1.
Rapid transit
–
Rapid transit, also known as heavy rail, metro, subway, tube, or underground, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. The stations typically have high platforms, without steps inside the trains and they are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by the same public transport authorities. However, some transit systems have at-grade intersections between a rapid transit line and a road or between two rapid transit lines. It is unchallenged in its ability to transport large numbers of people quickly over short distances with little use of land, variations of rapid transit include people movers, small-scale light metro, and the commuter rail hybrid S-Bahn. The worlds first rapid-transit system was the partially underground Metropolitan Railway which opened as a railway in 1863. In 1868, New York opened the elevated West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, china has the largest number of rapid transit systems in the world. The worlds longest single-operator rapid transit system by length is the Shanghai Metro. The worlds largest single rapid transit service provider by both length of revenue track (665 miles and number of stations is the New York City Subway. The busiest rapid transit systems in the world by annual ridership are the Tokyo subway system, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, the Moscow Metro, the Beijing Subway, Metro is the most common term for underground rapid transit systems used by non-native English speakers. One of these terms may apply to a system, even if a large part of the network runs at ground level. In Scotland, however, the Glasgow Subway underground rapid transit system is known as the Subway, in the US, underground mass transit systems are primarily known as subways, whereas the term metro is a shortened reference to a metropolitan area. In that vein, Chicagos commuter rail system, serving the area, is called Metra. Exceptions in naming rapid transit systems are Washington DCs subway system the Washington Metro, Los Angeles Metro Rail, and the Miami Metrorail, the opening of Londons steam-hauled Metropolitan Railway in 1863 marked the beginning of rapid transit. Initial experiences with steam engines, despite ventilation, were unpleasant, experiments with pneumatic railways failed in their extended adoption by cities. Electric traction was more efficient, faster and cleaner than steam, in 1890 the City & South London Railway was the first electric-traction rapid transit railway, which was also fully underground. Both railways were merged into London Underground. The 1893 Liverpool Overhead Railway was designed to use electric traction from the outset, budapest in Hungary and Glasgow, Chicago and New York all converted or purpose-designed and built electric rail services. Advancements in technology have allowed new automated services, hybrid solutions have also evolved, such as tram-train and premetro, which incorporate some of the features of rapid transit systems
2.
Seoul Metropolitan Subway
–
The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 20 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. The system serves most of the Seoul Metropolitan Area including the Incheon metropolis, some regional lines in the network cross large rural areas to reach major cities in northern Chungnam province and western Gangwon province that lie over 100 km away from the capital. The network consists of numbered lines 1–9, which serve Seoul City proper and its surroundings, most of the system is operated by four companies – Seoul Metro, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit, Korail and Metro 9. Its first metro line, Line 1, started construction in 1971 and opened in 1974, the first line of the Seoul Subway network started construction in 1971 with economic and technical assistance from Japan. The first section of subway was built using the cheaper cut, Line 1 opened in 1974 with through services joining surrounding Korail suburban railway lines similar to the Tokyo subway. Today, many of the Seoul Metropolitan Subways lines are operated by Korail, South Koreas national passenger and it has been described as the worlds longest multi-operator metro system by route length. Nearly all stations have platform screen doors installed, only Gaewha, by 2017, Korail will completely install screen doors in every station and platform. The worlds first virtual mart for smartphone users opened at Seolleung Station in 2011, all directional signs in the system are written in Korean, English and Hanja. In trains there are in addition many LCD screens giving service announcements, upcoming stop names, YTN news, stock prices, there are also prerecorded voice announcements that give the upcoming station, any possible line transfer, and the exiting side in Korean, followed by English. At major stations, this is followed by Japanese, then Mandarin Chinese, Seoul Subway uses full-color LCD screens at all stations to display real-time subway arrival times, which are also available on apps for smartphones. Most trains have digital TV screens, and all of them have air conditioning, in 2014, it became the worlds first metro operator to use transparent displays for ads when it installed 48 transparent displays on major stations of Line 2 in Gangnam District. Trains on numbered lines generally run on the track, while trains on the named lines run on the left-hand track. The exceptions are the trains on Line 1, as well as those on Line 4 south of Namtaeryeong Station and these lines run on the left-hand track because these rail lines are operated by Korail, South Koreas national railway operator. While operating hours may vary depending on the line in question, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway generally operates from 5.30 am until 1 am on weekdays, Line 1, from Seongbuk Station to Incheon Station and Suwon Station, opened on 15 August 1974. On 9 December 1978, the Yongsan-Cheongnyangni line was added to Line 1, Line 2 opened on 10 October 1980. In 1985, the system changed from charging by distance to zone. Line 4 opened on 20 April 1985, and Line 3 on 12 July, on 1 April 1994, the Indeogwon-Namtaeryeong extension of Line 4 opened. The Bundang Line, from Suseo Station to Ori Station, opened on 1 September, on 15 November 1995, Line 5 opened
3.
