Tag: Changdeokgung

South Korea 2011 Day 2 - Palace hopping, Seodaemun Prison and Shopping

South Korea 2011 Day 2 – Palace hopping, Seodaemun Prison and Shopping

Posted on by ziyi

Breakfast at Holly’s coffee just around the corner of our hotel before the day’s tour of Seoul.

Breakfast at Holly's coffee
Breakfast at Holly’s coffee.
Our breakfast.
Our breakfast.

Train to Anguk station and a walk to the UNESCO site of Changdeokgung Palace, huge and grand, fit for royalties.

Unesco Changdeokgung
Unesco Changdeokgung.
Map of the palace.
Map of the palace.
One of the many halls.
One of the many halls.
Inside the hall.
Inside the hall.
Pond inside the palace.
Pond inside the palace.
Like a scene from a Korean drama
Like a scene from a Korean drama.
Tiny gate.
Tiny gate.
Another pond in the compounds.
Another pond in the compounds.
Autumn colours
Autumn colours.
Yet another pond
Yet another pond.

Huge place, took a while to walk around the compound and before we exited the palace and have lunch in some random Korean store.

The place we had lunch.
The place we had lunch.
Lunch at a Korean store.
Lunch at a Korean store.

Then another store to have a sweet fish pastry to desert.

Time for some dessert, shaped like a fish.
Time for some dessert, shaped like a fish.
End product.
End product.

Another palace visit, by walking there. Gyeongbokgung palace, similar size but more modern architecture.

One of the gates to Gyeongbokgung
One of the gates to Gyeongbokgung.
Guards
Guards.
Huge square to the next building.
Huge square to the next building.
One of the halls.
One of the halls.
Inside one of the halls.
Inside one of the halls.
Close view of the hall.
Close view of the hall, such vibrant colours.
Map of the palace grounds.
Map of the palace grounds.
Looks like the bedroom
Looks like the bedroom.
Pond with a building in the middle.
Pond with a building in the middle.
Another smaller pond.
Another smaller pond.
Pagoda within the compounds.
Pagoda within the compounds.
Preservation jars for kimchi?
Preservation jars for kimchi?
Palace that had a mountain behind it.
Palace that had a mountain behind it.

After we completed the exploration within the palace compounds, we returned to the entrance where the changing of guards took place.

Changing of guards, retro style.
Changing of guards, retro style.

The last attraction of the day was to visit a prison, Seodaemun Prison, taking a one stop from Anguk to Dongnimmun station, and a short walk to the entrance. A much smaller compound compared to the palaces and manageable to complete exploring within an hour.

Seodaemun Prison.
Seodaemun Prison.
Map of the prison.
Map of the prison.
Some weird contraption.
Some deadly contraption.
Within the prison compound.
Within the prison compound.
Long corridor of cells.
Long corridor of cells.
Communication between cell and guards.
Communication between cell and guards.
Reverence monument.
Reverence monument.
Corpse tunnel.
Corpse tunnel.

Then it was shopping at night, got off at Dongdaemun station, there was a majestic gate called Heunginjimun near the station.

Night view.
Night view of a Heunginjimun Gate at Dongdaemun

A mixture of malls from trendy fashion at a costlier price at Doota mall and Maxtyle mall to the more affordable market like stores Pyoung Hwa clothing market.

Dongdaemun entrance.
Dongdaemun entrance.
Pyoung Hwa clothing market.
Pyoung Hwa clothing market.
Doota shopping mall
Doota shopping mall.
IMG_0232
Doota entrance.
IMG_0231
Maxtyle shopping mall.
IMG_0233
Fountain within one of the mall (forgotten which)
Dinner for the day.
Dinner for the day.