SOUTH KOREA IN SPRING

My first impression of the National Palace in Seoul called Gyeongbuk Gung (Palace). It dates back to 1395 during the Joseon Dynasty. There are five palaces in S Korea and this is the biggest and northernmost one. Within its compound there are also the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum. I was in S Korea from 2-10 April. Since my Japan trip in Apr 2016, I have made a couple of trips to Thailand but was not motivated to take pix for posting here.

A gate to one of the inner courtyards.

The King might have held audience with his officials here.

From Korean dramas, this might be where the King and other members of the Royal Family studied Confucian texts and other subjects.

Sprawling grounds of the Palace.

A side gate.

Elaborate decorations on roof eaves.

Near the Palace is this well-known restaurant selling ginseng chicken. We were lucky to arrive early for as we left, the queue was extremely long.

We ordered this (ginseng chicken) plus a pancake. Just before finishing it and since the pancake hadn't arrived, we ordered another chicken. Then when they both came, we couldn't finish them both. So very Singaporean.

If you're wondering what these drawings are, they are adverts drawn by shops for their products or services. This shot was taken at a place called Bukchon Hanbok Village in Seoul. It's a 600 year-old urban development where many old buildings from a bygone era are preserved and in which there are many small alleys with quaint shops.

A house with an ancient-looking wooden door.

As we wandered in the alleys, I came across this bridal photo shoot. The clients were Chinese while the photographer was Korean. So, they needed a Korean translator.

A cute doll for advertisement and to attract customers.

A narrow street.

One of the quaint shops.

Delicious bingsu and red bean gruel. Not that I have tried many but this must be the best bingsu I have tasted. I discovered the cafe in Bukchon Hanbok Village serving it while the wife and daughter were looking for handbags in a shop nearby.

A Seoul side street. Took this to show how clean it is.

The tunnel for the National Palace Station of the Seoul Metro. It is evident that many metro tunnels are very long. Not only that, there are 10 lines making access difficult especially for the seniors or if one is travelling free and easy. Apart from the new lines serving both Incheon and Gimpo Airports, the older lines of the metro network are not well served by elevators and escalators. Don't lug heavy luggage if going free and easy in Seoul.