NANTA
She said, “Go see NANTA if you can get tickets.” Based on the advice of my friend, I looked up this strange acronym and found it to be a comedy performance. We got tickets not knowing what to really expect. NANTA ended up being one of the highlights of our time in Seoul.
I would say it is a cross between stomp and Charlie Chaplin. There is practically no speaking just lots of perfectly timed physical comedy.
The show tells the story of a kitchen staff getting ready for a wedding party feast. They have limited time to prepare everything. The boss’ nephew shows up for a job, which throws the kitchen into a tizzy. Through many obstacles they complete the task and throw the wedding feast. The audience is involved throughout the performance. Sometimes projectiles even fling into the crowd.
The house was full. If I had not purchased tickets as soon as they were available online, we probably couldn’t have got them. It does sell out fast. But, that’s because it is a great show. Also, they care about the experience for everyone and strictly enforce the no cellphones rule.
If you find yourself in Seoul, I highly recommend NANTA. There are several theaters in the city with the show. We went to the main one downtown at Meong Dong. If you don’t find yourself in Korea, maybe it will travel to a city near you on a future world tour.
Jongmyo Shrine
Our Seoul palace combo ticket had one more imperial site included, the Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This shrine is an ancient religious site where the royal families were interred and posthumous ceremonies performed to honor the dead. Those ceremonies are still performed (slightly altered) today keeping the tradition alive.
The shrine is in a lush, wooded park. It consists of two main buildings and many auxiliary buildings. The main buildings are long, low structures raised with a wide stone courtyard in front. The other buildings were used for sacrifice and ceremony preparation.
A raised stone road leads from the entrance to the shrine buildings as a path for the spirits to use.
To visit, you must be with a guided tour. Different language tours begin at different times. We didn’t realize this until we arrived and were not going to wait for the next English tour. We joined the Chinese group just beginning. This means I didn’t understand the tour. Thankfully there were signs at each stop that could explain a little to me about the buildings and their purpose.
I can’t really explain why, but I was very impressed by this place. It isn’t stunning architecture or grandiose in anyway, but it has meaning. The Korean people still respect their traditions in many ways. I respect that.
Seoul LDS Temple
No trip to Seoul would be complete without a trip to the Seoul Korea Temple. Tucked away in a hilly neighborhood in the northwest corner of town, it is a similar building design to the Dallas Texas Temple, Chicago Illinois Temple, and a few others. However, this one has Korean characteristics and is smaller.
The landscaping is beautiful as I had come to expect Korean landscaping to be. There isn’t a lot of space for gardens, but since it is built on a hill, part of the auxiliary buildings are lower than the main edifice and provide space for a lovely garden on the roof.
I took the opportunity to do some temple service while there. This is a special treat for me since Mainland China does not have an LDS temple for me to visit. I am grateful for the nearby places that do, so I can make the trip occasionally to perform the service and commune with the Spirit.
This was my last adventure in Korea. The next morning we were on a flight back to Beijing for work that evening. My three days in Seoul were enough to whet the appetite and experience some amazing things. Korea will remain on my places to visit and not just checked off the list. Remember, adventure is out there, so go have one!
