The Aquarium is a hit for locals and tourists alike in the maze of Lotte World Mall comprising three different buildings. At the same time, families spend their weekends in the adventure world sections, and very few shoppers emerge unscathed from the segmented offerings from local favourites to top international brands in its shopping district. Only the top two Lotte Duty Free stores are pleasantly quiet, as most Chinese daigou shoppers frequent the flagship branch at Myeongdong. Alas, that traffic has also slowed down in recent years as politics got in the way.
Seoul is vibrant and full of life. The energy radiates from large LED screens dotted across Songpa District and Olympic Park, filled with K-pop artistes dancing or advertising different consumer products. Across town, hip-hop fashion, pop art and fountains of creative youth dominate the Hongdae district, where craft makgeolli breweries and eateries selling all sorts of grilled meats and soju open into the wee hours of the morning.
The nearby Seokchon Lake, while artificially created, is beautiful amid the gentle fall of the first autumn leaves, gracing joggers and families on their way to Lotte World Adventure Island. The quiet calm is interrupted by screams of teenagers on the various scary rides across the horizon or the light shows in the night.
