Deal

Incheon was the first South Korean city to open to the world in 1883 and was granted English Status in 2007. The city’s Chinatown is credited as the origin of jjajangmyeon, black soy bean noodles considered South Korea’s de facto national dish. A statue in Jaya Park commemorates General MacArthur’s 1950 UN operation that freed the city during the Korean War.

Shanghai’s Bund — a mile of European Beaux-Arts and Art Deco buildings facing the futuristic Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River — frames one of the world’s most dramatic urban juxtapositions.

A megacity combines the historic Yuyuan Garden and the lanes of the French Concession with a commercial energy and architectural ambition matched by few cities on Earth.

Enjoy another day exploring Shanghai.

South Korea’s second city, Busan cradles 3.5 million people between lush mountains and ocean scenery. Haedong Yonggung Temple, dating to 1376, perches on a dramatic cliffside above the East Sea, while Beomeosa Temple, established in AD 678, glitters with lanterns at the foot of Mount Geumjeongsan. Gamcheon Culture Village, transformed from a hillside shantytown of Korean war refugees into a canvas of flamingo-pink and lemon-yellow facades, is one of Asia’s most striking creative reinventions.

Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, Peace Memorial Museum, and Genbaku Dome offer spaces to reflect on the events of 1945, cradled by the Honkawa and Motoyasu rivers. The reconstructed Hiroshima Castle recalls the feudal era, while the Shukkei-en garden provides peaceful contemplation among koi ponds and ornamental bridges. Hiroshima is also the origin of Kumano brushes, handmade in the surrounding hills since the Edo period for calligraphy and traditional ink painting.

Beppu, in one of Japan’s most volcanically active regions, is famous for its eight scorching onsen known as the Hells, with pools named Sea Hell, Blood Pond Hell, and Tornado Hell, each coloured by the mineralisation of the earth. More than 2,000 cherry trees near the ropeway to Mount Tsurumi create one of Beppu’s finest hanami spots in spring. The summit view from the 1,375-metre mountain extends to the Kuju Mountains, Chugoku, and Shikoku.

Kochi Castle, one of only twelve original castles remaining in Japan, features elegant black and white tiered roofs and commands views over the city and mountains. The Shikoku Pilgrimage route winds through the surrounding forested hillsides and temples. Kochi is also celebrated for katsuo no tataki, lightly seared skipjack tuna, and a thriving sake-brewing tradition.