covered with water and gets closed off. The lower deck incorporates pedestrian and bicycle paths that provide easy access to the Banpo Hangang Park from the north side of the river. Banpo Bridge is a girder bridge and was completed in 1982.
Moonlight Rainbow Fountain
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Valentine’s Day Around the World – Traditions and Customs
Australia
During the Australian gold rush period, miners who were suddenly in possession of money from the new-found wealth of the Ballarat Mines were willing to pay a princely sum for elaborate valentines and merchants in the country would ship orders amounting to thousands of pounds at a time. The most extravagent Australian valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed and decorated in an ornate manner with flowers and colored shells. Some might even be adorned with a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise. This treasure, contained within a neatly decorated box, was highly valued, being both fashionable and extremely expensive.
Austria
Austria has some rather obscure courtship customs that may or may not be associated with Saint Valentine’s Day. Nonetheless, it is customary for a young man to present his beloved with a bunch of flowers on February 14.
America
In the United States of America, there have been many varieties of cards given over the course of the years, some of which have often been rude or even quite cruel in their humor. In the times of the Civil War, cards were flagged with rich colors accompanied by patriotic and/or political motifs. Early American valentine cards were especially lithographed and hand-colored, beautiful and distinctive in design, produced with intricate lace paper and decorated with such ornaments as beads, sea shells, cones, berries and all manner of seeds. Cards were also available decorated with seaweed or moss, in addition to dried and/or artificial flowers, all of which were attached to a string which was pulled and could then be suspended, thereby creating a three-dimensional picture. Many early American cards were imported from abroad, given the poor quality of American paper at the time which was not particularly suitable for embossing. Today, American children usually exchange valentines with their friends and there may even be a classroom party.
Britain
The poets of Britain have probably penned the majority of the best-loved romantic verses associated with Saint Valentine. Different regions of the nation celebrate their own customs to honor this day, although the sending of cards and gifts of flowers and chocolates is standard procedure throughout the entire country. One uniform custom is the singing of special songs by children, who then receive gifts of candy, fruit or money. In some areas, valentine buns are baked with caraway seeds, plums or raisins.
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Customs in Korea
Traditionally in Korea, the typical family size is quite large, with three or four generations usually living together under the same roof. Because infant mortality was high and a big family was thought of as a blessing, having many children was the desired option. However, as the country underwent rapid industrialization and urbanization during the 1960s and 1970s the pattern was accompanied by an effective birth control drive, and the average number of children in a family dramatically decreased to two or less in the 1980s.
Having a long Confucian tradition under which the eldest son takes over as head of the family, many Korean families preferred having a son. To tackle the problem of male preference, the government has completely rewritten family-related laws in a way that ensures equality for sons and daughters in terms of inheritance.
Industrialization of the country has made life more hectic and complicated. Young married couples have begun to separate from their extended families and start their own homes. Now almost all families are couple-centered nuclear families.
The majority of Koreans have family names within one of a small set: Kim (about 21% of all Koreans), Yi (or Lee or Rhee, 14%), Park (or Pak, 8%), Choi (or Choe), Jeong (or Chung), Jang (or Chang), Han, Lim, etc. A Korean name consists of a family name, in almost every case one syllable, plus a given name usually of two syllables. The family name comes first. A Korean woman does not take her husband’s family name, but their children take their father’s family name. Continue reading Customs in Korea
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