Gyeongbokgung (part 1)

I wouldn't have visited this palace  (again), had our fellow listener named Lydia not come to visit Seoul with her sister and parents. I accompanied them to finally^^ see the inside of the palace.

ok.......I've been here countless time...but there are always new angles to see.

Like this one.

The spring and warm weather helped us enjoy the surrounding in a relaxing time.

Indescribable scenery.....

A tranquility in the middle of a city.

Freya's Historical Day Out!!

What a day. The sky's blue. Not a single cloud visible.

but.... Gyeongbuk Palace was CLOSED!!! 

we were about to explore the palace only to find that the palace was closed!!!

so..to make up for it...we just circled the palace around...and  took some pictures. 

Luckily..Freya was still as cheerful as she was ... 

even...when I told her that the palace was closed!!! 

oops....Bless You! 

Now..let's explore the palace's vicinity.

A contrasting blend of Freya's pink jacket and the white bricks of the palace... 

Encountering a what looked to be a chimney....at National Palace Museum. 

way to spend a day, right, Freya? 

I guess...she kind of enjoyed it... 

Outside the walled palace.... 

then..we're ready to go the main entrance... 

which turned out to be quite far..and we got to walk around the walled palace..... 

until we reached the closed gate of Gwanghwamun. Yes, the palace WAS officially closed..on the day we went there.

Should've learnt some information before leaving, Suray.!!!

Spring @ Gyeongbokgung Palace (part 2)

#Pray for everyone affected by Jindo ferry incident. 
--> so, I just hope that everyone, my friends..anyone who happen to read this blog...please try to understand that IF I start posting up my pictures and all of the activities I've been doing for the past weeks (blogging that I've been doing on a daily basis for the past 4 years..), please..believe me that it DOES NOT mean that I am insensitive of what IS happening. I AM and I do. My heart goes out for them.
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It's the same day (March 30), 2014

The  ceremony of Joseon's guards inauguration had just started and I was more than ready to enjoy the whole procession. 

Water-colored version of the guards in charge. 

When the King arrived, all guards knelt showing respect.--right? 

hmm, not all of them--as it turned out. or I may have missed something! 

As the inauguration came to a complete order,  folk-dance and musical performance were sequentially in display. 

A quintessentially Korean percussion show: checked! 

Apsara-like percussion performers: checked!  

a panoramic view of the whole procession. 

I think this was the dance-sight-sound of the day! 

What I found interesting was the fact that even a cameraman was clad in Joseon's traditional attire, too. I assume it was meant to make it NOT so conspicuously visible to spectators that a modern symbol like camera DID exist in the midst of traditional ceremony like this. Hmm, pretty understandable:) 

The newly appointed guards were ready to leave the ground. 

now...let's go to another venue where I'd experience something else. 

This is what I like about Seoul: right in front of this palace...lies high-rises that dotted the spectrum of two different worlds, yet uniquely complementary. 

Gyeongbokgung Palacee: Winter 2012

I’ve been here (let’s see....countless times), but that was the first time that I took my family for a visit there. This Jeoseon dinasty heritage is one of the must-visit places for anyone visiting Seoul. We come from Jogjakarta, one of the few remaining Sultanates within the country. So, I pretty much know what gung or palace means for its people. But, this time...no one lives in Gyeongbokgung, for the Jeoseon dynasty has reached its final years during the reign of Japanese occupation in Korea.

Being there is like being zapped into a traditionally best kept secrets that Seoul has; simply because this magnificent palace complex is located right in the heart of the city, in the Gwanghwamun area, where major business companies as well as...the Blue House, the presidential palace, is located. This means...that visiting this place is a unique experience in itself.

Should you go there, make sure that around 1 pm you have arrived there, for we can see the daily royal ceremony of the change of guards. Guards guarding the palace are changed on half-day basis (if I am not mistaken). So, this is one of the major attractions that Gyeongbokgung has to offer for its visitors.

We were lucky to be able to see it live. Most of all, visitors are permitted to take pictures with the seemingly-not-to-be-distracted guards....who just let anyone take their pictures with them. A bit funny, actually. But, this is what attracts most of people to go there and take a look.

Then....^^we could see the huge complex of the palace where the throne and its amenities are laid there intact. We could see how life must have been or could have been back then in the Jeoseon Dynasty.
* When we visited, it was a bit cold...and windy since it was still Winter^^ but....this amplified the experiences we had there.