Gyeongbok-Gung Palace

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matt 120pxToday, we saw Seoul’s most famous attraction, the Gyeongbok-gung Palace. I don’t know too much about the palace or its history (it does have a long history though and has been destroyed and rebuilt several times), but it was an interesting place to walk around. The first unique thing about it was the guards posted all around the entrances with fire extinguishers handy in their utility belts.  Spare extinguishers were also readily available at various locations throughout the palace grounds.  Good thing though, as the palace is the largest wooden structure in Korea and the most famous landmark in Seoul (a gate whose name currently escapes me) recently burned down from arson. The complex was comprised of a huge wooden gate and surrounding wall enclosing dozens of buildings. We saw throne rooms, large halls, and living quarters, but the perhaps the coolest thing were the natural features of the palace. Several large ponds were inside, with plenty of shady foliages around and pagodas in the center. Also pretty interesting was the juxtaposition of the palaces and the surrounding environs. Looking back towards the front of the palace, Seoul’s modern skyline loomed. Looking in the opposite direction, the mountains rose even higher. We spent a couple hours there exploring the large grounds. Reading back over this, I realize that this post isn’t too exciting, but that’s because it wasn’t. I mean it was an interesting morning excursion, but it just was a bit anti-climatic given that it was one of Korea’s most famous attractions.

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One thought on “Gyeongbok-Gung Palace

  1. that’s relli dincely described! it sounds really interesting too. im doing a project on Seoul for my English Guide Tour thing and this really helped. thanks!

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