We continue our trip through South Korea. We are still in Seoul, but now it’s time for an excursion.
August 13th
Today we are getting up quite early again. We are going on an excursion to the city of Suwon. But this time on our own, not like the visit to the DMZ.
The city of Suwon is located 30km south of Seoul and is the capital of the province of Gyeonggi. To get there we took line 1 of the Seoul underground. Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes later we arrived at Suwon station. Yes, the underground goes to Suwon.
We got off the underground and went in search of the bus stop to go to the first stop: Padalmun Gate. There we got on the bus nº11 and we got off next to the gate.
Built in 1794, Paldalmun is the southern gate of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. The area around Paldalmun Gate was a road leading to the Samnam region. Therefore, people frequented it even before the construction of Hwaseong Fortress.
The current building is the original one, which was restored in 2013.
We go round the gate and head for Mount Padalsan to walk along the wall. Note that the climb can be really tough. A combination of hills and steep stairs.
At the end of the climb we needed a well-deserved rest. Between the steps and the humid heat, it felt like we had taken a shower. Here we can sit on shady benches next to the Korean Independence Monument.
At the bottom of the stairs is the Seonamammun Gate. Built in 1796, it is an emergency gate built in the southwest of Hwaseong. It is one of the 5 secret gates of the fortress.
If we go south through the gate, we come to the south-west tower or Huayang Tower. It is located in a very high area perfect for surveillance… if the trees would let us. I suppose it would be clearer at the time.
We retrace our steps, cross the gate again and head towards Seoporu. This is a guardhouse that served as a lookout for the soldiers. It is one of the five guard pavilions in Hwaseong Fortress.
A little further north is the Hyowon Bell. It was created to honour King Jeongjo’s filial devotion to his father, Crown Prince Sado.
The bell must be rung three times. The first ringing is in gratitude for parental love. The second is to hope for happiness in the family. And the third as a prayer for self-improvement.
A little further on we come to the jewel in the crown of Mount Paldal: Seojangdae. This is the Western Command Post and was the general command centre of Hwaseong Fortress.
In 1795, when King Jeongjo visited the fortress, he took command of military training from this post.
From here we can enjoy wonderful views of the city of Suwon. It’s a long climb but, frankly, it’s worth it.
We start the descent to Hwaseong Haenggung Fortress. The descent through the forest is wonderful, except for the terrible humidity that makes you sweat profusely.
On the way we pass the Padalsan Daeseungwon temple belonging to the Mahayana Monastery. It was founded in 1954 under the name ‘Mahasa’.
This temple does not belong to any particular sect. It is a place of research and education on Buddhist thought. Its 19-metre high golden Buddha statue is visible from many parts of the city.
The place was a real haven of peace and quiet. We were the only tourists there.
We continued our descent towards the fortress. By the time we reached the bottom we were so overwhelmed by the humid heat that we decided to take a little rest while we had a cool drink. We did so at a local coffee shop chain called Tom N Toms Coffee. We had some lemonade, which was good but still syrupy.
After refreshing ourselves we went back to the tourist trail. First stop: Yeomingag. This bell was installed in front of Huwaseong Palace in 1796 by order of King Jeongjo. It was lost during the Japanese invasion and was restored in 2008.
On the night of 31 December, the New Year’s Eve chimes are rung here.
Now we move on to the jewel of the city: the Hwaseong Haenggung Palace. It was built in 1789, year 13 of the reign of King Jeongjo of the Joseon dynasty.
Its original function was as a government office. It was also used as a temporary palace where the king stayed when he travelled to Suwon.
King Jeongjo elevated the status of Suwon by promoting it to Hwaseong Yusubu, and built a new one in 1795 to celebrate the 60th birthday of his mother, Lady Hyegyeonggung Hong. It was completed in 1796 with a total of 600 rooms.
We arrive at the ticket office. We queue up and buy our ticket, which cost us 3,000₩ (2€).
The first thing we come across is the Sinpungru Pavilion. It is the main gate of the palace and was built when the government office building was constructed. It was originally called Jinnamru but was changed to the current name in 1795.
In the building there is a large drum on the upper floor, which the soldiers used to monitor the surroundings and send signals.
We pass through the gate and find ourselves in an esplanade. To the right are some buildings of the original government offices.
On the left is a 600-year-old zelkova tree. This tree was already here before the palace was built. Note that it is propped up and riveted…
Next to the tree is the entrance to the butler’s office. This is where the meetings between the officials of Suwon and the neighbouring areas were held. On the 1st and 15th of each month, the magistrate of Suwon held a ceremony at the guesthouse. It was called Uhwagwan, and a deep reverence was paid to the royal capital.
