Seoul Fun ~ Day 1 @ Gwangwamun Square

After the refreshment at Samcheongdong, we returned to Gwanghwamun Square. As we have done too much walking at the Gyeongbukgung palace and National Folk Museum, our legs got really fatigue. To be smarter, we tried to reduce our walking duration by taking a green bus which travel in the city (It was actually within walking distance :D) It was adventurous attempt as green bus that doesn't have an English signboard or route map. It was all depending on Yee Pei's knowledge on Seoul public transport. We tried our luck. and Yes! We made it again! ^.^ Here are the tricks to share with you all. 

1. Hop on the bus along Samcheongdong for direction towards Gyeongbukgung Palace. 

2. Prepare to stop when you pass the palace main gate.

3. When you hear the name of "Sejong" stop, press the stop button. 

                                            It's easy! Be adventurous and happy trying!! :)

The green city bus

Gwanghwamun Square with beautiful panoramic sceney of King Sejong statue, Bukhansan mountain and Gwanghwamun gate. 

Gwanghwamun Square is located at the center of Sejong-ro which connects the Gwanghwamun Gate and Cheonggye Square. Yee Pei told me that Gwanghwamun Square was built to reduce the 16 lanes traffic down to 10 in the middle of Sejong-ro. It is brilliantly transformed into a popular tourist spot and local's leisure recreation area today. 

King Sejong statue 

King Sejong statue and admiral Lee Sun Sin statue in Gwanghwamun Square are regarded as an iconic landmark representative of Seoul. Thus, a photo with King Sejong is a must-do things in Seoul ;) At the back of the 9.5 meter high King Sejong statue is an entrance that led us underground to "The story of King Sejong" exhibition hall. Again, I was impressed with the way Korean makes their history live and attractive! 

 

For your information, King Sejong, the 4th king of the Josein Dynasty is regarded as the highly revered King in Korea. He accomplished many brilliant achievements in the history of Korea, including the creation of Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and great advancements in the area of science, culture, arts and politics. 

The exhibition hall is not big, but is well categorized  into five main sections (King Sejong as an individual, minbon thought, creation of Hangeul, science and art and great sage King Sejong).  The hall was built in appreciation of the great works and achievements done by the great king.  

"King Sejong as an individual" is the section which brings visitors into the King's life by cartoon animation on the LCD monitor. It was attractive for both of us, we watched the entire story :D (while giving our exhausted leg a break :P)

I was sitting on King Sejong seat. I was a 30-second King of Korea :D

"Creation of Hangeul" section described how Kng Sejong created Hangeul (Korean Alphabet). It is presented as miniature model and detailed information is available at the posters. 

Korean expert with Korean alphabet, perfect match :)

Creative Korean Alphabet seat. Nice photo spot!

" Science and Art" section displays the important invention such as Honcheonui (celestial globe), Jagyeokru (water clock), Cheonsangyeolchabunyajido (astronomical chart) and  sundial.

Korea's first sundial, Angbu Ilgu  used to indicate season in ancient world. 

After coming out from the exhibition hall, I was attracted by the display of a cute polar bear on a bicycle. Yee Pei explained to me that Korean Government declared low carbon green growth as a National Vision to alleviate climate change and energy crisis. Many initiatives have been implemented to educate the citizens about global warming and to be more environmental friendly in many aspects of life. Well done Korea! I hope Malaysia would have great strategy to go green too.   

Admiral Lee Sun Sin Statue beside the busy street. 

Spotted a cute Haechi. Haechi is the mascot of Seoul city. It has existed as a gurdian of Seoul to protect them from fire, disaster, and to promote integrity and good fortune. 

Soon, I felt like I was in the modern city again as I was surrounded by the tall buildings.

We moved on to a place that resembles the Star avenue in Hong Kong. Where would it be?

hihi....Be patient until the next post is up :P

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Travel info: 

Gwanghwamun Square
"The story of King Sejong" exhibition hall

Ticket price: Free admission

Operating hours: 10:30 -22:30 (Everyday except Monday)                                

Last admission 22:00

Closed on Monday

Transportation: 

                   1. Jonggak Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 1, walk towards Gwanghwamun
                   2. Gyeongbokgung Palace Station (Subway Line 3), Exit 6, walk towards Sejong-ro.

