From my friend Meaghan‘s short visit to Seoul, I did a little plan for the tour.
Here’s Runaway Juno’s style of itinerary of short trip to Seoul.
1st. City tour.
You want to get to know where you are right now, right? First day of Seoul, we looked around what Seoul looks like.
Kyung bok gung (Kyung bok palace) –> Korean national folk museum –> insadong –> Dongdaemun sijang (East gate market) –> Gwanghwamun square
We started Kyungbokgung station, subway line 3 (Orange line).
Entrance fee is 300o won/person (Over 24 years old)
In front of a main gate of Kyungbok gung, there’s a museum of Kyungbok gung. I recommend look around before you actually go into the palace. Historic background always helpful.
When we just got Kyungbok gung, this ceremony just began. We were lucky to catch it.
This is ‘The Ceremony of Opening & Closing the Palace Gate and Guard Change’.
Look.
These imaginary animal statues for keep this palace, keep King safe. They are character of The Hsi-yu Chi (journal to the west).
Beautiful backyard of Kyungbok gung. You can imagine how this place looks like in Summer or late Spring.
Right besides of Kyungbok gung, you can see/enter National Folk Museum of Korea.
In my opinion, this museum is the best we have. It’s really personal. Not just show some stuff. This museum can give you an idea of Korean’s life before and now.
This museum is free. However if you want to come back to Kyungbok gung, you have to hold on to your kyungbok gung ticket.
In the museum, there’s museum for children. Museum decorated this kid’s museum according to one story and another. Theme was “Shimchung” this time. Story of devoted daughter. You can play and learn!
There’s a ‘do it yourself’ corner in the back, for wearing wedding dress. Look at them! Adorable! 🙂
Seems like we’ve been busy? Yes we have, but we did eat! 🙂
After the museum, we were heading to Insadong, traditional and tourinstic place in Seoul.
Little gallaries, shops for great souvenir, hanbok-korean traditional cloth places.. you really cas see Korea here.
Meaghan bought Korean wooden mask, a pair of wooden mallard-Beautifully painted, which is a simbol of great marriage. It was a perfect gift, according to her, not me. 🙂
We ate Mandoo guk(Mandoo soup). Delicious food! Mandoo is similar with chinese dimsum.
It was 7000 won(5$ USD) per one pot.
Insadong has lots of great tea place. High quality green tea, Jujube tea, ginger tea.. etc.
Meaghan had Jujube with ginger tea and I had Citron with honey tea. We almost felt heathier! 🙂
A cup of tea is about 6000 won ($4 USD)
A decoration of tea place. Korean is well known for ceramic pots.
In the square end of the Insadong, traditional Korean wedding ceramony was on. I think this was a part of parade, but certainly really interesting.
Look at the clothes, beautiful, aren’t they?
We saw another parade in Gwanghawmun squarewith real horses! I think this is similar with last one we saw in Gyungbok gung.
After city square, we went for movies and call it a day. Which one did we watch? “Alice in wonderland” of course!
Anyhow, maybe many of readers think ‘Isn’t it too much for one day?’
Well, I tell you a secret. Gyungbok gung – National Folk Museum – Insadong – Gwanghwamun square are really close to each other. Museum is just besides of Palace, Insadong is 10 mins walk from Museum main gate, and Gwanghwamun square is just in front of entrance of Insadong.
This was our secret.
to be continued…. hold your breath!
Up comming,
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2nd :
Hwasung (Suwon fortress) –> Musical –> Hongdae shopping street
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3rd :
Yangpyung (country side) –> Juno’s home anda behind story of Krispy cream donut .
