2013 back in Gyeongbukgong and Samcheongdong once again!

 We have a lot on our itinerary today! Palace - Samcheongdong-Gil - Sanmotoonge -  Myeongdong!

Once again, after 2 years, I am back at the biggest palace in Seoul, this time with Pam and in summer.

 My introduction and directions to the place has already been clearly written in the previous post (here) on Gyeongbokgung, hence, this post will just be the snap shots of some of the vicinity that I previously missed.

Like the residences and headquarters.

 

This is my favourite shot! 

Clearly, the atmosphere in winter and summer is very different and each one with their own beauty!

HEADING TO SAMCHEONGDONG-GIL

So after exploring Gyeongbokgung, I decided to bring Pam for a walk in Samcheongdon-gil, this time I am starting the walk from Gyeongbokgung instead of Anguk station (read more about Samcheongdong here) - it really challenges my memory! 

(At the same time feels like I am walking down memory lane..just less nostalgic cause of the blazing hot sun! Too sunny to feel cold and melancholic)

So upon heading out of the the palace, we made a left turn and walked along side the place wall on the left.

 Pretty much looked like we were walking to no where in the hot sun! 

But. Press on.

We are walking on the left side of the road, but it is also fine to cross over to the right side cause we will need to ultimately turn unto an ally on the right to get to the intersections and cross roads of the Bukchon Traditional Houses & those little shops which I want to visit. 

According to the Information Personnel, one of the easiest ways to identify which is the right ally to make a right turn to is the Samcheong Police Station. And that was exactly what we did! (I know, using the Police Station as a landmark is really weird)

 So anyways, along the way, while walking by the main road, there are also these pretty cafes and dining places. So nice for a lunch date actually!

And I am pretty sure nobody is going to go alfresco in this temperature.

AND DADANG! 

The Yellow cottage which I so missed! hahah

Whilst some of the cafes and shops seemed familiar, many others seem to have changed. This summer time visit is a new experience as compared to the previous Autumn-Winter time. The sun made everything more warm and lively, though there's a tinge of nostalgia walking past these homely cafes.

 

I don't remember this shop at all.. but well the fashion sense is like before, where they used to sell more indie (like vintage/retro?) and artistic styles.

The morning ended with our lunch @ some random dining place, having Bulbogi. Yumz!

Exploring Gyeongbokgung with a pro camera man!

It's officially the first day of Ben's tour in Seoul and given that he is such an enthusiast in photography, what better place to show him around than Gyeongbokgung?

Gyeongbokgung was built in 1395, and was the main seat of government activitt of the Joseon Dynasty, which rules Korea with Seoul as capital city during the years 1329 - 1910. Though its been through tumultuous times during the Japanese invasion, it was being well-restored since 1990. It consists of official quarters like the palace throne, reception hall and living and resting quarters like the king's and queen's residences.

It;s no guess this is the place where most Korean drama filming takes place. The grandest of all the palaces in Seoul and 1 that's not to be missed. It is a huge palace and will probably take 2-3 hours to cover, comfortably.

Directions:
Gyeongbokgung Station, Subway Line 3, Exit 5, follow the sign boards from there.

You can't miss this front shot of the entrance cause its a pretty awesome sight. It faces the main road, actually. So while standing in front of the palace, one may feel like a clash of times... 






Shot of what faces the entrance of the palace.

As with most palaces, there is always a palce-guard changing ceremony every few hours. So be sure to check from the website visitkorea website to affirm the timing and not miss them.






Palaces also almost always have a majestic mountain in the background - for scenic reasons. I guess mountain-gazing must be one of the greatest hobby for kings then..
Frankly, who would mind having a mountain-view even in modern times like this?

Only professional lenses will be able to capture such great shots!

The photos in this post were all captured b Ben (cause I was too lazy to take ANY pictures). And I realized I have no close up shots of the interior of the palace like the king / queen's residence, the throne and etc.

I am just gonna spam this posts with great scenic pictures from the "lens of a pro".

I wondered if ice-skating was gonna be a feasible idea on this frozen pond?

Clear blue skies that Singapore is short of.

Here are some really random shots of what could be a servant's quarter? 

We completely missed out the living quarters of the officials, king and queens and here we are taking random shots of the servants quarters...

To close this post, here is a last shot of myself - snacking on a gimbap! 

Seriously, it's the last few days of my trip and I am really gonna just roam around the streets, enjoying each moment instead of being a trigger-happy tourist!

Roaming the streets of Samcheongdong-gil and Bukchon

Directions:

Anguk Subway Station, Line 3, Exit 3

Today, Rose's family arrived in Seoul and I am their "official" tour guide - Frankly, Rose knows more about where to visit than I do! She mentioned this beautiful street with quaint shops and folk houses named sam... something. I have not heard of this sam.. something place... though I was supposedly the guide here. (Korean words in transliteration seem HARDER to pronounce, seriously). Well anyways, she has the directions and so I tagged along!

This is called SAMCHEONGDONG-GIL - looks super complicated to pronounce - literally read "sum-chong-dong-kill"

I found out from the tour book:

"Samcheongdong Street - Traditional Korean houses and modern buildings are juxtaposed to create unusual scenery. Contemporary restaurants and wine bars have been established in traditional houses along with galleries, designer shops, specialty shops and themed museums".

Basically, this street gives a sense of nostalgia and melancholy edge, filled with a mix of old and new times. 

New times = Modern looking quaint buildings selling contemporary fashion and accessories (you won't find Faceshop, Etude house etc. here)

Old times = Folk Houses which really are traditional Korean style houses (most of which ARE real residences 

This is one of the many shots of the modern buildings which looked like a cottage in a village. 

I thought it's architectural style was homely and nice, and it was different from that of Apujeong and Hongdae. (they each have their own sense of taste and are all fabulous in their ways!)

 

OK, a little more on the directions - the moment you exit from exit 3, you should spot some signs to tell you where is where but in fact, none states where Samcheongdong-Gil is cause the whole area is Samcheongdong. 

So, just follow the path alongside the stone walls in the 2nd picture below (that seems to lead to nowhere) cause you will soon reach an intersection and that's where you will start to spot the cottage-looking buildings. 

 

The weather is really getting colder by now as Winter is just a few days away.. I don't even want to think about how cold that will be!
 

More pictures of the contemporary cottage-like shops! yay!

And there you see, right next to the cottage-like buildings, there will also be old-world style folk houses!

There are plenty of food and cafes in this area, so no hungry-stomachs!

And you find quaint little shops, artistically displaying their merchandise in front of the store! The prices ain't too expensive, really, but seems like the items sold could also be found in Myeong-dong.

See why I say it looks artistically displayed?

I just had to position them in this manner to add that melancholic idea in the photo!

And at random intersections, you will find residences like these, that's why the experience was so... cool?

Of course, while walking in between intersections, we have lost our way and decided it's ok to just "go with the flow" and ended up at this sorta main road, which will led us to Gyeongbokgung.

In fact, so many shops and cafes line this road. 

Since this location is close to Gyeongbokgung & The Blue House (where the president stays, I suppose) 

my guess is that this district would be an expensive one (where the wealthier people stay). 

Notably, this could also be a dating point cause I do see lotsa couples hanging out here 

(Seoul really has so MANY dating places ya know!)

Signing out with an idiotic pose of myself!

 (BTW, if you observe the background, that is the side entrance to Gyeongbokgung.)

Mental note: Next time, I'd try walking to Samcheongdong via Gyeongbukgung!