Yeonghwiwon & Sunginwon

Judging from the name using the word '원' (won), it must be non-king or non-queen burial site, but it must be their families.

Yes, it's the tomb for prince and the king's consorts (should I say concubine?)

anyway..I just found out that there is a won like this near Cheongnyangni station.

the entrance fee is only 1000 Won for adults. 

It is surely the legacy of Joseon Dynasty. This complex is the location of Yeonghiwon or the tomb of Sunheon (King Gojong's concubine.  

and Sunginwon, the burial site for King Yeongchin's son who lived only one year (1921-1922).

oh, this tomb shows that even a baby prince was treated like this one when he died. 

We went there after attending the wedding ceremony on Saturday. 

There were many other families and tourists who turn out to be visiting this place.

As for us, it's a good chance to see what it looked like. 

with their Mom, the kids were learning about the site. 

and Freya asked me why people die. hmmm 

I know that this may be an unusual place to take the children. 

but...we learned and had a talk with Freya about stuffs, too. 

I realize that Freya could be so matured beyond her age sometimes. ^^

We enjoyed the scenery and the weather at that day.

Of course, it would not be advisable to climb up the fence. 

so, we were just having a closer look at it by sitting on the fence.  

With a limited time we had, we only saw the site for about 30 minutes or so.

Royal Tomb of Joseon Dynasty (part 9)

 A nice afternoon hangout in historical trail that would transport us into the depth and intricate layer of Confucianism in Joseon Dynasty.

Come and visit the Royal Tomb of Joseon Dynasty at Seolleung. 

a green lawn and blue sky: a perfect day to chill out outdoor.  

This is the entrance door and the ticket booth.

it cost me only 1,000 Won for adult.

So..one hour tour into a history of Joseon as seen from the royal tour would be a rewarding experience--for anyone keen into history..or into natural atmosphere of Seoul. 

This is the signage informing where to go..

we could get off at Seolleung station (line 2-green line) and walk from exit 8 and walk for about 5 minutes and we'll meet this sign. 

I didn't bring any cash in my wallet, so...debit card is acceptable, too. 

This is the ticket.

A unique memory.

Half-day tour spent in Seoul.

Royal Tomb of Joseon Dynasty (part 8)

This is the view from where I was standing behind the shrine of the King Seongjong:

The 9th ruler of Joseon Dynasty. 

That's the burial mound up there. I was just admiring the surrounding serenity that it offered. green lawn, trees, blue sky...a perfect combination... 

With just an entrance fee of 1,000 won or not even 1US$, it is considered a perfect spot to ...well...any activities that people want to. 

But..please in mind that this is still...considered as a sacred place...

so be thoughtful and ...well, you know.

but..taking pictures are surely allowed. 

Zoomed the burial tomb of King Seongjeong. 

Also the stone figurines of the military officials guarding the tomb. 

What I liked and loathed(:) to a certain degree of this place is how this traditional building is encapsulated and wrapped inside the modern high-rise building.

Wait...doesn't it make it even more unique??? 

hmmm...yes...in such a way, it is indeed. 

Another glance into the burial mound....a green mound with the perfect blue backdrop.

Can you see two magpies on the lawn? 

There's one of them.  

It would've been great if I could just walk on it...but...keep off the lawn, Suray!!!

Royal Tomb of Joseon Dynasty (part 7)

Now..after I visited the 중종대황릉 (the tomb of King Jungjong), I got to walk for about one kilometer up the hills towards another royal tomb, i.e. the tomb of 성종대왕 (King Seongjong) 

Okay..let's start the tour. As I was walking through the alley, I bumped into the birds....that happened to be about to fly...and just they were about to...I snapped my camera...and I could see the flutter of their wings...

and oh..the sun rays that shone through it....

what a sight.

Trivial as it may seem, for me...it's a masterpiece of my own.:-) ^-^ 

because that's how I always enjoy the beauty of life.

phew...gosh..should I go up these trails? 

no other way around, Suray. You got to. 

The trails seemed to be left naturally like this without any tiles or rocks. This was just perfect! 

Oh, I noticed that each tree had its name plated on it. And what's more is that...most of the trees along the trails were covered in black wrapping plastic...so as to keep them from being vandalized. ^^ ok, I agree to that. Only that I thought...it was for the protection against the winter season. 

Oh..another magpie(?) that I spotted on my way to the other place.... 

Phew..finally...the descending trails were visible. 

and...da..da...I arrived safely at Seolleung (선릉) or the Royal tomb of King Seongjong.

He's the 9th ruler of Joseon Dynasty (1457 - 1494).

Royal Tomb of Joseon Dynasty (part 4)

After a 30-minute walk trying to find where the best spot to see and admire this talked-about and sought-after royal tomb of Joseon Dynasty, I finally managed to find my way of going straight into the up-front lawn right in front of the tomb.....tens of meters away. 

Right, please keep in mind that the royal tomb is not that far off from the city, in fact it IS inside the city, so the serene atmosphere of the tomb itself must be viewed by our own sense of appreciating. *gee..I didn't even know what I'm saying... 

What I mean is that...no matter how hard I tried to sort of admire the beauty of its location, I was--more often than not--distracted by the high-rise building behind it.:-( 

But, what could I do? 

So, I just keep on walking until I found the perfect spot to see the royal tomb from afar.

This is the Tomb of King Jungjong. 

I was then standing in front of the Red Gate. (not yet visible) 

but I wonder if I ever did take a photo of the red gate through which all of the burial rites and its ancestral rites are performed? 

Anyway, it does not matter. Since I was standing from afar..I could barely see the T-shaped shrine (which I visited later on)...and apparently...the green burial mound right at the back of the shrine was not that clearly visible, either. 

Was I contented? nope, not the least. 'Let's see what I could make out out of this panoramic view?'

wow...a nice burial site in the middle of the city, right?

oh, there you are, Red Gate!! See the one on the right side? 

With a sunlight filter mode, I could vividly capture the serenity of this burial site for the Joseon Royal kings.