                   3. Gwanghwamun Station (Subway Line 5), Exit2, direct access from station.

Bus guide: 

                    1. Buses will stop if there are people waiting at the bus stop. 

                    2.You must board the bus from the front door to pay the fare (tapping the T-money 
                        card is much easier).

                          *The fare is 1000 Won per ride, but 900 Won if you  use T-money

                    3. When you hear the name of your intended stop, press the stop button. 

                    4. When alighting, you must use the exit door at the middle of the bus. 

                    5. If you use cash, you can just alight the bus. If you use T-money, remember to tap  
                        the card again.

Map courtesy of  KTO website

Travel Tips: 

                1. Bring an umbrella along if it's summer, It's an open area except the underground  
                    exhibition hall.
                2. Wear a pair of comfortable shoes, you need to walk a lot in this area.

                3. Remember to take a photo with King Sejong statue and admiral Lee Sun Sin 
                    Statue together with the beautiful Bukhansan Mountain. 

                4. Watch King Sejong story cartoon animation if you have time. Great one! (you can  
                    rest you feet at the same time :D)

P/S: If you have extra time to hang around, do visit KTO website for Gwanghwamun Square travel highlight.

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Seoul Fun ~ Day 1 @ Samcheongdong-gil

After the charming palace, we headed to Samcheongdong-gil street for Patbingsu. Yee Pei described it as one of the summer most wanted dessert! I thought I would feel in love with it. I was so curious as I have never heard it before (I am a kampung girl :P) 

Samcheongdong-gil street is a 3km-long street between Gyeongbukgung and Cheongwadae. Again, it is within walking distance from the palace. We had no chance to try public transport for our Seoul trip so far :D We strolled along the stone wall of the palace for 10-15 minutes before reaching the Samcheongdong-gil.  

On the way to Samcheongdong-gil street. Beautiful photo spot everywhere! 

Along the way, we spotted this! Guess what??? It's the Ginkgo Biloba leave! Not sure if I can consume it right away? :P

 Samcheongdong-gil street is lined with hanok that have been renovated into cozy coffee shops, galleries and retail shops. The old town embellished with relatively trendy elements surprisingly creates a unique and classy ambience. Undoubtedly, a great place for gathering and dating! :)

Did you spot the hanok behind me and the modern house on my right?

Samcheongdong-gil is famous for art galleries as well. Each art gallery along the street has their own unique architecture design.  If you are fond of arts, this is definitely the right place for you. 
At Samcheongdong-gil, you can easily obtain the free Samcheongdong map at the entrance of many shops. 

One of the art gallery advertisements next to the map booth.

I truly fell in love with this street! Art masterpieces are seen everywhere! The walls and fire hydrants are also painted.  Korea really inspires me!

What a creative shop! Surprises at every corner of the street.

Modern coffee house.

Traditional restaurant.

We were spoilt for choice along the street. We could not withstand the temptation and entered one of the exquisite coffee shops - En. Cafe. The coffee shop was superb! Cozy and comfortable. 

A pretty Korean lady next to us was reading the book alone. what a relaxing day for her.

There is a book shelf at the back of the Cafe. You can read the book for FREE! Mostly Korean book though :D

This is the Patbingsu that I was curious about! It is a popular shaved ice dessert in Korea. It shares some similarities with our ice kacang, but with different ingredient. There were a large varieties of Patpingsu with the choices of topping and combination. For example, ice cream, yogurt, fruit, syrup, rice cake and etc. We chose green tea Patbingsu. My favourite flavour! Green tea ice cream Patbingsu was topped with cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds and raisins. Never thought before that this combination could be so perfect.  Delicious and refreshing! I am going to make my own at home. 

This bowl of ice kacang-alike Patbingsu costed us 8000KRW (RM 22). What a great life in Korea :D  KTO KL, thanks for the treat :P

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Travel Info: 

Transportation: 

1. Anguk Station(Subway Line3) Exit 2. Walk straight for approximately 700 m 

2. Gyeongbokgung Palace Station (Seoul Subway Line 3) Exit 5. Walk 10-15 min along the stone wall of  

    Gyeongbokgung Palace to the starting point of Samcheongdong-gil street.

