Culture
Korea’s culture is very obviously influenced by China. As early as the Tang Dynasty, the Xinji State on the Korean Peninsula sent people to China to learn Chinese culture and governance strategies. , and even some things were directly copied and taken back. Chinese culture had a long-lasting impact on Xinji State. Xinji also became stronger because of absorbing Chinese culture and unified the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea is a country with a long history and splendid culture, and has its own characteristics in literature and art. Korean art mainly includes painting, calligraphy, printmaking, crafts, decoration, etc. It not only inherits the national tradition, but also absorbs the expertise of foreign art. Korean paintings are divided into Eastern paintings and Western paintings. Eastern paintings are similar to Chinese traditional paintings, using pen, ink, paper, and inkstone to express various topics. There are also various gorgeous genre paintings. Like China and Japan, calligraphy is an elegant art form in Korea. Koreans are known for their love of music and dance.
Korean modern music can be roughly divided into two types: "ethnic music" and "Western music". National music can be divided into two types: "grace music" and "folk music". Gagak is music played by professional bands during various ceremonies such as sacrifices and banquets held in the palace during the feudal dynasties of Korea. It is commonly known as "jeongle" or "court music". Folk music includes miscellaneous songs, folk songs, agricultural music, etc. Commonly used musical instruments include xuanqin, gayaqin, stick drum, flute, etc. One of the characteristics of Korean folk music is accompanied by dance. Korean dance attaches great importance to the rhythm of the dancer's shoulders and arms. The props include fans, flower crowns and drums.
Korean dance is centered on folk dance and court dance, and is colorful. Korean drama originated from religious rituals in prehistoric times and mainly includes five categories: masks, puppet shows, folk arts, operas, and dramas. Among them, the mask, also known as "masquerade", is a symbol of Korean culture and occupies an extremely important position in Korean traditional drama.
Korean food is characterized by kimchi culture, and kimchi is indispensable for three meals a day. The traditional Korean dishes of barbecued pork, kimchi and cold noodles have become world-famous dishes.
South Korea is a country that attaches great importance to education. There are thousands of colleges and universities of all types across the country. Yonsei University and Korea University are world-renowned. In addition, there are Sungkyunkwan University, Sogang University, Chung-Ang University, Kyung Hee University, Hanyang University, Dankook University, Konkuk University, Chungkook University, Sejong University, Ewha Womans University, Gyeongbuk University University, Chungbuk National University, Pohang Institute of Technology, Pusan ??National University, Busan University of Foreign Studies, Inha University, Inje University, etc. enjoy reputation.
Clothing
Hanbok is the traditional clothing of South Korea, North Korea, and the Korean people in China. It originated from the clothing of the Ming Dynasty in China - the Confucian skirt, which is elegant and tasteful. In modern times, it was replaced by Western clothes, which are only worn during festivals and days with special significance. Women's traditional clothing is short tops and wide skirts, which look very elegant; men wear pants, short tops, vests, and vests to show their unique taste. White is the basic color, and the materials and colors chosen vary according to the season and identity. In special ceremonies such as marriages, ordinary people also wear gorgeous clothes and jewelry. Recently, lifestyle hanboks that add practicality have become popular.
Sports
South Korea successfully hosted the Seoul Olympics in 1988, and also successfully hosted the Japan-South Korea World Cup and the Busan Asian Games in 2002.
Religious Religion
p>Shamanism
Shamanism originated from the people of Northeast China. It is the oldest and most primitive religion in Korea. It originated from people's worship of nature and ghosts in primitive society. The ancestors of the Neolithic Age of Korea believed in animism and believed that everything in nature, including mountains, rivers, celestial bodies, rocks, and trees, had souls. And they believe that humans also have souls that never die. They think that good gods will bring good luck to people, while evil gods will bring bad luck. To this day, shamanism is still the basic religion of Koreans, and some people still retain their shamanistic beliefs. For modern people, the expressive exorcism and demonic content of shamanistic rituals has become a colorful component of modern arts such as music, dance, and drama.
Buddhism
Buddhism was introduced to the Korean Peninsula from China in the 4th century AD. As a religious sect with a long history in South Korea, Buddhism has always had a huge impact on South Korea's politics, economy, and culture. Currently, Korean Buddhism has 26 sects, more than 9,200 temples and more than 11 million believers, making it the religion with the most believers.
Confucianism
Confucianism is an ethical and religious belief founded by Confucius in China in the 6th century BC. The basic ethical thoughts of Confucianism are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. It is an ethical system used to regulate the family and govern the country.
Confucianism was introduced to the Korean Peninsula in the early AD. For thousands of years, Confucian ethics and philosophy of life have been influencing Korea. Today, Confucianism has penetrated and taken root in Korean society, especially in education, etiquette and other aspects. At the same time, it also plays an important role in South Korea's economic development and social modernization process.
Fashion and Fashion: Plastic Surgery
In ordinary countries, it is relatively common for celebrities and actors to have plastic surgery, while ordinary people generally do not have much plastic surgery.
However, in South Korea, plastic surgery is a very common thing even for ordinary people, and there are many plastic surgery doctors. In the early days, plastic surgery was mainly performed on women, but in recent years, the number of plastic surgery performed on men has increased dramatically.
Even political figures are keen on plastic surgery. Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun once had plastic surgery during his inauguration. This kind of thing is less common in other countries.
National Bird
South Korea’s national bird is the magpie.
Important festivals
South Korean people attach the most importance to Mid-Autumn Festival and Christmas.
January 1st
New Year's Day - New Year's Day, January 1st and 2nd are public holidays prescribed by the state. The first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar/Folk Custom Day - also known as the Gregorian New Year, is celebrated with family ceremonies to worship ancestors, special food, and traditional games. The whole family reunites, and relatives and friends pay New Year greetings to each other and celebrate the festive season.
March 1 Independence Movement Day
Commemorates the independence movement against Japanese colonial rule on March 1, 1919.
April 5 Arbor Day
On this day, government officials, teachers, students and thousands of Koreans across the country plant trees in accordance with the government's reforestation plan.
May 5th Children’s Day
On this day, various celebration activities are held for children, allowing them to have fun with their parents.
August 15th Liberation Day
On this day in 1945, South Korea was liberated from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule and gained independence.
Mid-Autumn Festival (or Harvest Festival) falls on August 15th of the lunar calendar.
This is one of the important national festivals of the year. On this day, a banquet will be held, each family will hold a commemorative ceremony at the family cemetery, and in the evening they will enjoy the moon together.
October 3 of the lunar calendar is the Opening Day
This day is the day when Tangun founded Korea in 2333 BC.
Christmas on December 25
Like the West, Christians and other citizens celebrate this holiday to commemorate the birth of Jesus.