Gyeongkokgung Palace 경복궁

With just twelve hours in South Korea, I needed to make my rushed trip into Seoul count! After landing on a cold misty morning just before dawn, I rushed through immigration and headed into town on the Airport Express.

a pagoda in the palace complex

Built in 1394, the "Northern Palace" is the biggest of Seoul's Five Grand Palaces.

Climbing the steps up from the subway station and squinting in the morning sunlight, I didn't feel like I was in the middle of the city at all. Tucked in between mountains and surrounded by gardens, the Gyeongkokgung Palace was beautiful and quiet. At 8am on a cold and rainy Friday morning, I nearly had the whole place to myself.

flowers blooming

The palace didn't open until 9, so I had some time to explore the grounds and grab a can of coffee to warm up. Like in Japan, early spring is cherry blossom season in Korea. They are just beginning to bloom!

cherry blossoms

The palace has been destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout its storied history, first by the Japanese in the 16th century, and more recently by the Japanese again during its imperial expansion just before the First World War.

inner courtyard

Korea was occupied by Japan until after the Second World War. In the 1980's, the Korean government began rebuilding the royal palace - an effort that was expected to take the next forty years. Now, the palace complex is almost totally restored.

one of the main buildings

Besides the palace buildings, the complex also houses the National Korean Folk Museum and the National Palace Museum of Korea. Admission to both was free of charge.

This reflects one of the things that I really appreciate about Korea. I've only been to the country twice, and never for longer than one day, but from what I can tell, the Ministry of Tourism is excellent. They are really proud to share their country and promote their culture to visitors. This is the same organization that offers the free transit tours for people with long layovers, and the country's tourism website is probably the best and most helpful that I've ever seen.

willows in the gardens

The Ministry of Tourism must be effective! I've wanted to come back to Korea since my first short layover three years ago. And now, my one-day visit to Seoul made me want to spend more time there. With the 2018 Winter Games coming up, Korea is proudly promoting its culture around the world more than ever!

a pagoda on a pond

With this attitude, the palace was very accessible, even for someone who knows next to nothing about Korea. The palace grounds were huge, with sprawling gardens and many beautiful buildings and lots of areas to explore.

In my opinion, the most beautiful structure in the palace complex is Hyangwonjeong, the "Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance". Sitting on a tiny island on a small pond, the pavilion is reached by a bridge called Chwihyanggyo, the "Bridge Intoxicated with Fragrance". I guess it must smell really nice on that island! Unfortunately,  the bridge is blocked off so you can't cross it, so I'll never know for sure.

Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance

At 10 o'clock, the crowds started showing up. It was time for the first changing of the guards ceremony! They hold the ceremony every hour on the hour from 10am-3pm.

guards marching in

Re-enactors dressed like royal guards from the Joseon Dynasty marched in, while the commander of the royal guard watched and directed from the top of one of the huge wall gates.

palace guards

An announcer explained the ceremony in English and Korean while a deep booming drum kept the beat of the marching guards.

The palace was empty when I arrived, but the outer courtyard (outside of the palace) was now packed with people to watch this impressive display.

changing of the guards

That was all I had time for in my one day in Seoul, but I think I picked a good thing to see while I was there! I'm definitely thinking about planning a longer layover in Korea next time. It would be great to see more of the country.