South Korea Trip 2013: Day 5 in Seoul (Gyeongbukgung, Bukchon Hanok Village, Samcheongdong, Changdeokgung, Insadong)

Gwanghwamun amidst the hustle and bustle of morning traffic

On the last day of my stay in Seoul I headed out for a sightseeing tour of the Grand Palaces. It was a bright and sunny day, perfect for a day out strolling amongst Korean folks.

My first stop was at Gwanghwamun Square, the entrance to Gyeongbukgung. To get here, take the subway and stop at Gwanghwamun Station, then take Exit 2. It's a 3 minutes walk straight after you get out of the station.

Admiral Yi Shun Shin

Before I head into Gyeongbukgung, I walked around the square to take some pictures of Admiral Yi Shun Shin's and King Sejong's statue.

King Sejong, creator of Hangul, the Korean alphabet

If you have some time to spare, take a short detour to King Sejong's Story, an exhibition hall which is dedicated to the life of Joseon's fourth king. To enter, go behind King Sejong's statue as pictured above and there will be a door which leads to the exhibition hall underground.

Admission is free, so don't miss out if you are curious to learn more about the great King Sejong. The most memorable line for me from King Sejong in the exhibition was "My people cannot write characters even though they have hands, and can't read characters even though they have eyes. Joseon needs new characters that are suitable for the people." And that's how Hangul, the Korean alphabet, came into creation.

Palace guards at Gwanghwamun

I missed out on the guard-changing ceremony at Gwanghwamun, but the crowd was too thick surrounding the place, and that was why I detoured into King Sejong's Story Exhibition. Still, I managed to get some pictures of the palace guards which were still standing in attention there for photo-taking purposes. Their stares were scary though... as if they were going to eat me up!

Gyeongbukgung's main gate in all it's splendour

Gyeongbukgung is the most beautiful and grandest among all palaces, so if you are short on time and can't visit all the palaces, just visit this one.

Admission is 3000 won (approximately RM9), but I bought the Integrated Ticket of Palaces since I planned on going to a few. It costs 10,000 won (approximately RM30) and admits you to the Four Palaces and Jongmyo Shrine.

For more information, click on the link to Korea Tourism Organization's page on Gyeongbukgung.

I couldn't stop but marvel at the colourful roofs of the many gates of Gyeongbukgung. There were countless gates, each one bringing you into a deeper part of the palace.

The king's throne in the chambers where he receives his ministers

Most parts of the interior are cordoned off, but you can lean in for photo-taking purposes. I got a good spot and managed to take a picture of the king's throne amid the huge crowd of tourists. Autumn seems to be the peak season of travel here.

The prettiest shot of the palace roofs with the sun's shining rays

I got lost after walking a while and could only regain my balance after seeing a map. I managed to capture a picture of the stunning palace roofs with the sun shining in the background. I couldn't have chosen a better day for palace sightseeing!

Palace corridors

Walking along the palace corridors brings back memories of scenes of historical dramas such as Jewel in the Palace, Rooftop Prince and Jang Ok Jung. I can picture myself in hanbok walking along these corridors...

Autumn colours in the palace gardens

I reached the palace gardens and the autumn colours were so pretty. I guess even royalty need some sort of space for them to relax and enjoy even though it's within the palace grounds. This place seems great for a stress reliever even for a mere tourist like myself. All the worries and pains (legs and knees) just fly away for a moment.

Samcheongdong

From Gyeongbukgung I walked to Samcheongdong for lunch. It's a pretty upscale place, sort of like Bangsar is to KL. The houses here are sandwiched among shops, cafes and whatnots. Everything seems classy somehow. There's even a Cath Kidston store in the neighbourhood!

Traditional Korean food at its best

It was in Samcheongdong that I had the best ever traditional Korean lunch. I just happened to walk into an alley and my travel partners wanted to try some traditional Korean food. We happened to walk into this restaurant where the staff were pleasant and tried to converse in English with us.

We had (a huge pot) spicy bean paste stew, pajeon and mandu. All the portions were huge and when every one dish came we would burst into giggles since there were only 3 of us and we bet the kitchen staff were wondering how we could finish it all!

Well, in the end we polished it all except for the pajeon which we asked to takeaway. The kind staff neatly wrapped it up in foil for us (which we later reheated back in the hotel room over the stove) and even offered to take a group photo for us! If I am ever back in Samcheongdong, I'll try to find my way back here again!

Bukchon Hanok Village

After lunch, I headed towards Bukchon Hanok Village, where people still lived in Korean traditional houses built during the Joseon era. If you ever get lost, look out for those volunteer tour guides in red, they are plenty of them in this area, and ever ready to help.

A typical street in Bukchon Hanok Village

The houses in Bukchon Hanok Village were well maintained and the roads were free of cars. We were required to keep quiet in this area as there were signage prompting us to bear in mind of the residents' peace of mind.

Ripe persimmons on a tree!

