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 : ZYY, 22, +65. can i be a slug all day? + follow | Email | Friends:
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Korea: Palaces Part I
written on Friday, April 25, 2014 @ 11:50 AM ✈
안녕! We are going to the different palaces in Seoul!! There are a total of 5 major palaces in Seoul built during Joseon Dynasty. 1. Gyeongbokgung 2. Changdeokgung 3. Deoksugung
4. Changgyeonggung
5. GyeonghuigungAmong all the palaces that are available, the most famous one is definitely Gyeongbokgung (경복궁). It is located near the Gyeongbokgung/ Gwanghwamun Station. Approximately about 5 to 10 minutes walk away, very visible and very easy to find since the main gate (Gwanghwamun :The Main and South Gate) can be seen even from far right after you come out of the correct exit from the Gwanghwamun Station. 
(By the way, we took subway to Gwanghwamun Station, just in case you got a bit confused, since you will see different buildings/statues along the way to Gyeongbokgung if you come out from different station)
Along the way, from the Gwanghwamun Station to Gyeongbokgung there are King Sejong’s statuses and General Yi Sun-sin and a museum for them as well (located underground, photos below!), so do make a trip down and learn more about how Hangeul was formed by him.
(photos along the way there)
(onstreet performance!)
(General Yi, the museum is just nearby here)
  If I didn’t remember wrongly, Gyeongbokgung should be the largest palace in Seoul and one of the oldest as well, since it was the first palace that was built by the first King of Joseon dynasty? This was also the 1st palace that we went when we were in Korea! ☺ **Take note! Since different palaces have different closing day! Palaces closing day: • Closed on Monday: Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Gyeonghuigung Palace • Closed on Tuesday: Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine At Gyeongbokgung Station, there is a replica of the Pullomun Gate at Changdeokgung Palace. Legend says that passing under the gate will make you eternally young.
So even though I didn’t walk through the replica one in Gyeongbokgung station, I went through the real one in Changdeokgung!!Even better right!! (So that does mean I will be young forever? Hehe… Ps: don’t tell me even if I don’t, LOL!)
Do reach there at a correct timing as there would be a guard changing ceremony being carried out if you arrived accordingly to the scheduled timing for the parade every day?? 10 am, I think? However do take note that Gyeongbokgung closes every Tuesday, so do plan well before going there! Most of the palaces closes at around 6pm so don’t go there too late! 
(1 shot was all it take to get this jumping perfect shot (i help take one!) :) ) ZH really looks like she is flying, unlike me permanently on the ground, must be the gravity (lives in denial...)
(well, this is the only 1 that is ok for uploading after jumping for too many times:( )
(so we are finally finished walking through the picture perfect long patch? of grass and here is the main gate of the palace.) ( if is me, i always want to build my palace here, with a mountain behind that made it looks so much more majestic)
(this is something that you could call it flower unlike those in Singapore, they look more like brushes and trees)
Note: Admission to Jongmyo Shrine and the Four Palaces in Seoul is operated under the Integrated Ticket of Palaces (KRW 10,000), if you wish to visit other palaces as well then do buy this package, if not the admission fee to Gyeongbokgung itself will be 3,000 won. If not at least visit Gyeongbokgung to make your trip to Korea more complete. hahas
We bought the integrated tickets and tried hard to go for all the palaces that are within the package other than 1 palace due to the lack of time. (The integrated tickets last for only 1 month so do plan your itinerary if you are planning to visit all of them, since some are quite near each other while some needs half a day there!
 We were just in time for the guard exchanging ceremony!   Quite special since there wasn’t any other guards changing ceremony in Singapore :(!  More photos inside the palaces!      
(Felt like promoting the guide book for awhile, hehe)
  
(very thankful for them to be willing to take photo with us! Hanbok are really cute! But kill me pls if i need to wear them under the hot sun, it wasn't even windy that day :( but they blend into the palace really well!)
 
(i like the intricate design at the top! palaces in Korea might not be as grand as those in China but they do have their own charms as well!)
(bye bye Gyeongbokgung, i might be here again to see the differences for different season!)
Next up is the National Folk Museum, Located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace! It presents over 4,000 historical artifacts that were used in the daily lives of ordinary Korean people.  
(acting like we are reading something, can't help it but it looks too much like a drama scene so just have to act, hehe, why no prince charming at the opposite? :( )
 
(ok, i know i not pretty, but do i look like part of the Mannequin? hahas)
(festival celebration)
  
(ok la, very scary, i so scare... hahas)
 
(i really like those side dishes available in Korean restaurant!!)
   
(really like the background of this, like the sky and the building colour contrast)
   
Exact address:
22, Sajik-ro 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 사직로9길 22 (필운동)
Operating Hours:
January-February, November-December: 09:00-17:00
March-May, September-October: 09:00-18:00
June-August: 09:00-18:30
* Last admission: 1 hr before closing.
Directions
Gyeongbokgung Palace Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 5.
OR,
Gwanghwamun Station (Seoul Subway Line 5), Exit 2.
Since the Cheonggyecheon Stream & Cheonggye Plaza (청계천 & 청계광장) were around the Gwanghwamun we went there (to be precise, we only went to the start of the stream, hahas. )after the palace? or was it before >.< ? We didn't really walk the whole stream, just took some photos at the start of the stream, do go there at night instead, think the lighting will make them look even better!     Despite it being a long day already and we have yet to eat anything we went to the museum that is for King Sejong and General Yi 
(the word at the back means King Sejong's story, didn't know what it meant back then.)
(the panel changes the images so fast but very pretty~)
(they are the vowels and consonants that make up Korean Language
(King Sejong, ignore the leg and hand at the back, the King isn't coming out from the picture.)
    
(in the smaller ship which General Yi used to fight Japanese)
(some interactive games, too bad too many child, so just played for awhile.)
(General Yi)
( i think this is the actual size replica of the bottom of the ship? I can't remember already)
We ended our day at the famous Korean ginseng chicken soup ("samgyetang":삼계탕) place from Tosokchon (토속촌) which was nearby and within walking distance from Gyeongbokgung, about 15 minutes walk away? Ask the Koreans around with the Korean name, it should be quite usefully and easy to find with their help! It was dinner time and we queued for 15 minutes, quite fast I think!  (it was around 8 plus nearly 9pm when we reached there, very dark already. we forgot to take the outside appearance picture, so i took one from online instead, sorry...) this is quite different from the one we get in Singapore, the soup is stickier, thicker and more flavourful than the one we tasted in Singapore. Too filling for one person to finish the whole soup! too bad we didn't managed to try some other restaurant for samyetang to make a better comparison and see if this is really good and worth waiting for.   
(the Chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice and 1 ginseng :) 15k won!)
(aftermatch of the
war', we are really hungry!!)
 
Price ranging from 15k won to 20+k won if i didn't remember wrongly? Not too many other choices to choose from since they are famous for samgyetang:삼계탕, see the blur menu above!
Not so many photos here cause we are too hungry already! The seating capacity seems to be quite big, maybe that why the waiting time is quite short!
Address:
5, Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울 종로구 자하문로5길 5 (체부동)
Directions
Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2.
Go straight about 170m and turn left onto Jahamun-ro 5-gil Road.
Tosokchon (토속촌) is located 10m ahead on the left.
We also went for other palaces as well, but this one day trip itself is too long already, so i am splitting it into 2 parts instead!
That is all for now!
Will be back for more updates.
Till I am back again!
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