Today, there is an exhibition of royal robes from the period.
Bongsudang, the main hall, is located in the centre of the well-protected enclosure. It was used as the throne room when the king visited and as the magistrate’s office at other times.
In 1795, King Jeongjo held a royal banquet here for his mother’s 60th birthday. During this banquet, he called the hall ‘Bongsudang (壽堂)’, which means ‘longevity prayer hall’.
Adjoining and connected to Bongsudang is Jangnakdang. It was built in 1794 to be used as a hall for King Jeongjo’s mother during her 60th birthday banquet in 1795. Its name ‘Jangnakdang Long (樂堂)’, means ‘hall of lasting happiness’.
To its left, in the next courtyard, is the Bongnaedang. Built in 1789, it was one of the first buildings to be constructed in the palace. Initially it was used as the king’s dormitory, but after Jangnakdang Hall was built in 1794, it was used by the local magistrates.
The name ‘Bongnaedang (福內堂)’, chosen by King Jeongjo, means ‘hall that radiates happiness from within’.
We leave Bongnaedang through the back gate. There we come to a staircase with steps at least half a metre high, leading up to the guard post. We reach it by turning off to the right.
It was used to inform people inside the temporary palace about emergencies. It is one of the three remaining guard posts in the palace. Although it is a reconstruction from 2006. The original one was destroyed in the early 20th century.
On the left hand side is the Mirohanjeong Pavilion. It was built in 1790 and was originally called ‘Yungmyeonjeong (六面亭)’. This translates as six-sided pavilion… guess why.
In 1795, King Jeongjo changed its name to ‘Mirohanjeong (未老閑亭)’, which means ‘a pavilion for relaxing in old age’. The king intended to abdicate and retire to the temporary palace from 1804. Unfortunately he died in 1800.
From here we can see beautiful views of Suwon and the palace.
This is the end of our visit to Hwaseong Haenggung. But not Suwon. Although we were starting to feel like eating. But first we preferred to finish with the city. We went straight to Hwaseomun Gate.
Hwaseomun is the west gate of Hwaseong Fortress and that is the meaning of its name. Although the gate is actually located to the northwest of the fortress. One of the four gates of Hwaseong Fortress, it was built in 1796.
Along with the adjacent Northwest Watchtower, it is considered one of the most iconic scenes of Hwaseong Fortress.
Now it’s time to eat. We retrace our steps looking for a place that looks tasty. In the end, after a lot of walking around, we enter a fried chicken place called Maehyang Whole Chicken.
We ordered a portion of chicken for one person and two soft drinks. When the chicken arrived, IT WAS A WHOLE CHICKEN!!!! We had our doubts as to whether we had been served for two until the bill arrived. Well no, it was a single portion, what a barbarity.
It was really tasty and the whole thing cost us 19.000₩… 13€… THE TWO OF US. Exaggeratedly cheap. We were very amused that they also gave you plastic gloves to avoid staining your hands.
Now our visit to Suwon is over. We get ready to take the bus to the station. The bus took forever to pass and it was packed to the rafters. To push and padentro.
We arrived at the station just in time for the underground departure to Seoul.
Seoul
We got off at City Hall station. Nearby is the Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Nicholas. This is the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Seoul.
In 1890 the first Bishop Charles John Corfe bought a hanok and land for the church on this site. He called this hanok Janglim Cathedral. In 1892 it was replaced by another hanok and its consecration took place.
After the purchase of adjacent land, the present cathedral was built in 1922.
Directly opposite is the town hall building. It consists of two buildings. The original was built in 1925 during the Japanese occupation. It served as the city hall from the liberation of Korea in 1945 until 2008. It now houses the Seoul Metropolitan Library.
Behind it is the current modern building, which was opened in 2012.
At that time, the Jamboree 2023 was being held in South Korea. It was a kind of world scout convention. It was supposed to be held in Saemangeum, in the centre of the country. Because of the typhoon that hit Korea these days they had to be evacuated and brought to Seoul.
That meant that everywhere you went there were huge groups of kids, including the hotel where we stayed. To give you an idea, there were more than 400 kids just Spaniards.
In the town hall square they were organising events and it was packed with kids and stalls related to the Jamboree.
In one corner of the square there was also a stand commemorating the victims of the stampede on 29 October 2022 during the Halloween celebration in Seoul. On that day 152 people died.
From here we went to the Cheonggyecheon stream.
Cheonggyecheon Creek originates from Baekdongcheon Creek in the Inwansang Mountain Valley northwest of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It runs through the centre of Seoul and is almost 11 km long.
During the Japanese occupation, it was planned to cover the stream, but it was not realised. However, the project was realised between 1958 and 1978.