Travel tips: 

1. Take photo with the stone wall of the palace. You can shoot a nice potrait photo there.

2. Grab a Samcheongdong-gil map at the booths in front of the shops. It's free! There is a very clear guides to the shops and galleries. 

3. Keep your eyes sharp, surprises are everywhere. 

4. If you have extra time, you can travel as per KTO suggestion in their website. "Take a walk down seoul-gil"

Seoul Fun ~ Day 1 @ The National Folk Museum of Korea

I was so worried about Yee Pei if she would get a heat stroke. She looked pale and weak. I immediately adviced her to take some rest. Thanks God there was a cafe nearby in the National Folk Museum of Korea. I ordered two glasses of  Korean healthy drinks (couldn't recall the name :P) to refresh ourselves.

After half an hour of rest, Yee Pei was still feeling sick. As a responsible KTO staff, she was like on pins and needles as she worried that we couldn't catch up with our planned itinerary.  I suggested to her to take a nap in the cafe while I went for the National Folk Museum. Deal! :)

Beautiful building of the National Folk Museum. 

National Folk Museum of Korea is located in Gyeongbukgung Palace. 

The museum consists of three main exhibition halls.  The first is the "History of Korean People" which featured the history timeline and materials used in that period of time.

Upper class people learned Chinese in ancient time. I know how to read this :P

The museum was crowded with tourists. The tour guide was explaining the Korean History, full of facial expression :D

 The second exhibition hall features "The Korean Way of Life". It exhibits the artifacts in a traditional Korean village, such as hunting instruments, making of Kimchi, Hats, Shoes, traditional houses and many more. 

Traditional Korean Farmers Dance. I watched it live on the second day! ^.^ 

The tour guide mentioned that different hat (Gat) indicates different social status. Interesting.

Various type of Kimchi. Looks Yummy!

I love this scene! So harmonious and happy for this big family. 

The third exhibition hall is called the "Korean life passage".  This hall is about Korean culture such as birth ceremony, marriage ceremony, education, traditional musical instrument and etc.

Korean Wedding ceremony

Children's Hanbok. I like the colour combination.

I spent more than 1 hour in this museum and had a thorough insight into Korean life and culture. They truly made history interesting with cute sculptures and enhanced them with technologies.  A good place to visit. If you plan to visit Gyeongbukgung palace, don't hesitate to drop by to this cultural museum.  

There was a media room on the left before the entrance to Museum. Free internet for tourists :) 

 It's time to look for Yee Pei in the cafe. She felt slightly better after more than an hour rest. We were heading to Samcheongdong -gil for a icy patpingsu. Stay tuned!

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Travel info:

National Folk Museum of Korea

Ticket price: Free admission

Operating hours: 

 09:00 - 18:00 (Mar -Oct)

09:00 - 17:00 (Nov-Feb)

09:00 - 19:00 (May-Aug, Saturday & Sunday, Holidays)

Last admission: One hour before closing

Closed on Tuesday

Transportation: 

*Get off at Gyeongbokgung Subway Station, (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit # 5 and walk for 5 minutes. 

* Get off at Gwanghwamun Station (Seoul subway line 5) , Exit # 2.

Travel tips: 

1. Enjoy some cakes and drinks in the Museum Cafe after visiting Gyeongbukgung Palace.

2. Join a tourist group to get more information from the tourist guide.

3. Suggested duration: 1 - 1.5 hour. 

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Seoul Fun ~ Day 1 @ Samgyetang & Gyeongbukgung Palace

That was a beautiful day. The sky is extremely clear and sunny. We started our very first girls trip in the Hanok courtyard. A full-day journey was going to start in Seoul and I couldn't wait to explore this beautiful land of Kimchi.  

We started our trip with a big bowl of famous Korean cuisine, Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) in 山内里 Hanok restaurant near to the guest house. The architecture with wooden structure amplifies the age of this antique and traditional house. We followed Korean tradition and sat on the floor mat to enjoy the Samgyetang. Yee Pei told me that Samgyetang is a must-try dish during summer in Korea. Samgyetang was traditionally served in summer for its nutrients which replaced the lost of stamina through excessive sweating in summer. 

Samgyetang is cooked with spring chicken (not more than 49 days old) boiled in broth. It is totally different from the Chinese ginseng soup. There was a secret ingredient in the chicken. 

