It finally stopped raining (at least for 36 hours), so we had to get out the house and do some sightseeing. Seoul is home to five Joseon palaces of ancient Korea, according to one source forming a palace compound like a Korean "Forbidden City" of sorts. My first palace visit was to Deoksugung the palace of virtue and longevity. Deoksugung was inhabited by royalty until the beginning of the 1900s, then used for official business till 1919, though it was not always the seat of power. It is composed of several buildings, and also includes a more recently built art museum inside the palace walls. I can't find much good history information on this palace, so I'll just have to suffice with pictures, though I didn't take very many good ones this day.
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| We arrived in time to see the changing of the guard ceremony & pose for pictures! |
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| Jeonggwanheon Hall, 1900. Said to be the first European style architecture built in a Korean palace. This was the king's 'party hall'. |
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| Love the juxtaposition of old & new. Such a lesson in preservation! |
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| Junghwajeon, throne room. Used for official business until 1919. |
Roof of the throne room. Each wooden tile has the same image as that of the two large gold dragons in the recess.
Funnily enough, the visit to the palace was unplanned and inadvertent. The original destination was to the Seoul Museum of Art, housed in the old Supreme Court building. Currently they have a fake facade in place advertising an upcoming special exhibit, so I had to borrow a photo.
There is currently no special exhibit running, so there was little art work on display. Just a few pieces from prominent Korean artists.
This statue display is near the entrance to the art museum, and abuts the palace wall. You can't tell from the picture but because of the way they are shaped, they really mess with your head! You feel like you can't quite focus on them, and it makes your eyes go fuzzy. It was pretty awesome.
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