Gyeongbok Palace (Gyeongbokgung) in Spring

Manolo — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:53:53 +0000

This isn’t the first time I visit this palace, but being spring, and with this good weather, this visit deserved a post with some pictures. Besides, if I am not wrong, after the Namdaemun was burned away, the Gyeongbokgung Palace is probably the most important tourist attraction left in Seoul.

This is the place where the king used to rest in summer. It’s completely open and surrounded by this lake so that his majesty could be really cool.

I guess it’s on this small boat how you get to the palace on the lake.

His majesty’s throne.

Detail of the columns.

Another of the palace’s lakes whose aspect had improved a lot with the arrival of spring.

I thought this was a nice picture, don’t you think? (UPDATE: It’s funny who this picture differs from these other from Kirai. Korean and Japanese cultures, while being similar, have quite a lot of differences: while in Japan he is the one and only king, in Korea she is definitely the princess.)

Another couple enjoying the good weather at the palace. I couldn’t tell whether the guy is dressing as a tiger or as Pikachu… in any case, he could have more style

Already outside of the palace, we found this temple with the typical buddha’s birthday decoration, the same that we saw during our trip to Yeoju.

Gyeongbok Palace (Gyeongbokgung)

Manolo — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:36:45 +0000

Last weekend we went to Gyeongbok Palace (경복궁). To understand how big this palace is, you have to see it from satellite:

View Larger Map

It took us around two hours to see the whole palace. Here are some of the pictures that we took:

Main entrance.

One of the main buildings.

Main entrance from inside the palace, contrasting with some skyscrapers at the business district of Seoul.

Detail of the (reconstructed) colorful ceiling.

One of the few buildings which were not destroyed by the Japanese invasion.

Traditional heating system. They made fire under the houses (the black gates) to keep the floor warm through a system of pipes.

With a group of Japanese students that we met there. We didn’t seem very used to see foreigners, because as they saw us they run into us (literally) to take pictures.

Korean Spinning Top at the Children’s Museum inside the palace. It’s funny the way that we make it spin.

Tickets: 3,000 KRW
Audio Guide (optional): 1,000 KRW
Subway Line 5: Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 2
Subway Line 3: Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5

Back in Seoul » Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbok Palace (Gyeongbokgung) in Spring

Gyeongbok Palace (Gyeongbokgung)