Gyeongbokgung Palace

It's time for some history of South Korea as we set off for the main and largest Royal Palace of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung. The palace was constructed long ago is 1395, later burned down and abandoned for three centuries before it was reconstructed 1867 to it's current magnificence.

Here's how you get to the beautiful palace, Gyeongbokgung. You can easily take the subway Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung station and then walk out from Exit 5. And 5 minutes of walking is all it takes to reach the ticket office of Gyeongbokgung.

Subway map to Gyeongbokgung

 The Gyeongbokgung Palace is huge and be sure to obtain a guide with a map at the entrance before exporing the premises. Here is a map of Gyeongbokgung.

Map of Gyeongbokgung

There is a opening ceremony of the the Palace gates which you may want to get there early to watch. You can witness the colorful costumes of the Palace Royal Guards marching in with drums beating. However, be prepared for the large crowd gathering to watch.

Royal Guards parade at Gyeongbokgung

Royal Guards parade at Gyeongbokgung

After watching the entertaining parade, you will be greeted by the Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall where the king addresses the audience.  On the way in, we chanced upon the filming of some news or documentary with the host in the Korean traditional dress, the Hanbok.

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung

Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung
 

Korean in Hanbok at Gyeongbokgung

Walking further in, we saw the Gyeonghoeru, also known as the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion rested on a tranquil pond. This is the Royal Banquet Hall where the king threw feasts and banquets during the Joseon Dynasty.

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung

Along the way, the palace has many lovely back alleys and gardens where you can stop for photo-takings like we did. The place was really big and we can imagine the lives of the royalties back then. You will also notice that the roofs of the buildings are nicely painted and colorful.

Back alleys at Gyeongbokgung

Colorful roofs at Gyeongbokgung

The Gyotaejeon is where the queen used to reside. Like any palace, the Gyeongbokgung has many similar buildings and we often find ourselves lost in the many lanes and allies.

Gyotaejeon at Gyeongbokgung

Next, we arrived at the Hwangwonji Pond and the Hwangwonjeong Pavilion. Here stands a 2-storey hexagonal pavilion build on an artificial islet in the middle of the Hwangwonji Pond.  TheHwangwonjeong translates as "The Pavilion of far-reaching fragrances" linked by a bridge named Chwihyanggyo, which means "Bridge intoxicated with frangrance". The area is decorated by a garden adding to the beauty of the place.

Hwangwonjeong Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung

Chwihyanggyo Bridge at Gyeongbokgung

At the Hwangwonjeong Pavilion, we were honored to see the king and the queen themselves.  So we seek their permission to take some pictures with them. =P

The king and the queen at Gyeongbokgung

Royal guards and maids at Gyeongbokgung

It certainly takes a whole day to visit the Gyeongbokgung and we learned a little about the Korean history during our visit. Unless you are really into the Korean history, we suggest you don't visit the other palaces and the Gyeongbokgung will be a good enough experience. And after walking all day round the palace, it's time to head back to our hotel to rest. ^^