愛 Korea: Chuseok holiday~! Gyeongbokgung

So, Chuseok is a three day holiday around the time of the Autumn Equinox. Although Chuseok is technically only three days, most companies (including mine!) got the whole week off. Chuseok is a sort of harvest festival. Most go to their ancestral homes, which are typically in rural areas (i.e. out of Seoul). Some families go on vacation together during this time, typically to places like Busan or Jeju Island. Anyway, Chuseok is also a time to visit one's family shrine, give thanks to one's ancestors, and children often do a ceremonial bow to their parents. So, it's a big deal.

Some of the parents made me some songpyeon, which is a traditional Chuseok food. It's a rice cake with different fillings, like sesame paste or honey, and is typically steamed over pine needles. Super yummy!


I didn't take this photo. I got this off of Yahoo Images, but it looks similar to the songpyeon I was given.

So, most of the other teachers went abroad during Chuseok, because Seoul gets a little deserted during this holiday. There were very few cars on the road. Most shops were closed on Chuseok day and some were even closed all three days. But, I stayed and this was my golden opportunity to be a tourist!

I was going to go explore some different areas of Seoul on Tuesday, but the weather was not in my favor. It rained hard from morning til night.

On Chuseok day (Wednesday), I went to Gyeongbokgung, which is considered one of the five "grand palaces" in S. Korea and translates to "Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven". King Kojong (the last king of the Choson Dynasty--the last Korean king) lived there during his reign and it's also where Queen Min was assassinated by the Japanese, who then burned her body and scattered her ashes (if you believe the more extreme historical retellings, she was raped, dismembered, and then burned). The National Folk Museum is near the palace and admission is included in the entry price for the palace. Although because it was Chuseok, they didn't charge us to see national landmarks on a national holiday.

Aerial View of Gyeongbokgung-- picture in subway terminal

Another picture of the Aerial shot of Gyeongbokgung

Entrance Gate of Gyeongbokgung--called Gwanghwamun

View to the right in front of Gyeongbokgung

Lion Statue in front of palace

Close-up of Gwanghwamun

Imperial Guards in front of Gwanghwamun. They are there especially for Chuseok.

Modern Skyscape right across from the front of the palace

Skyscape from one of the porticos inside the Gwanghwamun

Palace buildings beyond the Gwanghwamun

Heungnyemun Gate: the gate beyond Gwanghwamun

Another view of Heungnyemun Gate

Close up of Heungnyemun Gate

Beyond Heungnyemun Gate

You have to cross Yeongjegyo to get to the third gate, Geunjeongmun

Geunjeongmun

When you go through this gate, you have to step over the stone step instead of on it. It's a bad omen if you step on the stone.

This is Geunjeongjeon Hall; the throne room where the king held formal audiences

This is the view to the right. In person, the mountains were so spectacular. It's a shame I couldn't capture a true likeness of them in a photograph.

View to the left. Also pictured is the mountains, pagoda and stone railings around Geunjeongjeon Hall

Stone courtyard and rooms around Geunjeongjeon

Stone walkway towards Geunjeongjeon

Stairs leading up to the throne room, Close up of Geunjeongjeon

Mountain behind Geunjeongjeon

Close up of stairs leading to Geunjeongjeon; There are two tigers on either side of a phoenix emblem

Stone animals on stairs leading to Geunjeongjeon

View from Geunjeongjeon to Geunjeongmun

Views of stone courtyard from Geunjeongjeon

View of mountains surrounding the palace

View of painted embellishments at the top of the throne room, under the roof.

Royal Throne

Close up of throne

Diagram of how the throne room was set up

Example of seating/furniture arrangement for court members-- furniture is sparse and low to the ground so no weapons could be concealed

Continuation of painted beams inside the throne room

West side of throne room.

View from west side of throne room to Seoul skyscape

Golden dragons (representing the King) in middle of the ceiling in the throne room

Stone courtyard surrounding throne room

Walking towards Gyeonghoeru pavilion

Traditional game-- you take some wooden sticks and you have to throw them so that they land into narrow vase-like vessels

Lake surrounding the Gyeonghoeru pavilion

Gyeonghoeru pavilion, where royal banquets were held

Bridge leading from Gyeonghoeru pavilion to the King and Queen's sleeping quarters

Close up of rooftops

The 12 zodiac animals statuettes are on the edge of the roof. The more statuettes there are on the roof, the more important the building is. The animal figurines sit according to the Chinese tale, "Journey to the West."

Close up of stone bridge leading to the King and Queen sleeping quarters

Another shot of people playing the Korean traditional game

Alley towards the Imperial sleeping quarters

Entry way

Picture of the walls and rooftops, after going through entry

Another doorway on the way to the King's sleeping quarters

Gangnyeongjeon: king's sleeping quarters. The queen has her own residence that the king visits for conjugal visits.

Surrounding buildings used for storage, the personal servants, and the courtesans I would imagine

The fireplace that heats the floor in the king's quarter.

The fireplace under the building. One fireplace ever 6-7 feet

Another doorway leading to the queen's quarters

This is the chimney for the fireplace. Stone pipes run underground from the fireplace to this chimney, about 10 feet away from the fireplaces, so the king's delicate nose would not have to smell smoke.

Chinese characters used as a protective charm for the royals-- I believe it means longevity, but am not positive.

Doors leading to queen's sleeping quarters. Once a queen married into the royal family, she essentially lived at the palace her entire life. Rarely was she allowed out of the palace walls.

Gyotaejeon-- Queen's sleeping quarters

Behind Gyotaejeon is the queen's private garden. When you open the doors in the back, the queen would be able to look out at her garden from her rooms.