Cultural riches in shopping hub

In the Ihwadong Mural village, young women take a photograph in front of a painting.[Photo by Xu Lin/China Daily]

South Korean capital offers visitors perfect blend of old and new

Seoul is a city filled with cultural heritage, delicious food, and is more than just a shopping destination for cosmetics.

The city, which is about two hours' flying time from Beijing, is friendly if you like to walk and your adventures can start from Dongdaemun.

Located in the city's center, it marks the start of an 18-kilometer-long wall built more than 600 years ago to protect the capital.

The wall stretches along the foothills of a mountain range. Inside the walls are hanok, or traditional Korean houses.

The wall has secret doors for those who need to go out if the city's gates are closed.

For those who want, there's a free guided tour you can book one three days in advance on the official website dobo.visitseoul.net.

One of the first places you see if you walk is the Ihwa-dong Mural village.

It draws tourists who want to see beautiful paintings on the house walls and steep stairs.

Strolling through the narrow alleys along the mountainside you also see colorful graffiti on low walls - pandas and characters like the little prince from the French novel of the same name.

It's like thumbing a sketchbook and there are always surprises.