Until recently, few people outside of South Korea had heard of Gangnam, an upscale neighborhood in Seoul's southeast that houses roughly 5% of the capital's population.
Then came Psy.
More specifically, the K-pop musician's 'Gangnam Style,' which went viral on YouTube over the summer. Most of us know what happened next: An Internet-wide slurry of video imitations; 'Gangnam Style' flash mobs from Australia to Peru; a U.S. record deal sealed in soju, chased with domination of American primetime television; and even chin-stroking analyses of that horsey-dance clip.
But for many, the question still remains: What goes on in Gangnam, anyway?
We have five suggestions, loosely inspired by Psy's lyrics. For good measure, we've divided them up so you can see what he means when the singer calls Gangnam 'noble' during the day and 'crazy' after dark.
Noble by Day
1. Get the 'Gangnam Style' look
There's no shortage of brand names in Gangnam, but for a range of upscale, niche boutiques, head to the subdistricts of Cheongdam and Shinsa. This is where you'll find fashion-forward international concept stores like Milan's 10 Corso Como alongside home-grown havens of chic such as Jardin de Chouette and Johnny Hates Jazz.
Stores here aren't cheap, but that's the price you pay to 'dress classy, and dance cheesy,' as Psy puts it.
While you're here, whip that coif into shape at one of several hair salons that cater to celebrities such as nine-piece K-pop group Girls' Generation. Try Soonsoo, Ra Beauty Core and Jenny House, to name a few.
2. Glimpse the future of technology
Gangnam-daero, a road in Gangnam's outskirts, houses corporate heavyweights like Samsung Electronics, the world's largest technology firm by revenue. Pay a visit to the company's flagship store, Samsung D'light, a three-floor palace of consumer electronics located at its Seoul headquarters.
Dedicated to selling, and simply showing, Samsung's newly released products, this is where you can buy its latest tablets and Galaxy smartphones, as well as witness the latest Samsung technology long before it hits the broader market.
Interactivity is encouraged you're welcome to sit down and play videogames岸and a host of staff is on hand to field questions in Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.
3. Delve deep into South Korea's Buddhist history
Bongeunsa, also known as Bong-eun Temple, was originally founded in 794 A.D. Though Buddhism was suppressed in favor of Confucianism during the early Chosun dynasty, Bongeunsa began to flourish as one of Korea's main centers for Seon Buddhism in the mid-1500s under the guidance of a monk known as Master Bowoo.
Now located on the slopes of Gangnam's Sudo Mountain, it's one of the country's most traditional temples and stands as a symbol of Buddhist aspiration. Looking to attain enlightenment? You can enroll in a two-day Temple Stay program , held once a month for up to 30 participants, and featuring mind-healing activities such as monastic meals, a tea ceremony and meditation.
crazy after dark
4. Strike a pose in front of an explosive backdrop, no special effects necessary
Named the world's 'longest bridge fountain' in 2008 by the Guinness World Records, the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain is 1,140 meters of cascading water illuminated with LED lights. Running along the Banpo Bridge, it draws couples and workers looking to unwind after-hours with a view of the Han River, which cuts across Seoul from east to west.
The fountain operates three times a day during weekdays, and six times a day on weekends, shooting tons of water per minute. For maximum atmosphere, get there after sunsetif you're lucky, you might see fireworks from one of the river's cruise boats.
5. Let your hair down while rubbing elbows with K-pop's finest
If you, like Psy, are looking for 'a girl who puts her hair down when the nighttime comes,' then you might want to make like a pony and trot to one of Gangnam's many lavish nightclubs .
One of the top clubs in the country, if not Asia, is the massive Club Ellui, which hosts hot-shot K-pop stars like JYP , 2PM and GD & Top, and invites international names by teaming up with overseas clubs such as Space Ibiza and Ministry of Sound. Head there on a Friday or Saturday, the club's official operation days, and prepare to brave a crowd岸revelers gather here by the thousands and stay until the wee hours.
直到不久前，韓國以外還很少有人知道“江南”這個位于首爾東南部的一個上流社區(qū)，這里的居民數(shù)量約占首爾人口總數(shù)的5%。
然后，樸載相橫空出世。
更具體地說，應該是這位韓國流行歌手的單曲《江南Style》橫空出世，這首歌今年夏季在YouTube上紅透半邊天。我們大多數(shù)人都知道接下來發(fā)生的事情：整個互聯(lián)網(wǎng)到處都是模仿它的視頻;從澳大利亞到秘魯都有以《江南Style》為主題的快閃活動;喝著燒酒簽下美國唱片合約，占據(jù)美國電視黃金時段;甚至還有人深入分析騎馬舞。
但對于很多人來說，那個老問題仍然存在：“江南”到底是什么樣的?
