Seoul Series I - Changdeokgung (창덕궁)

SEOUL 2012.

It has become a yearly visit, unintentionally. One fine day, I had this feeling to ask Mams about my miles redemption, and it was between Seoul, South Korea or Tokyo, Japan.

An obvious choice, an obvious question that goes without asking.

The itinerary this time was planned by QQ, and if you have read my Seoul posts before, you would realize that the last thing I would do is to engage myself in some tour.

Even though it was our third visit, I find that there are still things that have yet to be discovered. And each time, I get awestruck by what Seoul has to offer.

Chandeokgung (창덕궁). It was Seollal when we went there so Seoul was pretty much like a dead town as everyone heads back to their respective provinces. It was peaceful at Chandeokgung, there weren't even that many tourists. We opted for the Secret Garden (Huwon) English tour just so we knew the significances of the various buildings. This is about the third palace I have visited in Seoul, and each time I always learn something new.

Changdeokgung remains to be the most well-preserved palaces among the other five remaining royal Joseon palaces. The palace was actually set on fire in 1592. Who would have guessed? The restoration was done marvelously, and up till now, efforts are still being made to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage site.

The King's study hall. Makes me wonder how life was back then. Simple? Tranquility at its best, and it got me to stop and think about the hectic life that most of us are living now. Our standard of living has definitely increased as compared to back then, but what about the quality of living? Can we say the same for that?

Passing through the gates of longevity. The most beautiful time to visit is during Fall, when the autumn foliage is at its peak, and the leaves start to fall. The guide told us that it gets crowded during that season as well, because nobody wants to miss the sight. 

Such magnificent architecture. And I realized I was quite colour-coordinated with the palace.

The three gates at the entrance of the study hall. The existence of the smaller gates shows how significant and emphasized the hierarchy system was, and still is.

One of the many pavilions.