NOT ALL MUSEUMS ARE DARK, DUSTY, MUSTY reminders of long-forgotten times. From the outside the National Museum of Korea could easily be mistaken for a museum of contemporary art. Inside it is bright and airy with a three-storey atrium. The collections — from the earliest crude hand-axes to the most delicate ceramics and paintings — are artistically displayed and well-lighted. The information boards are written in Korean, Chinese and good English.
We have seen many other examples of Asian art in our travels but the pieces displayed in the National Museum were better. Surprisingly, since the museum is free to the public, there were no crowds. Even the students — yes, there were students on a Sunday — were enthusiastically (but quietly, sort of) working on their projects. So different from China and India.