In 2003, the Metropolitan Government proposed a project to restore the area. In 2005, the restoration work was completed and about 5 km of the creek was repaired, leaving it as it is today.
Here we decided to sit down for a while and soak our feet in the water to cool off a bit. If it wasn’t forbidden, I think I would have jumped in head first.
One custom that we found very funny was that many women walked down the street with their fringes in curlers. You don’t see it in Spain, nor in the many countries we visited.
One example:
Here we could hear the music of a nearby concert with what sounded like traditional songs.
After a well-deserved rest, we headed to nearby Gwanghwamun Square. It is the nerve centre of Seoul. You will pass this place a thousand times.
In 1395, King Taejo established the city of Hanyang. In front of the palace, numerous government buildings were built, forming Yukjo Street. Some of these buildings were seriously damaged during the Japanese invasion in 1592.
During the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century, Yukjo Street was renamed Gwanghwamuntong Street. In 1926, the Joseon General Government built the Korean General Government building here and extended the street.
The current square was renovated in 2009.
The first thing we come across, at the southern end of the square, is the statue of Admiral Yi Sun Shin. He was a Korean admiral and general who successfully defended his homeland from Japanese raids in 1592. He is also credited with the invention of the turtle ship, although he only modified an existing vessel.
In the centre of the square is the statue of King Sejong the Great who reigned from 1397 to 1450. Among his many achievements was the creation of the Hangul alphabet, today’s Korean alphabet. Until that time only the Chinese alphabet was used. Changing it brought culture closer to the Korean people.
He also contributed to the development of agriculture and science, the systematisation of medical techniques, music and law, and the expansion of the national territory.
At the back of the statue is the entrance to King Sejong’s exhibition hall. There is an exhibition on the achievements of Sejong the Great.
King Sejong is considered the most admired figure by Koreans and his image appears on 10,000₩ banknotes.
At the northern end of the square is the Gwanghwamun Gate, the entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We will talk about it later.
Those days there was some kind of event going on in the square. There were many food stalls, craft stalls and even a swimming pool. The pool was full to the brim.
The best thing was that there was a row of fans on display there, I don’t know why. But it was a good way to cool off…
On one side of the square there is also a monument to the 40th anniversary of the enthronement of King Gojong, the penultimate emperor of Korea.
Across the road to the north of the square is the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. It was opened in 2012 and is an institution affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, which oversees matters related to the collection, preservation, research, exhibition, education and exchange of modern and contemporary Korean history.
From here we took a walk back to the hotel. On the way we passed Dongshipjagak. It is a guard post that was located in the old wall, now disappeared and belongs to the Gyeongbokgung palace.
Nearby is the Beobryeonsa Temple. It was built in 1973 and is dedicated to its founder, Bodhisattva Beopryunhwa. It is a fairly modern building, although its upper part has the appearance of a traditional hanok.
Now we are. We go to the hotel. We buy some dinner at the supermarket and go to sleep.
August 14th
Today we have to get up early again. We pack our bags because today we move, for one night only, to the city of Sokcho, on the east coast of South Korea.
But that’s in the afternoon. Now we visit a bit more of Seoul.
After a light breakfast with things we had bought at the supermarket the night before, we head to the spectacular Gyeongbokgung Palace.
The palace was inaugurated in 1395 three years after King Taejo founded the Joseon dynasty. It was built when the capital was moved from Gaeseong to Hanyang (present-day Seoul). Its name means “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven”.
The first thing you come across is the Gwanghwamun Gate, the main gate of the complex.
The king used the central arch, while the crown prince and officials entered through the openings on either side. A bell in the gate pavilion announced the time of day.
During the bombings of the Korean War (1950-1953) the wooden pavilion was destroyed and the stone wall severely damaged. It was rebuilt in 1968 as a concrete structure, but restored to its original form as a wooden and granite structure in 2010.
Entering through the gate you come to a huge esplanade where the ticket booths are located. The price is 3,000₩ (€2.10) and is included in the Royal Palace Pass. It’s also free if you’re in traditional dress. In fact, there is an exclusive line for these people.
In any case, attending the concourse and the changing of the guard is completely free.
It is on this vast esplanade that the changing of the guard takes place every day (several times). But before that, on a small outdoor esplanade, outside the Hyeopsaengmun gate, a military training simulation is held. The Sumungun military training. That’s where we went.
As soon as it was over, we returned to the esplanade, where the changing of the guard was about to begin. We positioned ourselves well and enjoyed the spectacle.
Once the show was over (it lasted about 20 minutes), we were ready to enter the palace. But after the changing of the guard, there were about a million people trying to get in at once.
