Seoul Searching | Children's Day at Lotte World Mall.

Children's Day may have long been over, but this will always be Yue's favorite Korean holiday. After all, he has been part of this occasion for two years running.

In Korea and Japan, Children's Day is celebrated every 5th of May. Parents often give presents to their children, as well as spend quality time with them. More often than not, the children are taken on excursions to zoos, museums, parks, and other venues with kid-friendly entertainment.

Last year, I took Yue to Seoul Forest, where he fed deer by hand, went bird-watching, and enjoyed the beauty of nature as we strolled around. This year, we chose to go to the Lotte World Mall because we heard there'd be lots of fun activities on Children's Day. And true enough, there was already a great buzz happening when we arrived at the place. Kids were crowding around the mascots that made a surprise appearance at the Lotte Department Store!

Miniso mascot, and the Miniso pop-up store at the first floor.

Dokkaebi!

Snorkmaiden!

Playful Moomintroll!

The house-cleaning hamster, Ebichu!

More Children's Day photos after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Seoul Forest.

In South Korea, May 5 is declared as Children's Day, one of the eleven official holidays in the country. On this day, parents give presents to their children and spend time with them by taking them to zoos, museums, playgrounds, and other child-friendly venues.

We had the chance to celebrate this foreign holiday yesterday - a first for us, since we don't have Children's Day in the Philippines. I originally planned to take Yue to the Children's Grand Park, a popular family destination during Children's Day, but I had been warned by my Korean friend that we might not be able to fully enjoy the park as it would most likely be jam-packed.

I took her word for it, so I took Yue to nearby Seoul Forest instead. I anticipated that the place would be just as crowded, but at least it would not be a waste of bus/subway fare since Seoul Forest is just a fifteen-minute walk from where we live.

Yue at Seoul Forest.

The third largest park in the city, Seoul Forest was established to satisfy the people's desire to have more green spaces and recreational places in Seoul. The park was officially opened in June 2005, and has since been a popular destination for both tourists and locals.

Lovely trees surrounding the car park. 

Our Children's Day/Seoul Forest experience after the jump! Lots of photos! :)