我們對此有五種意見，基本上是受樸載相的歌詞啟發(fā)。另外，我們還將它們分了類，這樣你就可以了解，當這位歌手說“江南”白天“高貴”、夜晚“瘋狂”時，他想表達的是什么。
白天高貴
1.“江南Style”的裝扮
江南區(qū)不乏知名品牌，但要想找到高端、小眾的精品時裝店，可以去Cheongdam和Shinsa等街區(qū)。在這里你會找到前衛(wèi)的國際品牌概念商店，比如米蘭的10 Corso Como，還有本土時裝大牌如Jardin de Chouette和Johnny Hates Jazz。
這里的商店都價格不菲，但要像樸載相所說的那樣“穿得優(yōu)雅、舞得奔放”，就得花這個代價。
在江南區(qū)，你可以去專為名人──比如有九名成員的流行樂團“少女時代”──服務的幾家美發(fā)沙龍之一打理發(fā)型。Soonsoo、Ra Beauty Core和Jenny House都可以一試
2. 搶先領略未來科技
江南區(qū)外圍的江南大道上坐落著三星電子等企業(yè)巨頭。以營收計，三星電子是世界最大的科技公司。可以去逛逛該公司的旗艦店Samsung D’light，這座三層建筑位于三星電子首爾總部，猶如電子消費產(chǎn)品的殿堂。
這家旗艦店專門銷售以及展示三星最新發(fā)布的產(chǎn)品。在這里你可以買到最新款的三星平板電腦以及Galaxy智能手機，同時，在最新的三星科技進入大眾市場之前，你就可以親眼見證(想想太陽能手機，還有帶透明液晶顯示屏的冰箱)。
在這里，工作人員鼓勵顧客參與互動，你可以坐下來玩視頻游戲──有大量的工作人員在現(xiàn)場用韓語、英語、漢語、日語和西班牙語回答游客的提問。
3. 鉆研韓國的佛教歷史
奉恩寺始建于公元794年。盡管在李氏王朝初期，儒家思想受到的推崇超過了佛教，但在16世紀中葉，在普雨大禪師的指導下，奉恩寺作為韓國主要的禪宗佛教中心開始興旺起來
奉恩寺現(xiàn)在位于首爾江南區(qū)修道山上，是韓國歷史最悠久的寺廟之一，也成為了韓國的佛教圣地。如果你想獲得一些點化，可以參加一個為其兩天的住寺活動(成人參加一次的價格大約是63美元)，該活動每月舉行一次，每次有30個名額，主要是一些修身養(yǎng)性的活動，比如齋飯、茶道和冥想等。
夜晚瘋狂
4.在華麗的背景下擺個造型，無需特效
2008年，月光彩虹噴泉被吉尼斯世界紀錄認定為全球最長的大橋噴泉。整個噴泉全長1,140米，帶有LED燈光照明。噴泉凌駕于盤浦大橋之上，吸引了很多想在工作之余放松身心的情侶和工人。在這里還可以一覽橫貫首爾的漢江的美景。
這個噴泉每分鐘要噴出幾噸的水。在平時的工作日，噴泉每天開三次，而在周末則每天開六次。若要體驗這里的最佳氛圍，最好是在日落之后來這里。如果你足夠幸運的話，還能看到河上游船燃放的煙花。
5. 披散頭發(fā)，與大牌明星同樂
如果你像樸載相一樣想要找一個“夜幕降臨的時候就把頭發(fā)披散下來的女孩”，那么也許你應該抓住機會到江南區(qū)形形色色的奢華夜店里碰碰運氣(不管怎么說，夜店里都是練習騎馬舞的好去處)。
Club Ellui是韓國甚至是亞洲最頂級的夜店之一，這里經(jīng)常有韓國大牌流行音樂人出沒，比如樸振英、2PM和GD & Top。這家夜店也經(jīng)常與Space Ibiza和Ministry of Sound等國外知名夜店聯(lián)合舉辦活動，邀請國際巨星助興。周五或是周六的時候來這里吧，這是這家夜店的“官方”營業(yè)時間，在這里你會體會到什么是人山人海──數(shù)以千計的狂歡者聚集到此地，流連至凌晨仍不肯散去。
