Seoul. South Korea

Take in the view of this city of about 10 million people from the top of any of Seoul’s four guardian mountains and you’ll sense the feng shui that has long protected the city. History clings to the ‘Miracle on the Han’, a phoenix that rose from the ashes of the Korean War. While Seoul has its eyes pointing to the future, it also contains fascinating fragments of the past in World Heritage–sites like the Jongmyo shrine, the alleys between the hanok (traditional wooden homes) in Bukchon, and the magnificent city walls.