This past weekend was Lunar New Year, and since we had a day off (on Monday), we celebrated by going to Seoul. Seoul is the 600-year. old capital of South Korea, and is home to over 10 million residents. It is the political, educational, financial, and cultural hub of the country. We've been very curious to visit after hearing several stories from our friends and coworkers. So we took a bus on Saturday morning (it's about a 2.5 hour journey). We left with somewhat of an agenda: 1. see some cool Seoul hotspots, 2. eat non-Korean food, and 3. locate a region-free DVD player.
One of the first sites we visited on Sunday was the Gyeongbokgung Palace. "Originally built by King Taejo, this palace served as the principal palace until 1592 when it was burnt down during the Japanese invasions. The grandest palace in Seoul, it lay in ruins for nearly 300 years until Heungseon Daewongun, regent and father of King Gojong moved in during 1868. Nearly 30 years later, on 8 October 1895, his wife, Queen Myeongseong (Queen Min), was killed in her bedroom by Japanese assassins. King Gojong fled from the palace to the sanctuary of the Russian legation, smuggled out in a curtained palanquin by a eunuch and a maid." (Lonely Planet Guide to SK)
Next to the palace is the National Palace Museum of Korea, which has a collection of over 40,000 objects from the Joseon Dynasty, which depict the glorious and gracious lifestyle of the royal court. We toured the museum and checked out royal symbols and records, artifacts from ancestral rites, palace architecture, Joseon scientific instruments and weaponry, and objects from royal life (ceramics, clothing, ornaments, etc.).
These were both extremely cool places to visit, and since it was a holiday--free admission! We got a kick out of seeing so many Korean families out with their kids, all dressed in traditional hanboks. It was a beautiful way to start the morning.




The changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Paul walking toward Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The guards stand perfectly still (they don't even blink!) and you can have your picture taken with them if you like.