The weather was undoubtedly good when we left the apartment. Cold, yes, but the sunniest we've seen so far so we thought it'd be ideal to go for a tour around the Gyeongbokgung Palace and visit Bukchon Hanok Village while it's bright and sunny out.
Visiting a palace is basically one of the top must-do things when in Korea. In fact, there are a total of 5 palaces within the city to offer you a taste of Korean history. There's so much to see and do here in Korea but unfortunately, so little time. Why? Gyeongbokgung Palace was near Bukchon Hanok Village, as well as.. Insadong (where to borong for cheaper souvenirs) so it'll be like killing not 2 but 3 birds with 1 stone!
(Photo courtesy of http://nkikichua.blogspot.sg/)
How to get there: Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 5 OR
Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5), Exit 2.
Operating Hours: (Closed on Tuesdays) November-February (09:00-17:00) / March-May (09:00-18:00) / June-August (09:00-18:30) / September-October (09:00-18:00)
Admission Fees: (Tourists/International Visitors) Adults (Ages 19-64) 3,000won / Groups (10 people or more) 2,400won
Children (ages 7-18) 1,500won/ Groups (10 people or more) 1,200won
*Last admission: 1 hour before closing
*Operating hours are subject to change depending on conditions or circumstances.
Guided tour (Free): English, 11:00 / 13:30 / 15:30
Japanese, 10:00 / 12:30 / 14:30
Chinese, 9:30/11:00 / 13:30 / 15:00 / 16:30
Aside from the palace tour, we were really eager to catch the changing of palace guard ceremony. We got there earlier than expected so being tourists and Singaporeans, a bit kanchiong cannot help it so naturally we were all the way up front. Well, it's not everyday you get to visit the palace right. Singapore has the Istana but nothing quite like this at all.
Performance Times:
Sumunjang (Royal Guard) Changing Ceremony
10:00, 14:00 / 20 minutes per ceremony
Gwanghwamun Gate Guard-on-Duty Performance
11:00, 13:00 / 10 minutes per ceremony
Sumungun (Gatekeeper) Military Training (outside Hyeopsaengmun Gate)
09:30, 13:30 / 15 minutes per ceremony
*Do take note that schedule is subject to change.
*Event may be cancelled in case of rain.
The ceremony was indeed unlike anything I've seen. There wasn't much going on honestly, the duration was rather short but then again, it is what it is, the gate guardsmen serve their sentry, perform the changing of palace guards ceremony and hold a parade. It's a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene in Korea and the ceremony displayed so much pride in continuing such traditions, reenacting the original ceremony dating back to 1996.
When the ceremony has ended, the cold was much too unbearable that we decided to take refuge at the cafe somewhere within the palace grounds. I'm not a fan of coffee so I was mostly browsing through the souvenir section instead.
While we were busy keeping ourselves warm, we lost track of time and when we got back to the main entrance to check out the English guided tour, we missed them by a few minutes and with all the tourists and tour groups. it was rather hard to tell which one was them. So our only option was to walk around the palace on our own and..
..eavesdrop on some random tour group we came across kekeke! I'm pretty damn sure, 100% they are Singaporeans and definitely students. Probably ITE, Poly or Uni. And just look at Kai, selamba gila (shamelessly) standing among them and not even making any effort to conceal himself. At least low key a bit lah but this one ah.. Then again, he does look like he could belong to their tour group haha!
GYEONGHOERU PAVILION
Built on the pond west of the king's living quarters, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion was where the king held special banquets for foreign or court officials.
GWANGHWAMUN GATE
Gwanghwamun Gate is the main gate of the palace. Back then, the king would use the central arch while the crown prince and officials entered through the sides.
Unfortunately, we also did not manage to cover the whole of the palace grounds and missed out on seeing the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion and Pond completely. The cold was getting far too unbearable for all of us and we were undeniably starving after all that walking.
