The traditional Korean mask dance, talchum, has been inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage at the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Rabat, the Kingdom of Morocco, on Wednesday. The result came after more than two years since the Cultural Heritage Administration applied for talchum to be added to the UNES...

Stories of temple food ingredients told by monastics embody the culture of temples. Their communal lifestyle necessitates handling food in bulk like restaurants, but, unlike restaurants, temples depend a lot on preserving food. In spring and fall they prepare ingredients in bulk and store them to use when needed. In spring, a temple may order 300 kilograms of shiitake mushrooms, dry and store t...

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents early bird Christmas promotion The Atrium Lounge at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul offers 10 percent savings for customers who book Christmas cakes in advance through Nov. 30. This year’s selection features two cake creations: Santa Cakes crafted from chocolate mousse filled with mixed berry cream, with feuilletine added for crunchy texture; and Opera Log Cakes, cr...

While there are references to yutnori in The Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, an annual record of state affairs kept from 1392 to 1865, some historians believe yutnori can be traced to jeopo -- a game popular during Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 600) that involved the use of a wooden dice. Yutnori is based on Korean people’s understanding of the universe and astronomy -- the yin and yang and ...

Having entered the monastic community in 1980 at Sinheungsa Temple in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, under the tutelage of Venerable Seongil, Ven. Seonjae showed remarkable talent in preparing temple food early on, thanks to her “magic hands” inherited from her grandmother. Ven. Seonjae’s health declined for a while due to hepatic cirrhosis, but she was healed through food. After this personal exp...

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul unveils penthouse package JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents Romantic Holiday at JW, created in collaboration with Manolo Blahnik, the celebrated designer whose shoes won global fame when they were featured in the hit TV show "Sex and the City." Available for stays until Dec. 31, the package includes five hours’ use of the Presidential or Ambassador penthouse, JW Marriott ...

The kimchi cream risotto, wrapped up like a crispy spring roll, offers a good pairing for the unique taste of Little Gangster’s Asian chili jam. “The textures of ‘meat’ and ‘cheddar cheese,’ used in the Bolognese pasta, are created with dried beans and coconut. The dishes are not completely gluten-free, but everything is vegan,” the chef told The Korea Herald. The restaurant can accommodate a m...

Italian luxury brand Gucci has announced a three-year commitment to supporting the conservation and restoration of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Gucci President and CEO Marco Bizzarri and Cultural Heritage Administration Administrator Choi Eung-chon signed an agreement Nov. 1 on cooperating on future improvement projects of multiple sites within Gyeongbokgung, said Gucci Korea in a press release iss...

Developers may soon find obtaining permission to build in historic and cultural conservation areas easier, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. At the government’s second regulatory reform strategy meeting held Wednesday, the CHA laid out plans to relax regulations concerning developments in areas designated for conservation and give greater authority to local governments in making...

A performance honoring Kim Seok-chul, master of Donghaean byeolsingut, will take place on Nov. 19, followed by a performance highlighting pansori master Park Bong-sul on Nov. 26. Admission is open to those 8 and older and is free. Reservations can be made via NIHC's website on a first-come first-served basis. All performances are scheduled to be livestreamed on Naver TV.

Andaz Seoul Gangnam holds happy hour promotion Andaz Seoul Gangnam's restaurant Jogakbo presents the "Aperitivo Paradisio - Happy Hour," which offers Mediterranean-style cuisine, along with its signature bar snacks and liquor services. The happy hour operates Monday to Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Complimentary snacks include the parma ham or salmon rillettes bruschetta, while Mediterra...

Farmer's Market Patjib also serves patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans) and ang-butter toast (buttered toast with red beans) which are more popular among young people Kim said that having the easy-to-grab snack items on the menu will hopefully attract young students, teenagers and foreigners to try patjuk and patkalguksu. "Koreans who had lived in other countries for over 30 years come to have...