We walked around a bit while the entrance was clearing up a bit and off we went. The entrance is through the Heungnyemun Gate.
We pass through the gate and enter another esplanade. This is crossed by the Geumcheon Stream, which is designed to flow through the palace from west to east after descending from Mt Baegak.
The stream is crossed by Yeongjegyo Bridge. In the background is Geunjeongmun Gate.
Beyond the gate is Geunjeongjeon. This is the central palace building where the subjects greeted the king on New Year’s Day, held national ceremonies and received foreign envoys.
It was built in 1395, although the present building is a reconstruction from 1867.
We leave through a small gate to the west of the Geunjeongjeon forecourt and go to the Sujeongjeon Pavilion.
It is located in the grounds of the former Gwolnaegaksa Temple and was the seat of civil affairs, including the establishment of the Hangul. It was also an institution that conducted academic research during the reign of King Sejong and advised and suggested important policies to the king.
Sujeongjeon is the only surviving building of Gwolnaegaksa Temple.
Behind it is Gyeonghoeru. It is set within a large pond and was a place where banquets were held when auspicious events occurred or envoys visited the country.
We re-enter the palace grounds and move on to Sajeongjeon. This was where the king worked on state affairs, including morning council meetings, administrative reports and discussions, and policy formulation with government officials.
Behind, through another gate is Gyotaejeon, the queen’s quarters. To one side is Jagyeongjeon, the King’s mother’s quarters.
We visited a lot more buildings but they were all closed. We went out from the north onto a large esplanade. Here we found the Jipgyeongdang Hall. This was where the king’s concubines stayed.
Behind it is the beautiful Hyangwonjeong Pavilion in the centre of a large pond.
In 1873, King Gojong built Geoncheongung Palace in the northern part of Gyeongbokgung to assert his political independence from his father, Prince Regent Heungseon. This northern palace included rooms for the king and several dormitories.
It was here that a tragic chapter in Korean history was recorded in 1895, when Empress Myeongseong was assassinated by the Japanese.
Originally, the Chwirojeong Pavilion stood on the islet in the centre of the pond and was replaced by a hexagonal pavilion called Hyangwonjeong when Geoncheonggung was built.
It makes for a beautiful landscape.
At the northwestern end of the compound are Jibokjae and Hyeopgildang.
After Gyeongbokgung Palace was severely damaged by fire in 1876, King Gojong moved temporarily to Changdeokgung Palace.
He returned here in 1888 and spent his time at Geoncheonggung. Jibokjae (Jade Gathering Hall) and Hyeopgildang Pavilion were moved from Changdeokgung Palace to positions west of Geoncheonggung.
These buildings were used as a library and reception hall to receive foreign envoys.
This is the end of our visit to the spectacular Gyeongbokgung Palace. All that remains is to exit through Sinmumun Gate.
We leave the palace and, crossing the street, we come across Cheong Wa Dae or The Blue House. This is the former executive office and official residence of the president of South Korea from 1948 to 2022.
Cheong Wa Dae is a complex of multiple buildings constructed largely in the traditional Korean architectural style with some modern architectural elements and facilities.
It was formerly the site of the Joseon dynasty’s royal garden dating back to 1426. The complex burned down in 1592 during the Japanese occupation and remained abandoned for 270 years.
In 1865, Prince Regent Heungseon began reconstruction in the second year of King Gojong’s reign.
During the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century it was used to hold the Joseon Exposition from 1937 to 1939 and later served as a park before the official residence of the Japanese governor-general was built on the site.
After registering our passports at the entrance and passing a strict security check, we enter the grounds. The gardens are beautiful.
We go through another security check into the building and visit the offices and various rooms, which include a collection of objects used by the different presidents and the president of South Korea, portraits of everyone and photos of the first ladies… and even a security guard sleeping in a chair. The poor guy must have had a bad night.
By the way, admission is free.
From here we took a nice, hot walk to the National Folk Museum of Korea. It was founded in 1946 and is a museum representing Korean daily life and culture. It is visited by more than two million people every year.
The beautiful building alone is worth a visit. You can also see many exhibits in the gardens.
It was getting late in the afternoon and the rain was beginning to take its toll. As we had to take a bus to transfer the camp, we decided not to complicate our lives. We ate at the same Korean barbecue restaurant as a couple of days ago. It was close to the hotel, too.
Today it was very crowded but the service was just as good and the food just as spectacular.
After lunch we picked up our stuff at the hotel and went to the Express Bus Terminal. Our new destination is the city of Sokcho, on the east coast of South Korea.
At 15.40 we take the bus. It is about 3 hours to our destination, but that is information for the next entry.
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