Korea Trip: Day 7

21.04.2006

This morning, we did not had American style or Korean style breakfast. Instead we had Chinese style of breakfast. Porridge, vegetables, you tiao, soya bean milk etc......... After breakfast, we went to Presidential Blue House.

Cheongwadae (Presidental Blue House)

The symbol of Cheongwadae is the blue tiles.The first thing that catches your eye when you arrive at Cheongwaaae are the blue tiles of the main building. The blue tiles and the smooth roof are in beautiful harmony with Mt. Bugaksan behind it. As the Blue House represents Korea, the blue tiles and the smooth curve of the roof represents the beauty of Korea.The unique buildings Cheongwadae are comprised of the Main Office, Yeongbingwan (Guest House), Chunchugwan (Spring and Autumn Pavilion), Nokjiwon (Green grass), the Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon) Valley, and the Seven Palaces. It is interesting to see that these buildings have special shapes. They are unique and beautifully designed, built in the Korean traditional style. The blue tiles and the smooth curve shape of the main office roofs are elegantly built. Approximately 150 thousand tiles compose the roof of the Blue House. Each were baked individually which make them strong enough to be used for hundreds of years. If you turn to the right you will see Chunchugwan. The roof of Chunchugwan was made of earthen tiles. This is where the president's press conferences are held. On the left side of the main office, there is the Yeongbingwan. It was designed to hold large conferences and official events for foreign guests. It looks luxurious with 18 pillars.

Well, actually you need to make reservations before you can walk around in the Presidential Blue House. When we were there, there seems to be a conference ongoing between South Korea & Australia. So we could only take a look outside from the opposite road. By the way, South Korea do have policemens on roller blakes. Well, you don't really get to see this in Singapore.

After visting Presidential Blue House, we went to the "Ginseng Monopoly Showroom". Ginseng, one of the Korea's local prodcuts. At here in the monopoly showroom, you would be able to get top rated Ginseng. We bought a tin and costed about over USD 400, so it's not cheap actually. Then we went down to the lower floor where they sell ginseng related products, local products etc. We bought somethings too like keychains, seaweed, ginseng sweets etc.

We went to the Amethyst factory where we can buy crystals after we bought Ginseng related products. But we did not bought any crystals until the last minute, as we were leaving, my aunts decided to buy the bangles at USD 10 each. They bought a few each.

Then it was lunch time. BBQ Pork and refillable side dishes again in a local restaurant......... Well, even though we had korean bbq for so many days liao but I still eat a lot. I think after about 5 days of Kimchi, everybody getting sick of it. But for my sister, Yinmei & I, it was always not enough. We asked for a refill of kimchi & pork meat again. We always enjoyed our meal. Outside the restaurant, there were a push cart selling local korean products like keychains, frames, pencils etc. Yinmei and I bought a pair of chopsticks and spoon each. It costs $1500 Won which was about S$2.50. My family & I bought other stuffs too. Then we went into a local provision shop and my sister and Yinmei went to buy some biscuits.

Following that, we proceed to The National Folk Museum. We took a group picture oustide the museum. Cheju Island famous sculptures, the Dolharubang can be found outdoors. According to Lisa, by touching the nose of the Dolharubang, one can give birth to a soon. So Lisa asked us to take a look at the back of the Dolharubang but we found nothing unusal. So she asked us not to think too straight n I got the meaning. HaHa..... However, I will not put up the picture here, in case someone think it was too "yellow".

The National Folk Museum

The National Folk Museum displays the lifestyle of ancient Koreans. There are 20,000 vestiges, with a total of 4000 folk relics. In the Center Hall there are traditional culture or folk related exhibits. The “Hall of Korean Lifestyle” shows the lifestyles of Koreans from pre-historic times to the Joseon Period (1392~1910). You can compare the cultural characteristic and vestiges by period and you can see the development of pottery, agricultural implements and prints. The 2nd Exhibition called ‘Hall of Koreans at Work‘ displays tools for farming, hunting, fishing, along with clothes and houses. It includes handicrafts, accessories, dishes, kimchi and jangdokdae. The 3rd Exhibition is called the ‘Hall of a Korean Life Cycle‘ and presents the life of an ancient Korean from birth to marriage to death. Outside the museum is more interesting than inside. The Jejudo Island sculptures such as Dolharubang, windmills, treadmills and sheds are displayed outdoors.

