S E O U L (3) : Gyeongbokgung Palace [경복궁]

Hey guys! Part 3 of my Seoul travelogue will be on the famous Gyeongbok Palace, or Gyeongbokgung. It is a filming location for many historical dramas and movies. Anyone visiting Korea has to go there since it is the most significant landmark and is the biggest palace out of all five in Korea. If you don't, you'll definitely miss out on a lot of beautiful and remarkable experience. I don't think you need to visit all five palaces, especially if you have to spare some time for other things - Gyeongbokgung alone would be enough.

These people have quite an interesting job as palace guards lol. They seemed to be used to people staring at them. You can take a photo of or with them,  but you can't get too close or touch them.

I love how the backdrop of the palace are mountains although it is situated right in the crowded, bustling city. You wouldn't be able to find this kind of scenery in Bangkok or New York City. That's why I think Seoul is an amazing city with the well-balanced nature-concrete scenes. Oh, did I mention that the palace is adjacent to the Blue House where the Korean president lives in?

The inside of the palace is so big you can easily get lost. Bringing a map with you will be a good idea although I didn't have one with me at the time. Did I get lost? Yes, absolutely lol. Luckily, I somehow circled back to the entrance. This structure is one of the main attractions inside the palace since it stands out from the rest due to the surrounding lake. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the lake was frozen. I think the frozen lake makes it look even more beautiful.

The palace was so colorful. It reminded me a lot of the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace in China I visited years ago. Well, since Korea was heavily influenced by China back in the days, it was not unexpected to see some similarities here and there in art and architecture.

I could always find a place to take photos without people photobombing lol. I'm not sure if Winter is a low season for tourists or I chose a good day and time to visit there.

It was a peaceful and interesting walk around Gyeongbokgung. I think it will be much more beautiful during Fall and Spring, but of course you'll have to deal with a huge crowd of people as they are peak seasons. If you go there in the morning, you can watch the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony, which I missed. There are also museums for museum goers. If you just like walking around (like me), you can spend hours discovering small alleys and corners inside this grand landmark.

Next up is another must-visit place for a nice walk in Seoul. Please stay tuned!