I could hear sounds from the homes; chopping of meat, programmes on TV, chatter of people in the residences. These are the sounds of everyday lives of these people who are still living in their ancestors' homes although it's in the modern times.

A sea of rooftops

Yet they have managed to adapt and a sign of times is you'll see many modern gadgets installed outside the homes such as modems for internet and phone lines.

Changdeokgung grounds

I wanted to visit the Secret Garden in Changdeokgung, so I just followed the road signs that lead here. This palace is smaller in scale compared to Gyeongbukgung, but there is a vast difference among the two. 

While Gyeongbukgung is filled with living quarters, the grounds except for the garden area is devoid of plants. In Changdeokgung, where autumn has come, the trees offer a pretty backdrop for photographs.

Restored palace beams

They closed the Secret Garden pretty early, so I didn't manage to get in. It was only 4pm by the way... :(

Next to the Secret Garden entrance was the entrance to Changyeonggung, so my travel partners took a leisurely stroll amongst the autumn foliage there. Many local folks also seemed to came to enjoy the great weather and beautiful scenery.

Ssamziegil complex in Insadong

Later I went to Insadong for some cultural gift shopping to bring back home. Insadong is a traditional artsy place, and to me it had a similar feel to Hongdae, albeit with a more traditional Korean feel.

Ssamziegil is a complex in Insadong where the more upmarket cultural souvenirs are sold. The prices here are quite pricey, so buy only if you really like the product.

Caricature merchandise on sale in Ssamziegil

There are some quirky and artsy stuff only found here, like the caricature merchandise pictured above. After the artist had drawn a caricature of yourself, you can choose the product where you want it printed on, such as a T-shirt, mugs, and even pillowcase!

Sweet cafe atop Ssamziegil complex

There's also a sweet couple cafe atop the Ssamziegil complex where you can spend some time relaxing with your loved one while enjoying the rooftop sights in Insadong.

Miss Lee Cafe at the entrance of Insadong main street

I went over to Miss Lee Cafe for dinner that night. Since I read about it on blogs and also because it was featured on We Got Married during Yonghwa and Seohyun's visit, I thought that I shouldn't miss out on this quirky and unique cafe since I'm in the neighbourhood.

Lots of notes from previous diners in Miss Lee Cafe

The cafe itself was very small but packed. There were so many things going on at once, notes from previous diners and also pretty decorations everywhere. Definitely the perfect place to go on a date or just a simple hangout with close friends!

Miss Lee Cafe's handwritten menu

Even the menu here is super quirky! It's handwritten and it actually pretty much about the 2 main dishes served in the cafe, dosirak (lunchbox) and patbingsu (Korean ais kacang). What I really loved is the illustration in the menu which shows that you should shake your dosirak before enjoying it fully... :)

Dosirak in Miss Lee Cafe

The dosirak was simple but really tasty and enjoyable. It comes with a complimentary seaweed soup for only 6000 won (approximately RM18). It's probably the cheapest meal I had by far in Seoul, but having it really made my day!

Notice something different?

Oh, and there's something I noticed about the different vibes the shops are channeling whilst walking around in Insadong. Do you notice anything different in the picture above?

Even Etude House's signboard is in Hangul

Well, the secret it out! Only in Insadong, all the shops are required to have their signboards in Hangul, Korean alphabets. Apparently the move is done to retain the traditional atmosphere in the area. Well, I'm glad I managed to see the one and only Starbucks outlet without an English signboard!

Seoul Lantern Festival (Nov 1 to 17, 2013)

After spending a whole day around the palaces and its surrounding areas, it's time to head towards Cheonggyecheon since the Seoul Lantern Festival is on. I'm lucky enough to be in Seoul at the right timing for this event!! :D

Awesome LED display

Although the event was some sort of tourist attraction, there were many locals when I arrived at Cheonggyecheon. Because the annual event is held only around 2 weeks, many people from all walks of life came to see the pretty lanterns at night. There were to many people till they had to do crowd control!

Massive crowds at Cheonggyecheon

Although there were many pretty lanterns, I had difficulty taking pictures because of the huge crowd and lighting since it was dark. I chose to appreciate the lanterns only as I was jostled on by the crowd.

Prettiest lanterns of the night

I managed to capture some pictures of the prettiest lanterns (by far) located under a bridge along Cheonggyecheon. Hope you'll appreciate it!

That ends my last night in Seoul. Tomorrow I'm taking the KTX train down south to Busan!

Read about my experience in Nampodong, BIFF Square and Gwangbok Street (Busan) here!

Read about my experience in Chungmuro, Namdaemun and Myeongdong here!

Read about my experience in Edae, Hongdae, D-Cube City and Dongdaemun here!

Read about my experience in N Seoul Tower, Namsangol Hanok Village, Garosugil and Go-To Mall here!

Read about my experience in Busan (KTX and Busan City Night View Tour Bus) here!

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