Inside the musuem, we got to see a lot of stuff like how Korea from the past, how costumes from the past evolved into present ones, kimchi-making process etc. We spent about 1 hour there before we proceed to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Lisa took us for a walk around the Gyeongbokgung Palace and introduce us the history of it. we took another 1 hour walking around and took pictures before we went to the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace where there were a ceremony of "Gate Guard Change" and "Closing of Palace Gate". There were also money-changers around, so we exchanged our some US dollars for Korean Won. I finally got to see the magnificent Gyeongbokgung, always heard from my Korean Teacher. But this side, I finally got to see it with my own eyes. We were also in time to witness the "Gate Guard Change" and "Closing of Palace Gate" ceremony. What an eye-opener.....

Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung was the main palace during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). One of five palaces in Seoul, it has a 500 year history. It was built by the founding King of Joseon dynasty, Lee Seong-Gye, in 1395 as he moved the capital city from Gyeseong to Seoul. Located in the northern part of Seoul, it is sometimes called “Bukgwol.”Gyeongbokgung is 5.4 million square feet and rectangular in shape. On the south side is the main gate Gwanghwamun. To the north, Sinmumun, east, Yeongchumun, and west, Geonchunmun. In the palace are the Jeongak buildings such as Geunjeongjeon, Gyotaejeon, Jagyeongjeon, Gyeonghoeru, and Hyangwonjeong. Geunjeongjeon, the main hall, was where inquiries and morning sessions were held. In the front courtyard, three granite walkways are present. The slightly more elevated middle walkway was for the King. The ones on the side were for his court. In the yard, Pumgyeseoks stand on each side. Jagyeongjeon and Gyotaejeon were the King’s mother and Queen’s sleeping quarters. Jagyeongjeon is famous for it’s flower wall and Sipjangsaeng guldduk (chimney). The guldduk is recognized as the most beautiful made in Joseon period, and is listed as National Treasure no. 810. Gyotaejeon was the Queen’s personal living area, and the wall and the rear entrance overlooking Amisan Mountain are particularly eye-catching. What adds to the elegance of Gyeongbokgung is its lotus pond. Gyeonghoeru and Hwangwonjeoung. Gyeonghoeru was where foreign dignitaries met and special festivals were held when good events occurred in the nation. Hwangwonjeong is behind the sleeping quarters, and is in the back courtyard. It also has a lotus pond, but has a distinct feminine feel to it compared to Gyeonghoeru’s. Its architecture makes great use of the surrounding Amisan’s geography, and the area blends in beautifully, a great example of traditional Korean palatial structure. There is also the library, sujeongjeon, and the King’s work quarters, Sajeongjeon. There are many designated Cultural Assets in the Palace. Many of these were collected from all over the nation, such as Gyeongcheonsa’s 10-story stone tower (No. 86), Beomcheonsa’s Jigwangguksa-Hyeonmo tower (No.101), and Borugak’s Automatic Clock and Heumgyeonggak’s Water Clock and Cheonsang Clock. In 1910, when the Korea-Japan Treaty was signed, Japan tore down all the Jeongak buildings in the south area and built their Command Center on the spot. The Japanese building has now been dismantled and the palace is in the process of being restored.

Following that, we went to Itae-won where we were introduced to some cosmetic products. But it was really too expensive. So we did not bought. Instead, we went for a walk around Itae-won. There were many shops in Itae-won and Yinmei managed to help her friend to buy a hanbok here which costs USD $72. So not really very expensive. But if you would to get those good quality one, then it would cost more of course. Of course, there are even cheaper ones but the quality may not be good then. After shopping at Itae-won, we will be going to "Lotte World" where "Stairways to Heaven" was filmed.