Do you know what is that? 

It's the glutinous rice. The glutinous rice is stuffed in the chicken. Other than that,  I found ginseng, jujubes, garlic and some Chinese herbs mixed with the rice. The chicken soup tasted plain at first. Luckily the Korean expert was with me :D Yee Pei taught me the correct way to enjoy the soup. You have to add pepper and salt into the soup according to your preferred portion. The ginseng fragrance blended with the soft chicken and hot soup makes it very palatable. 

English menu for the tourists :) It costed around RM 35 per bowl.

After having the superb Samgyetang, we were ready for our first destination - Gyeongbukgung Palace. It is in walking distance (around 15 minutes walk) from Hanok restaurant. On our way, we enjoyed the unique scene where traditional building meets the modern skyscrapers. 

Watch tower, Dong-sipjagak is isolated in the middle of busy street intersection.

I meet some traditional characters here! The royal guards were wearing traditional costumes. Remember to catch a photo with the royal guards before you enter or leave. What a coincidence, Yee Pei was wearing the couple dress with the guard. They were so matched. XD

I was over excited when I saw this building, Gwanghwamun! The main entrance gate to the Gyeongbukgung palace.  This magnificent building caught my attention in the drama 'Queen Inhyun’s Man', a kiss scene between Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na in front of Gwanghwamun was so romantic.

Gyeongbukgung Palace is surrounded by five metre high walls with four large gates - Geonchunmun (east), Gwanghwamun (south), Yeongchumun(west), sinmumun (north). Gwanghwamun Gate is the main gate of Gyeongbukgung Palace. 

Beautiful painting on the ceiling of the arch. 

Ticket office for Geongbukgung Palace is on the right side after you enter Gwanghwamun. Ticket price: Adult -3000KRW. 
Things to note: Gyeongbukgung palace is closed on Tuesday. 

Gyeongbukgung palace was the main palace of the five grand palaces built by the Joseon dynasty. It is a destination not to be missed in Seoul as it is regarded as most beautiful and grandest. I love the historical architecture so much! 

While we were waiting for Mandarin guided tour at 1 o'clock under the scorching sun, the symphony of musical instruments attracted us. We were happy to find out that it was time for royal guards changing ceremony. 

The royal guards with colourful costumes marched in with weapons, traditional musical instruments and flags. Splendid changing of the guards! It is the most spectacular guard changing ceremony that I ever see, more spectacular than the guard changing ceremony at the Buckingham Palace in London! You shouldn't miss this! The changing of the guards happens hourly from 10am to 6pm daily except Tuesdays. 

The magnificent Geunjeongjeon is the heart of the palace.  All important ceremonies including the Coronation Ceremony are conducted in this area. 

Interior of Geunjeongjeon Hall. Look at those exquisite paintings on the wood. Fantastic!

I love this place so much! Every corner of the palace is so pleasing to the eyes.

Gyeongbukgung Palace is so big. We couldn't manage to explore the entire palace due to extremely hot weather. Yee Pei started to feel uncomfortable after the guard changing ceremony.We decided to take a break and have some cold beverages. 

What happened next to my travel partner Yee Pei? Do stay tuned for my next post :P

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Travel info: 

Gyeongbukgung Palace: 

Ticket price: 3000KRW  (adult) , 2400KRW ( group of 10 or more)

Operating hours: 9:00 -18:00 (Mar-Oct)

                          9:00- 17:00 (Nov-Feb)

Last admission one hour before closing.

Changing of Guards: Free (every hour from 10am to 6pm)

Guided tour (1 hour): English (11:00, 13:30, 15:30), Chinese (10:30, 13:00, 15:00)

Closed on Tuesday

Transportation: 

*Get off at Gyeongbokgung Subway Station, (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit # 5 and walk for 5 minutes. 

* Get off at Gwanghwamun Station (Seoul subway line 5) , Exit # 2.

Travel tips: 

1. Bring an umbrella if you travel in Summer. It's hot and humid and most areas are unsheltered. 

2. Wear a pair of comfortable shoes, no high heels please. It involves a lot of walking, and the floor tiles are uneven.  

3. Do remember to take a free guide book, you may get lost as the palace is big. 

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