Third Day: March 28, 2013
Apart from being a center of latest trends and fashion, the city of Seoul also functions as a window to South Korea's past. The government has spent numerous efforts in the maintenance of historical sites in an attempt to recreate its past, drawing the Koreans near their roots and constantly drawing admiration from foreigners. We started our journey to the past at Bukchon Hanok Village.
Bukchon Hanok Village is a home to clusters of hanoks, the Korean word for Korean traditional houses. One can opt to rent an audio guide for free, allowing one to choose among the given course routes or even to design ones own route while the machine gives directions and information about the place visited. The place offers a variety of cultural activities for a small fee for those interested to be immersed in the local culture. We did not participate in any of these, but just walked around the area to fully appreciate the beauty of the architecture of the hanoks and took some photos in five of the selected 8 views of Bukchon, the best views of Bukchon.
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Bukchon 3rd View
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| Bukchon 4th View with countless hanok roofs in the background |
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| Bukchon 5th View |
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| Bukchon 6th View |
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| Bukchon 1st View with Changdeokgung Palace behind |
Located nearby is the Changdeokgung Palace. It served as the secondary palace of the Joseon Dynasty and was declared a UNESCO world heritage in 1997.
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| Entrance to Changdeokgung Palace |
Built at the rear of the palace is the Secret Garden. This is no ordinary garden. It is so massive in size that one will get lost without the directions of a tour guide. Several ponds and pavilions of various shapes can be found inside the garden.
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| One of the ponds found inside the garden |
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| Thatch-roofed pavilion. The king does farming himself to experience how it feels to work in the rice field. |
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| Fan-shaped pavilion |
Because we had to catch the 8 pm Nanta show, we did not really have the chance to roam around Changdeokgung Palace. We only took a quick look at Injeongjeon Area, the place where major state affairs were held, and left.
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| Injeongjeon |
I recommend that one watch the non-verbal, comedy show Nanta even though the ticket price is quite expensive. One will surely be amazed at how the tapping and hitting of different materials will come to create a harmonious sound.
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| Just before the start of the show |
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Directions to Bukchon Hanok Village: Line 3, Anguk Station, Exit 2
Directions to Changdeokgung Palace: Line 3, Anguk Station, Exit 3
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