We did, however, manage to see the changing of guard ceremony that takes place in front of the gate and took pictures with the palace guards on our way out. Also, take note, apparently selfies are not allowed hahaha I'm not quite sure why probably it wouldn't be appropriate or professional on the guards' part.
As we were already starving, our next best option was to head to Bukchon Hanok Village and find a place to have our lunch.
BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE
By the time we got to Bukchon Hanok Village, the cold was crazy unbearable. Initially, we intended to eat at a noodle restaurant recommended by one of the halal food blogs but we ended up walking in circles looking for it but to no avail.
Giving the benefit of the doubt, we had our lunch at what looked like the most reasonable place. A few things I took note of, however, the place did not seem to sell any pork as they mostly sold seafood instead. Ultimately, it all comes down to individuals. Otherwise, below I've listed a few restaurants that are pork-free and provides a halal menu as well as Muslim-owned.
Getting around Bukchon Hanok Village was not hard at all. When in doubt, follow the tourists. It's a relatively large area so having a map with you would be helpful. Even if you get lost wandering around, the houses are all lined up on top of the hill so to find your way back just head back down.
Do take note as well, Bukchon Hanok Village consists of residential houses and people actually live here so there are signages such as these to remind tourists and visitors alike to be mindful.
Amidst all the residential houses, there are plenty of shops and houses
(Photo courtesy of https://www.treksplorer.com/)
Somehow, after walking in circles and what felt like forever in the cold, we made it to Insadong. Now this is where you should buy your souvenirs. Not only are the souvenirs cheaper, the entire streets are completely lined with souvenir shops that you'll be spoilt for choice. However, like any other souvenir shopping trip, you should at least walk around and survey the price range before buying anything!
How to get here: Anguk Station (Line 3) Exit 6, getting off here would put you at the beginning of Insadong main street whereas Jongno 3-ga Station will drop you at the end of it.
First stop: Samziegil
Located in the heart of Insadong is Ssamziegil. It's basically an indoor-outdoor concept mall. You might want to come here on a weekday as it's usually crowded on weekends (as is every tourist hotspot in Korea) but the shops do close rather early around 6ish. Personally, I wasn't a fan of this place. Definitely unique as the shops here are mostly designer artists products, craft stores and even consists of art galleries. If you're into quirky things, this place's for you. And speaking of quirky...
This seemingly normal cafe is called Poop Cafe or Ddong Cafe. The foods and the hot beverages are served in mini toilet bowls which I was not curious enough to try but I did however tried their poop bread. I don't know who's idea was it that thought poop themed would be a good idea or thought of it as 'cute' because I really don't get it. Regardless of what I think, this place is popular.
One thing that you must however get here in Insadong is...
Hotteok = Barang baik
What is hotteok? It's a sweet and soft snack, something like a sweet Korean pancake filled with brown sugar, some nuts and cinnamon. Very yummy especially if eaten piping hot when it's cold!
Listed below are some souvenirs you should get to remember Korea by:
(Photo courtesy of https://grrrltraveler.com/top-5-fun-gifts-to-bring-back-from-korea/)
(Photo courtesy of http://www.sweetandtastytv.com/)
I personally love keychains and particularly these traditional Hanbok keychains that I got there.
Super pretty!
There's plenty more of souvenirs such as socks, traditional hand fans. kpop goodies, more socks, chopsticks, so on and so forth.
Ended our day at Myeongdong again only this time we dropped by the highly raved Pablo Cheese Tart Cafe at Lotte Department store. Basically, upon ordering, you are given a choice of how you want your cheesecake to be baked (rare or medium) so we opted for medium.
Definitely looked better than it tasted. Can you imagine, 6 of us shared and yet we couldn't finish it?! If I could describe in one word: muak. Meaning when you had enough to eat of a particular food that is too rich and another bite of it makes you feel like throwing up. This term usually applies to food that you enjoy but it is so rich it becomes nauseating. And that was it for Day 6!
Next up, Day 7 - Yeouido Hangang Park, Hongdae (Hongik Univ.) & Edae (Ewha Women's Univ.)
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