nanoomi

The Joseon Kings ruled in five palaces near central Seoul. They’re all a stone throw’s away from one another, and in this video, I take you on a route where you can see all five in a single outing.

The route: http://j.mp/oNxa0e

Total walking time was just under an hour for the 6.33km, meaning that if you arrive at the starting point at 9am, it will be possible, not only to walk the route, but visit all five palaces in a single day.

Rather than pay individual admission, pick up the integrated ticket and save a lot of money.

For more information on this video, read the blog entry: http://wp.me/p1hnjj-ZH

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Here are a handful of shots from my trip out to Gyeongbokgung. Tonight was the last chance to snap the palace grounds under moonlight. Be sure to check out Robert’s set as well.

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Between where I stand and the mountain on the horizon is Gwanghwamun. The front gate to Gyeongbokgung has been under renovation since 2006, but the wait is over – and now we can all appreciate Korea’s foremost palace in its entirety.

The event also celebrated Liberation Day (also called V-J day if you’re from the UK), or August 15th as it’s known elsewhere. If you’re from the US, you might be familiar with September 2nd as ‘V-J day’; if you’re studying holidays you don’t get off of work or school, check out this Wikipedia article for more information.

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The Joongang Ilbo reports on the unveiling of Gwanghwamun, including this quote from President Lee:

“Gwangwhamun was blocked and neglected, and the flow of our national spirit was choked off,” he said, adding, “We incessantly endeavored and struggled for the country’s independence.”

Obviously he (or his speechwriter) thinks that destroying the old Government General Building was a good idea, as it was the first step in unchoking the geomantic axis of energy flowing between Seoul’s major mountains that determined where Gyeongbokgung was built when the city was founded. It seems a bit much to call the lines of energy on which the capital of the Joseon dynsasty was built the “national spirit,” but then I’m no speechwriter.

An article from a week or so ago looked at some of the controversies surrounding Gwanghwamun’s restoration (such as whether the sign should be in Hangeul or Hanja) but had some errors, such as saying that “it had been destroyed by the Japanese” 300 years ago (actually, most of the palaces were destroyed by angry mobs of Koreans who burned slave registers, among other things, after the royal family fled north before the Japanese troops arrived). It also says that:

During the Japanese colonial era (1910-1945), the Japanese moved Gwanghwamun to the east side of the palace to give the new General Government Building a clear view down Sejongno in 1927. In fact, the Japanese tried to destroy the gate outright, but Korean intellectuals successfully petitioned for its preservation.

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While still quite new, Cheongwadae Sarangchae has become the place to learn more about Korea at its finest. The building, within a stone’s throw of the Korean presidential Blue House, sparkles with histories of the country’s leaders in the modern era. It’s probably not the place every tourist would be interested in, but business executives choosing Korea as a place to do business should make this a place to stop.

The first floor begins with a self-congratulatory public-relations blitz seemingly designed to overwhelm your senses. Video screens display Korea’s splendors – a few scientists holding up computer chips, beautiful women and some of Korea’s scenery. A second one shows a number of sports scenes – if you’re still looking to see Kim Yu-na’s gold-medal skating performance, this is one place where it will live for eternity. It’s a scene that leaves one receptive for information about Korea’s famous poets and leaders, as well as a historical display of Korea’s money (not pictured).

A number of tourist sites are displayed throughout the exhibit, along with details about the city tours Seoul has to offer. Unless you’ve just landed at the airport, you’ve probably read or heard about these before. They’re not bad, just… touristy.

Nothing like women in traditional Korean hanbok using a modern-day, plug-in iron.

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