Chinese visitor who once compared Seoul to a third-tier city changes her tune: 'Everything here has dignity'

A Chinese visitor who says Seoul is the foreign city she has traveled to most over the past year has drawn widespread attention online with a candid account of what she has come to love about life in the South Korean capital.

The post, shared recently on social media platform X, drew considerable interest as the writer described making the trip to Gangnam once or twice a month for skin care treatments.

She admitted that Seoul had not impressed her on her first visit. "It isn't grand like Beijing, polished like Shanghai, or cutting-edge like Shenzhen," she wrote, adding that many parts of the city struck her as ordinary and slightly worn — more like a third- or fourth-tier Chinese city than a national capital.

But repeated visits changed her perspective, she said, and she began to discover the city's quieter appeal.

"Every person you pass on the street is neat, fresh and well-dressed," she wrote. "You get the sense that everyone takes care of their hygiene and appearance."

The cleanliness of public facilities also left a strong impression. Public restrooms were spotless wherever she went, she said, and even the subway air felt fresh. She also noted thoughtful accessibility features for people with disabilities and a generally pet-friendly atmosphere.

She singled out subway etiquette as particularly striking. "There are plenty of priority seats for the elderly, people with disabilities and pregnant women — and even when passengers have to stand, no one sits in the red seats," she wrote. "Everything feels like it is being maintained with dignity."

The density and convenience of neighborhood commerce also won her over. "The alleyways spread out like capillaries, and they are clean," she wrote. "The convenience stores and cafes are genuinely convenient. No matter where you live, you step downstairs and there are good little restaurants everywhere — and even an ordinary restaurant is remarkably clean and has a warm atmosphere."

On prices, she said costs were less daunting than she had expected. A venti iced Americano at Starbucks, she noted, runs about 27 yuan — roughly 5,000 won.

She closed by pushing back against the idea that infrastructure and skyscrapers define urban progress. "To me, order, cleanliness, consideration for others and the convenience of daily life are what matter most," she wrote.

The post drew more than 200 comments, with many Chinese users expressing agreement. "True — I spent a year in Korea and the air was really good," one commenter wrote. Another said visiting in spring felt joyful: "The air is full of fragrance and everyone on the street is dressed neatly." A third called the sense of dignity she described "a rare healing experience you encounter while traveling."

Not all responses were positive. Some users pushed back with sociocultural observations. "From a distance it all looks like Manhattan; up close it's just ordinary people grinding away," one wrote. Another offered a sharper critique: "When social norms and personal interests conflict, Chinese people will almost always choose the latter. Those who trusted the central government didn't survive turbulent times" — a remark that drew its own thread of debate.