Tour the Gyeongbokgung for free♪
chika
2 years ago
Gyeongbokgung Palace is located in several places within Seoul, but all are within close proximity, making it easy to move around, which is also one of the attractions as a tourist destination 😊
Furthermore, it's nice that the entrance fee is free when wearing hanbok!
Actually, there is a way to enter Gyeongbokgung Palace for free other than when wearing traditional Korean clothing ✨ (In the case of Gyeonghuigung Palace, admission is free all year round)
On the last Wednesday of every month, it is set as 'Culture Day' with the purpose of allowing everyone to enjoy cultural activities easily, so admission to the Old Palace is free on this day 😊 Foreign tourists can also take advantage of this system!
If it's available, I definitely want to use it!! However, since it's the last week of the month, and it's a Wednesday, it was quite difficult to plan a trip on that day, but this time the timing worked out perfectly with the New Year's travel schedule so I was able to use it♪
This time, I visited three places: 'Jongmyo Shrine,' 'Changdeokgung Palace,' and 'Gyeongbokgung Palace,' and walked around in the afternoon 😊
The Imperial Palace is a place I have visited many times before, so this time I decided to casually stroll around as if taking a walk. However, for those who are visiting for the first time or for those who want to take their time looking around, I recommend going with plenty of time♪
First, the first place we headed to was 'Jongmyo Shrine'. It is a royal ancestral shrine where the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty are enshrined.
If you visit on a 'cultural day', you don't need to go to the ticket counter, you can enter directly from the entrance👍
At the entrance, there were a few staff members, so I was a little nervous, but I was able to enter normally without any problems 😌 (I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat, so I always act with anxiety, thinking what if someone talks to me or stops me 😅)
In front of the ancestral temple, the park is usually a place where many citizens (mainly elderly people) gather, but on this day, the inside of the ancestral temple was also bustling with many visitors due to the influence of 'Cultural Day' 😊 However, it seemed that many people came more for a leisurely walk than for sightseeing 😶
South Korea has many people who regularly exercise and take walks, and I respect their high health consciousness ✨
I'm not a fan of exercise and I'm more of an indoors type, so I try to increase the distance I walk only when traveling 😅
Registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site ✨
When I visited, the main hall was under repair, so unfortunately I could only look at the materials and scaffolding 🥲 I hope to visit again when the construction is finished.
Next, we headed to 'Changdeokgung Palace (창덕궁)' located on the north side of the Jongmyo Shrine! It took about 15 minutes on foot 🐾
The road along the outer wall of the ancestral temple is also well maintained, with stores lining up, allowing you to admire buildings resembling traditional Korean houses and encounter cats basking in the sun, making the travel time feel like a breeze 🤭
When walking, you can feel the excitement of new discoveries and a different atmosphere of the city that you cannot see from the regular bus. I realized that there are still many places I don't know yet 😊
Head directly to the entrance of 'Changdeokgung Palace' 😊
Here is also the only UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in the ancient palace in Seoul city👍 (The first visited Jongmyo is not an ancient palace)
After the fire at Gyeongbokgung Palace, this old palace, which was used as the main palace, has a smaller area than Gyeongbokgung Palace and fewer tourists, so you can take your time to see it. Therefore, it is recommended as one of the tourist spots 🤭
'Donhwamun' was rebuilt in 1609 and is designated as a national treasure in Korea. It's magnificent, isn't it? ✨
The main hall, 'Injeongjeon (인정전)' ✨ It looks like a two-story building from the outside, but it's actually one story 🤭
Furthermore, after the Joseon Dynasty, it became the Great Korean Empire, and even during the reign of its second emperor, Emperor Sunjong, Changdeokgung Palace was used, so you can feel a Western atmosphere inside 😮 There are electricity and chandeliers!
There are several places with a modern atmosphere outside of the inside of Ninjo Palace, so please be sure to check them out during your sightseeing ✨
For Japanese visitors, be sure to visit 'Rakusanjae (낙선재)' located on the premises. Rakusanjae is the place where Lee Bang-ja, a former member of the Japanese imperial family who became the wife of Prince Yeongshin of the Joseon Dynasty, lived until her death in 1989.
After exploring Changdeokgung Palace, we headed to our final destination of the day, Gyeongbokgung Palace 🐾
Gyeongbokgung is about a 25-minute walk from 'Changdeokgung', so we decided to take a detour for a break along the way 😋
Naengmyeon and Mandu 🤤 were deliciously enjoyed♪
By the way, it turns out that cold noodles were originally a dish eaten in winter 🤭 It goes back to the Joseon era, but... 😅 The reason was that ice was only available in winter, so now in Korea you can enjoy delicious cold noodles regardless of the season 😊
After satisfying the stomach, let's resume the walk 🐾
In front of the entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun, which has been under construction for a while, it seems that the 'Yuetai' has finally been completed! ✨Yuetai has been restored for the first time in about 100 years, and it seems that the plaque with 'Gwanghwamun' written on it has also been changed to a new one...but I didn't notice even though I've been here many times 😅
I noticed that the statue of King Sejong in front of Gwanghwamun has been moved👍 It is currently installed in front of the Moon Terrace!
I was able to take a picture of Heunginjimun straight on after a long time ✨ The view and the ground are clear and nice, aren't they?♪
Gyeongbokgung Palace is a popular filming location for the hit drama 'Goblin,' so every time you see Gyeongbokgung Palace, scenes from the drama come to mind 🤭 There are several other filming locations within walking distance from Gyeongbokgung Palace, so we recommend taking a stroll and visiting them!
Nonetheless, Gyeongbokgung Palace is always bustling with tourists whenever you visit 😊
If people from the Joseon Dynasty were to time slip here like in a Korean drama, I wonder how they would react~... While imagining strange things like that, I took a stroll around the premises, watching tourists from around the world happily taking photos in Hanbok 😊
When I previously tried on Hanbok in winter, I couldn't bear the cold and ended up walking with a down jacket over it. Even though it was cold this day, it was impressive that many people were wearing only Hanbok. 😯
It's definitely bigger compared to Changdeokgung Palace 😁
Not registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, but designated as a national treasure or treasure of South Korea!
We visited all three places that were the destinations for the day. It was still a bit bright, so we decided to take a walk in 'Gwanghwamun Square' in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace as well. 🐾
Gwanghwamun Square is the filming location of the drama 'The King: Eternal Monarch'😉
Events are often held in this square, so it is recommended to visit the square for tourists going to Gyeongbokgung Palace sightseeing♪
When I visited, there was an event called '2023 Seoul Lantern Festival' taking place 😊
Lanterns depicting not only Korean themes but also characters from world fairy tales and dinosaurs were on display here, and it seemed that the lights would be lit at night. I left before it got dark, so I didn't see the lights on 😅
I had a great time even in the bright hours!👍
However, it seems that there were several other events being held besides the Lantern Festival, so I regret not checking in advance...
It's important to also research the surrounding information of the sightseeing spots you plan to visit during your trip!
Both the tiger and the dragon look strong! 🤭 It's also nice to be able to see lanterns up close like this, isn't it?
King Sejong and General Yi Sun-sin in the square must be proud to see the ever-changing Korea 😊
I love Seoul, which shows me a new side every time I come! I have been to Korea dozens of times, but Seoul never gets boring no matter how many times I visit... It's the best!👍
