Potato in Seoul - Gyeongbokgung Palace / 경복궁

 Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea (Wikipedia)

Gyeongbokgung is one of Seoul's most famous historical landmarks. Otherwise known as the Northern Palace, its history runs long and deep. Most of the palace that's there today are replicas or re-built buildings based on the originals. Many of the original buildings were destroyed or taken by the Japanese government and then set up in Japan. All of the buildings were restored or re-built in the late 1800s under King Gojong.

The palace is also the setting for many popular Korean dramas such as Moon Embracing the Sun (해를 품은 달), Mirror of the Witch (마녀보감), and Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (보보경심: 려). It's seen its fair share of famous Koreans, past and present. 

This archway is in the subway station closest to the palace. It's said to bring good luck if you walk under it

The palace grounds are much more extensive than they seem upon first walking in. They extend quite far behind the main gate, creating almost a maze of similar-looking buildings that housed the Royal family, the servants quarters, the main kitchen, the meeting halls, the outdoor pavilion, etc during parts of the Joseon dynasty.

During the months of nicer weather (mainly spring and fall), there are guard change reenactments among other similar activities. Many people rent traditional Korean clothing and wear it inside the palace or walking about in the surrounding touristy area Insadong (인사동) that houses traditional wares shops, art galleries, a few modern fashion houses, and other places of interest for tourists.

Source: The Korean Herald

One of the official meeting halls

Some of Korea's conscripted military police are posted in the grounds of the palace

This pavilion can be rented out for weddings and other special occasions. It can not be regularly accessed by tourists except by special tour groups

The palace has a grand view of some of the mountains that surround Seoul

The summer heat made it pretty hard to handle being outside for too long, but we endured and managed to see pretty much the entire palace grounds. There is a small tea shop about halfway through that sells iced and hot tea that we stopped at. It's connected to a small library/book shop though I don't have pictures of it.

The palace offers guided tours throughout the day in English, Chinese, and Japanese. My family and I didn't take part in a guided tour, preferring to be able to walk at our own pace and discover things on our own. Eventually I would like to go again and take one of the guided tours since not all the buildings and areas are marked in terms of what it is or what the area was used for.

Near Gyeongbokgung is the National Palace Museum of Korea (sharing the history of the four palaces) and the National Folk Museum. My family and I didn't make it to either one of those two places, since we went on a day when the museums were closed. We did stop in to the palace museum for a few minutes before the place closed for the day. 

It's interesting to compare the architectural styles to the old buildings I've seen in London and Ireland. When the Europeans were using concrete and marble to create their massive cathedrals and castles, the Koreans were using mixes of wood and brick to create an entirely different style of buildings. All are equally beautiful to me. I enjoy seeing both. I think Gyeongbokgung's architecture fits the setting: serene mountains and calm ponds. The buildings have survived through immense power struggles and wars and invasions, which is pretty amazing considering they're so flammable.

All in all, the palace is definitely worth seeing in person. I highly recommend it, if you ever get the chance. I also highly recommend renting traditional Korean clothes. There's plenty of places to do that surrounding the palace. It's one of those things that makes for some beautiful pictures that you can only get in Korea.

Information: Hours, Admission, Transportation, Etc

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