Sights In Seoul

The first Saturday of each month is the English speaking session for our two branches. We choose when we have our P day. So we decided to choose Friday to try and see more of Seoul.

We drove to the Yongsan Army Base to spend the night at the Red Dragon Hill Lodge. 

It is a beautiful place to stay with an incredible garden. 

We parked our car on the base, and walked about a mile to catch a hop on/hop bus. The bus stops are the most important sights in Seoul. It is so much easier than trying to find the sights, and parking once we get there. 

South Korea is covered with high rise building. I have heard people say from the air it reminds them of coast-to-coast dominoes. Apartment buildings are built around the mountains and in clusters in the country side. They stretch for miles!

Seoul is the second largest metropolitan city in the world, with more than 10.29 million people. Half of the 25.6 million people that live in Korea live in Seoul. Korea is less than half the size of Utah, and there are less than 3 million people that live in Utah. 

Which is why there is so much traffic here. 

The Korean creativity shows in some of their architecture, which has made Seoul a world class leader in modern urban planning. 

After the Japanese destroyed all the Palace by fire during the invasions of 1592-'98, Gyeongbokgung Palace was left derelict for the next 273 years. It was finally reconstructed in1867. The reconstructed palace was very different from the original.       

When he was here in 1968, Korea was far behind America. There were very few cars, and it was common to see wagons in the country.

Our first stop was the Namsangol Hanok Village.

The village is a collection of five traditional Korean houses built from 1392 to 1910. 

Recovered from different parts of the city and relocated to the northern foot of Namsan mountain. 

The interiors of each of these five houses reflect owners from different walks of life, from the middle class to high government officials, noblemen and aristocrats.

As we were waiting for the bus, we witnessed an accident five feet in front of us.

A cab pulled over, and the man opened the door. He didn’t look before he opened it. A man on a motor scooter went between the cab, just as the door flew open. The motor scooters here don’t follow any laws or rules of the road, they do and go whatever they want.

Our next stop was the largest of the five palaces in Seoul, is the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The palace was built in 1395. The Palace name Gyeongbokgung Palace, meant the "Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven."

With Mount Bugaksan to its rear and Mount Namsan in the foreground, the Palace became the heart of Seoul. The main gate of the palace is the only thing dividing the once royal quarters from one of the busiest parts of the city. After the Japanese destroyed all the Palace by fire during the invasions of 1592-'98, Gyeongbokgung Palace was left derelict for the next 273 years. It was finally reconstructed in1867. 

The reconstructed palace was very different from the original. There were 500 buildings, all of the palace's 7,700 rooms was like a small city. A large part of the Palace was torn down during the Japanese occupation. An effort to fully restore Gyeongbokgung Palace to its former glory has been ongoing since 1990.

T

The Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds also house the Nation Palace Museum of Korea. It is the largest Museum of Korea. It has thousands of artifacts and royal treasures.

It displays records, state rites, architecture, clothing, royal life, education, culture, paintings and music of the dynasty’s ruling era.

Our last sight to see was the Changdeokgung palace. This palace was the second palace, Construction began in 1405, and was completed in 1412.

The Palace was burnt to the ground during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and reconstructed in 1609.

The palace burnt down again in 1623 because of a political Revolt. The palace, throughout its history of reconstruction and repair, has remained faithful to its original design. 

Korea's last Emperor, lived here until his death in 1926. The Palace is registered one of the world's 500 attractions.

We got off at the stop by the Yongsan Army Base, and walked the mile back to the base.

We stopped at the car to pick up our bags. As we left the parking lot we saw another Military Relations Missionary Couple. 

They were serving in the south tip of Korea. Their daughter was visiting from USA, and they were showing her some sights in Seoul. 

We were only able to talk for about five minutes, as they had another appointment. We had now met two of the other Military Relations Missionaries. Which meant there was only one couple of Military Relation Missionaries we had not met.
 

Before we got to the door of the Red Dragon Inn. We met our Camp Humphrey’s Branch Presidents wife.  

They were waiting for a cab, so we only talked for a minute. We were so tired, and hungry.

We found a place to eat at the Inn, and headed for our room.