Hangeul, the indigenous writing system of Korea, was promulgated in 1446. It is an ingenious system that utilizes modern and scientific linguistic theories and principles of Korean traditional culture to perfectly express the sounds of the Korean language. Crafted by some of the leading scholars of the age, including the brilliant King Sejong the Great, the alphabet has been widely lauded by scholars the world over for its advanced phonetic system and ease of use. Noted linguist Geoffrey S...

Real Places. Real Life. Real Seoul.A Local Guide to the Hottest City in AsiaWhat’s the best way to tour around a foreign city? Unless you want to pilgrim through the obvious landmarks and take typical vacation shots at tourist restaurants, the best and the safest way would be to get help from a reliable local friend, especially if you plan to explore a newly emerging city in constant change like Seoul. But what if you don’t have a reliable ...

This book offers an introduction to Korea's abundant and unique architectural past and present, combining explanations of the principles behind Korean architecture with introductions to some of the country's finest buildings and structures. It explains some of the ideologies and perspectives that form the foundation of Korean architectural tradition and outlines the history of Korean architecture, from the first architectural traces of dugouts and lean-tos to the increasingly sophisticated...

Nowadays, with healthy living and the 'slow food' movement receiving spotlight worldwide, Korean cuisine is drawing much interest as a healthy cuisine with nutritional harmony and balance. In fact, Koreans have traditionally viewed food as 'medicine,' a means to keep oneself healthy and strong.(..)Korea's four seasons and geography have produced a good many seasonal dishes and foods that reflect the nation's geographic characteristics, such as seafood from the ocean that surrounds ...

Koreans have been producing—and drinking—alcohol for centuries. Along with song and dance, alcohol has always been an essential part of the Korean joie de vivre. Koreans drink a lot, but they don’t drink just to get drunk. Of course, Koreans enjoy alcohol as a means to make merry and build cohesion between family, friends and coworkers. But alcohol’s place in Korean culture goes far beyond that. Alcohol has historically also been a medicine and a means to preserve perishable ingredients. I...

The Joseon dynasty ruled Korea for over half a millennium, bequeathing to Korea a considerable cultural heritage. This book will examine three of the better-known areas of Joseon cultural heritage: royal palaces, royal tombs, and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. Standing in the heart of Seoul, the five royal palaces are more than just buildings; they are architectural expressions of Joseon society and its ruling philosophy. The royal tombs—forty final resting places of Joseon kings and qu...

This book surveys the rich religious and spiritual tapestry that is contemporary Korea. We begin with the earliest of Korean faiths—the shamanism that prehistoric Koreans brought with them as they migrated to the peninsula from Central Asia—and continue on to today's most prominent faiths: Buddhism, Christianity, andConfucianism. Korea has given birth to a large number of indigenous faiths, and we will take a look at some of these, too.

Music has played and continues to play a vital role in Korean society, providing a rich vein of material as a dynamic part of the nation's culture. Korean music's history reflects active engagement with surrounding cultures, as well as indigenous creativity and innovation.Korea is heir to one of the world's oldest repertoires of notated music. Over the past several hundred years, virtuosic instrumental genres based upon the music of shamanist rituals and agricultural ceremonies dev...

The most well-known Korean ceramics are the celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) and the white porcelain of the ensuing Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). [...] The celadons of Goryeo, their grace and color tinged with feminine beauty, symbolized an aristocratic Buddhist culture, while the white porcelains from the Joseon period are thought to typify the bureaucratic and scholarly Confucian society and were essentially masculine in tone, vigorous and orderly. [...] Korea's traditional ceramic...

Many promote Reconciliation as a “new” way for Canada to relate to Indigenous Peoples. In Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back: Stories of Nishnaabeg Re-Creation, Resurgence, and a New Emergence activist, editor, and educator Leanne Simpson asserts reconciliation must be grounded in political resurgence and must support the regeneration of Indigenous languages, oral cultures, and traditions of governance. Simpson explores philosophies and pathways of regeneration, resurgence, and a new emergence t...

Step into the sharp wit and incisive social critique of one of the greatest minds of the early 20th century with What's Wrong with the World by G. K. Chesterton. This audiobook offers listeners a compelling exploration of the societal, cultural, and moral issues of Chesterton’s time, many of which remain surprisingly relevant today.Chesterton examines the pitfalls of modernity, the erosion of traditional values, and the imbalance between progress and human...

Horrendous news from the Middle East fills our newspapers and screens every day. How can we begin to understand what drives people to treat each other as they do? “Medieval” is a word often used. Well-informed commentators analyse political and military issues but give little insight into the cultural and domestic backgrounds of the protagonists.Living With Arabs is an account of nine years spent visiting and living among the Bedouin tribes of Petra in southern Jordan; in ...