According to Lisa, the traffic at Seoul was quite heavy due to the reason that it's Friday and it was 5.30pm, time for people to go home. The traffic was slow but not really jammed, so still not bad. We reached "Lotte World" at about 6.15pm at local time. Lisa told us to wait at the "Nam Mu"---> South Gate at 10.00pm. Lisa took all of us for a ride on the "World Monorail" which will actually bring us for an overview of "Lotte World". After the ride, we were on our own. The tickets include of Big 3 so we can go for another 2 ride. After the ride, we went to the outdoor theme park to take a look and took some pictures before we went back to the indoor theme park as the weather was too cold. Then we went to play with the magic donkey before we went for dinner at Crystal Palace. After dinner, Yinmei and I went onto the "Camelot Carrousel", the typical famous carrousel filmed in "Stairways to Heaven". Then my sister, Yinmei & I decided to get onto the "Aeronauts Ballon Ride" where we can watch the night scene of "Lotte world".

Lotte World

Lotte World is the perfect spot for entertainment and sightseeing in the heart of the city. It is a theme park filled with the most thrilling rides, an ice rink, and different kinds of parades as well as a folk museum, a lake, and much more. About 6,000,000 visitors are welcomed every year, and about 10% of the visitors are foreigners. The structure inside makes use of the natural sunlight, and it is open for visitors all throughout the year, regardless of the weather. Lotte World is divided into 'Adventure’ inside the building, and ‘Magic Island’ outdoors, beside Seokchonhosu Lake. Lotte World Adventure has certain districts representing different countries, with various kinds of facilities and souvenir shops. You can enjoy watching parades, numerous films, laser shows, and international cuisine even during the holidays. Magic Island is situated outdoors, where the dazzling Magic Castle is located as well as thrilling high-altitude rides that you can't experience elsewhere, and there is also a peaceful trail around the lake. One of the major reasons tourists are attracted to Lotte World is the amusement rides. The Gyro Drop and Gyro Swing are the top pleasers– fall an altitude of 70 meters, or taste the thrilling sensation of being inside a tornado. You may need to take your shoes off before you get on as they may come off during the ride. The Flume Ride is a long boat with a high-altitude wave, and the Spanish Pirate Ship swings at an electrifying 75 degrees. Besides the excitement of these rides, Lotte World also contains a variety of parades and laser shows. The 200 performers bring World Carnival Parade (music, singing, and dancing) which adds excitement to the theme park. The parade takes place at 2p.m. and 7:30p.m, and the laser show is held in the late evening at 9:30p.m. After enjoying the rides, don't miss skating on the ice rink and visiting the museum. The ice rink is situated indoors on the B3 floor, and is opened throughout the year. Its pleasant atmosphere is perfect for family and couples to enjoy. The hours are from 10:30a.m. to 10:30p.m., and runs even during the holidays. Its facilities include a restaurant, ticket booth, snack bar, sports shop, skate rental service, and changing room. On the other hand, The Folk Museum is the most popular museum for foreign tourists. Folk cultural items are displayed and the items go back 5,000 years in Korean history, as well as miniature villages, and a playground. The museum layout was arranged to attract the visitors' attention and the displays are easily understandable. In addition, audio-visual devices and miniature models are available.

After the ride, we wanted to go to the shopping mall of "Lotte World" but there was a "World carnival parade", so we stopped and took some pictures. But sadly too say, the shopping mall was closed when we were there, so we only managed to go to "Lotte Mart". "Lotte Mart" was a supermarket and I manged to get the 2 soundtracks I wanted to buy, $11000 Won, about S$18.00. It's considered cheap coz if I will to buy it online, it will be about double the price. So I bought both CDs. My mum bought some kimchi and Yinmei bought some snacks. Then we went back into "Lotte World" again. We went around taking pictures coz there were many places where you can take beautiful pictures.

Then there was a laser show. We watched the laser show and there were still fireworks at the end of the show. After the show, we went to the gift shops and I bought a pair of chopsticks & a spoon with "Lotte World" logo, about $4000 Won. It still came with a small case, so quite worth it. Then my aunt went to buy some hairclips.

Finally at 10.00pm, we were ready to get onto the bus and back to Seoul Palace Hotel. Some of the others went to DongDaeMum again but we did not went. However, Yinmei & I went to the Family Mart nearby to get some drinks & snacks. Tonight, we had a lot of packing to do because we will be going home tomorrow. It was about 1.30am in the morning when I finally packed finished my luggages and fell asleep.