The plan was to wake up really early and believe it or not, I got up early (for the weekend) at 6:20am. I talked with my parents over Skype until 8am and then chatted with Phill on Skype. My time was limited for Sunday catch-up conversation time. I had to leave for Seoul by 9am, at least leave my apt by then. I really enjoy the lazy Sundays, but today I had to keep busy. I took line 1 to line 3 to Gyeongbokgung station with a transfer at Jongno 3(sam)-ga station, about an hour and a half subway ride. I felt proud of myself to be able to transfer lines on my own for the first time. I know I need to work on my traveling skills set; it can become more confusing traveling alone. So, I’m making little goals possible with my ‘baby-steps’ mindset. My cell phone also was low on batteries, so I only turned it on when I reached my destination to meet Lucas. We agreed to meet each other at 11am at the Gyeongbokgung station. Thankfully, the rain was short-lived today. Lucas and Yena Yoo actually saw me first as I was looking at the subway/local area map as I was getting to know the area, a little. I even arrived a little early (about 10 minutes early). They both work at a Hagwon, so Sundays are their only day off during the week. The pay can be better at a Hagwon, but teaching English at public schools gives you more job security and 2 days off a week. I’m glad to be working at my elementary public school. We first went to the Gyeongbokgung Palace (exit #5 from Gyeongbokgung station), the “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”(It cost twice as much as Hwaseong, at 3,000 won.) It was constructed in 1394 by King Taejo and it was much bigger and better than the country palace at Hwaseong/Suwon. In 2009, the Gyeongbokgung Palace underwent a large reconstruction project as it’s estimated that about 40 percent of the structures were restored to its former glory before the Japanese occupy. We were first greeted by a ‘changing of the guards’ ceremony.
It was very entertaining to watch. There were many foreigners at the palace, checking out the historical site. Outside the main gate of Gwanghwamun, there is the Gwanghwamun Square similar to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., but not as long. Driving around the Square seemed to be dangerous, as many drivers had to wait for pedestrians.
I digress, inside the palace walls there were a lot of buildings to see, originally there were 330 buildings on site before the Japanese occupation, but still today we didn’t see them all. (Sorry.) One of the first buildings we visited was Geunjeongjeon Hall, the throne hall where the king formally greeted foreign envoys and granted audiences to his officials.
It was there that we met up with an English tour guide and joined the tour group.
Then we moved on to the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, during the Joseon Dynasty it was used for important state banquets. It’s an artificial island surrounded by a rectangular man-made lake. An impressive sight, never the less.
Unfortunately, it is also not open to the public, so I could only marvel at it from a distance. Then we went into the Naejeon area (Inner Court) and saw the Gangyeongjeon (the King’s quarters) and the Gyotaejeon (the Queen’s quarters). The garden behind the Queen’s quarters hid the chimneys to heat the building, quite impressive.
After that the tour was over, so we headed to the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, absolutely beautiful.
Unfortunately, the Chwihyanggyo Bridge leading to the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion was destroyed during the Korean War and it was the longest bridge constructed only of wood. When it was reconstructed it was moved from the north side of the island to the south side and fortified with other materials. After we finished visiting the Gyeongbokgung Palace, it was time for lunch. We went back to the Gyeongbokgung station and went to exit #2 to To Sok Chon Sam Gye Tang.
It’s a restaurant famous in Seoul, by both the locals and the foreign, for their ginseng chicken soup, Samgyetang. The line for the restaurant extended beyond their doors and started to wrap around the building. It was definitely a hot spot, even at lunchtime. We only waited in line for 10-15 minutes, too bad it was so hot and humid. It was by far the most delicious meal I’ve ever eaten in South Korea.
I hope to visit again before I leave! Yum. Expensive at 13,000 won a person, but totally worth it, even though the service was average, after all they are always busy! The food is too good to pass up, really. Just writing about it is making me hungry for it! After the delicious lunch we went walking by the Cheonggyecheon River.
It is about 6 km long and it is entirely man-made, as originally the river flowed in the opposite direction! It was part of a massive urban renewal project as the stream was covered up with concrete since 1958 and in 1976 it became an elevated highway. In 2003 the restoration project went underway and it was reopened again in 2005. I love it, the project was a success, it is a great example of how the city is so environmentally friendly. Plus, it was a hot day and walking by the stream made the area so much cooler, reducing the heat-island effect. I wished I lived near the River, so that everyday I could walk by it. It is so beautiful and it was a great way to end my day in Seoul.
my father loves that river!
ReplyDeleteNice photos! Keep updating plz ^_^