Yongsan District
–
Yongsan District is a district of Seoul, South Korea. Its name means Dragon Hill, derived from the characters for dragon. It sits to the north of the Han River under the shadow of Seoul Tower and it is in the center of Seoul. It is home to roughly 250,000 people and is divided into 20 dong, notable locations in Yongsan District include Yongsan Station, the sprawling Yongsan Electronics Market, Haebangchon and the Itaewon commercial district. Itaewon is widely known as one of the most ethnically diverse regions in Korea, many foreigners gravitate to its shopping centers and nightlife. Yongsan District is the site of Yongsan Garrison, a large United States military base in the heart of Seoul, because of the scarcity of land in central Seoul, as well as the consolidation of U. S. Forces throughout the Korean Peninsula, the U. S. after its relocation, the 243 ha of its land is planned to be developed into a large park. Sookmyung Womens University is in the portion of this district. Nearby, the legendary bar Doors has been a hub of Sookmyung social life for years, there is a growing community of Muslims and others from the Middle East due to the location of Seouls only mosque, Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon. This immigration trend has caused a number of restaurants and shops to open in the area. N Seoul Tower has been re-opened, the tower is at the top of Namsan. It was built as a television transmitter, Yongsan is served by Seoul Subway Line 1, Line 4, Line 6, and the Jungang Line. It is expected to be opened by 2016, Yongsan District is famous for K-pop label companies including H2 Media Entertainment and TS Entertainment. The Ministry of National Defense has its headquarters in Yongsan-dong, International schools, German School Seoul International Yongsan International School of Seoul Centennial Christian School The French School of Seoul was in Hannam-dong. In 1985 it moved to Seorae Village in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu
4.
Han River (Korea)
–
The Han River or Hangang is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Tuman, and Nakdong rivers. The river begins as two rivers in the eastern mountains of the Korean peninsula, which then converge near Seoul. The Han River and its area have played an important role in Korean history. The Three Kingdoms of Korea strove to control of this land. However, the river is no longer used for navigation. The river serves as a source for over 12 million Koreans. In July 2000, the US military admitted to having dumped toxic chemicals in the river, currently, the lower stretches of the Han river are lined with pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, public parks and restaurants, particularly in Seoul. The Han is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River, which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River, the River flows through Seoul and then merges with the Rimjin River shortly before it flows into the Yellow Sea. The two major branches of the river, the Namhan River and the Bukhan River, come together at Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi province and it then passes through Seoul and continues on to the Yellow Sea. Broad tidal flats can be found at the mouth of the Han River, the total length of the Han River is approximately 494 kilometres. Although it is not a river, the lower Han is remarkably broad for such a relatively short river. Within Seoul city limits, the river is more than 1 kilometre wide, prior to the construction of a number of major dams, the river was known for its huge coefficient of river regime of 1,390. The Namhangang is sometimes, but not always, referred to as the Han in South Korea, the term South Han is understood irrespective of which side of the border one stands. Even though Namhan and Bukhan are homophones with the acronyms Namhan and Bukhan, used commonly in South Korea, the hanja for the Han River is not 韓 but 漢. It is also easily mistaken with the use of 漢 in Seouls older name, 漢城 where 漢 does not refer to Chinese people, Han River has been called by different names through the course of Korean history. During the period of the Han Commanderies on the peninsula and the part of the three kingdoms period the river was often referred to as the Daesu. The state of Goguryeo called it the Arisu, Baekje called it the Ungniha, while the kingdom of Silla termed it the Iha. The Han River has played a role in Korean history from the earliest times
