The main palace of the Joseon Dynasty and is the largest of the palaces in Seoul, built in 1394.
***Location***
Situated north of City Hall and at the end of Sejongno Street in Central Seoul. Make sure you eat before going as there are few restaurants in this area.
You can take the subway to Gyeongbokgung station, line number 3 - orange line and then take exit 5 towards the entrance of the palace. The subway station has some nice murals, a public toilet which would be a good idea to use before wandering around the palace. I don't remember seeing any public toilets once inside the complex.
***Cost***
Adult: 3,000 won (1.50 GBP) Children
between 7-18 1,500 won Tours are in English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. The tour is not compulsory so you have the option of going at your own pace should you wish. I don't think the tour costs anything extra either!
Probably one of the first things you will see will be Gwanghwamun Gate. They have changing of the guards here, just like Buckingham Palace! Only these guards look pretty fierce in their costumes. I think they change on a regular basis, just pop to the Tourist Information point next door to find out the exact times. The gate is not as beautiful as Namdaemun Gate but it's pretty impressive because of its size.
You will also see the outer wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace. From this viewpoint you will begin to understand the sheer size of the complex. Go through the main entrance. You can choose whether you are a king or servant! The king was the only person to walk on the central path that was slightly raised from the ground, everybody else walked on the side paths. In front of you, you will see Geunjeongjeon - the throne hall.
Geunjeongjeon was where the king met his dignitaries. As you can imagine, the king wanted everyone to see him as an important and wealthy leader, hence the impressive hall and stone court. Go up the stairs and take a look inside. I found it a little disappointing inside, there was very little to see and it looked like the place was suffering from damp. I think though the hall has since been renovated, so maybe now it looks a lot better.
Have a walk around, look at the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion which sits in the middle of a lotus pond. If you are there at the right time of year, it would make for a wonder photograph! Don't be surprised if children come up to you practicing their English. It has happened to me every time I have gone. I remember one year a little Korean boy coming up to me and without any hesitation starting a conversation with me in English. I found it quite funny when he told me that he goes there every weekend with his grandfather. I guess it was his grandfather's way of getting his grandson a free English lesson each week.
My favourite part of the palace has to be Hyangwonjeong Pavilion. It's actually the attached photograph you see on this review. It is so pretty and tranquil, it's a nice place to sit down and watch the carp swim in the pond. You can buy refreshments at the little store here and take a few moments to rest before wandering around some more.
Next to Hyangwonjeong Pavilion is the National Folk Museum of Korea. It is more interesting from the outside than in. Don't bother unless you are really into looking at prehistoric relics.
Between the pavilions, the Palace is made up of lots of interconnected rooms in traditional 'Ondol' style. These rooms were designed for sitting and sleeping, but most rooms did not have a set purpose. The heat came from the floor and mats/tables could be easily moved to change the function of a room. There isn't much to see in the rooms today; you really just admire the architecture of the buildings rather than the décor. The houses are made from wood and have sloping tiled roofs which were designed to harmonize with the direction of the mountains nearby.
The nicest thing about this palace is that you get away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul. It's just really relaxing ambling around the buildings and gardens without being bumped, pushed and caught up in the frenzy of Korean life. This is a place that I have always taken every person that has visited me because I think it is one of the best tourist attractions in Seoul.
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