Gyeongbokgung in Seoul, South Korea

Ah Gyeongbokgung. It's the largest and, I think, the most famous palace in Seoul.

I was lucky to be in Seoul in October, when they held the Cheobjong or the Palace Guard Inspection Ceremony in place of the usual Royal Guard Changing Ceremony. Palace Guard Inspection by the king meant that the guards would have to show their fighting skills in order to prove to the king that they can defend him and his palace.

I think it started at 1pm but I was a little late. I arrived at 1:15pm. It was very interesting to watch! There's an English voice-over so people are not clueless as to what's happening.

At 1:30pm, the ceremony ended and the whole company lined up and went inside the palace. People can walk alongside the king's palanquin (which I did)!

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy my time in Gyeongbukgung very much for the following reasons:

1. It was really hot and sunny that afternoon.
2. There were soooooo many people. At that time, I had developed an aversion towards crowds due to the nature of my work. Big crowds stress me out (yes, even until now, lol). A middle-aged female tourist particularly stood out as she was endlessly taking selfies with her selfie stick with the volume of her phone at the highest setting! I could hear the shutter sounds even from 20 meters away and despite the noisy crowd, I swear!
3. I lost my Ray-Ban aviators. It's not the first too! It was really stressful trying to retrace my steps to find it. In the end, I didn't find it. It wanted to stay in South Korea, apparently. Aside from the fact that it's expensive, it was difficult not having my sunglasses in that afternoon heat.

I tried to take a photo of the interiors of the main throne hall but failed miserably because people kept pushing me. There were so many rude tourists there, seriously. That's why instead of exploring the huge palace grounds, I just took a few photos and then went back to Anguk Station to visit Bukchon Hanok Village.

To be honest, Gyeongbukgung is very beautiful. I especially love the mountainous backdrop of the palace. However, I recommend going there early in order to avoid the crowds which may spoil the experience. Try not to miss the ceremonies, though!

Changdeokgung in Seoul, South Korea

From Changgyeonggung, I walked to the adjacent palace, Changdeokgung. After paying the KRW2,000 admission fee, I inquired about the Huwon (Secret Garden) tour. Before coming to South Korea, I had read about Huwon inside Changdeokgung, which can only be entered through the palace's organized tour. I was curious about it and since it's only KRW5,000, I went for it.

I was in Changdeokgung at 10am and the Huwon tour wasn't starting until 10:30am so I went around the palace grounds first.

Well... actually, I bought postcards at the souvenir shops first before going around, lol.

I found that Changdeokgung didn't gather my interest very much because I had been to Changgyeonggung already. In the end, all palaces would look the same to me since I do not know much about them. At 10:30am, I proceeded to the Huwon entrance, which is located near the gate adjoining Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung (also the gate from where I entered).

As the tour guide introduced himself and gave a briefing, I overheard a lady telling her friend, "I can't remember the last time I went on an organized tour". What she said got me thinking about when was the last time I went on an organized tour too haha. It's probably in 2009, when my family went to Macau for a day trip from Hong Kong.

I did enjoy this organized tour. It was informative although it would seem a bit rushed (as all organized tours are) if you want to take a lot of photos. 

Some people, however, preferred to be left behind to take photos. That's quite alright except I wanted to listen to the tour guide. Also, I didn't want to get lost haha. It's a really big place and the only people inside are the ones doing the tour!

It was also tiring because Huwon is very big and there are a lot of slopes (typical Seoul)! The tour guide even said that he has lost a lot of weight after he took the job lol.

The tour lasted 1.5 hours and while I could have explored Changdeokgung more, I was really hungry and besides, I have had my fill of palaces already. I took the other exit (Donhwamun), turned right and walked straight until I reached Anguk Station. Outside the station, I found a small restaurant where I had a bibimbap for KRW5,000. Great way to finish a tiring morning!

Seriously, I cannot emphasize how much I love Korean food. I love balanced meals (one with meat, vegetables, and starch) and Korean food is exactly that. I love kimchi. I love spicy food. Darn it, now I'm hungry.

Changgyeonggung in Seoul, South Korea

On my second day in Seoul, I woke up early and took the subway to Hyehwa Station.

With the help of the station map, I walked from the subway station towards Changgyeonggung (Palace). It was quite a long walk but it was manageable. 

I paid the KRW1,000 admission fee and then just immersed myself in the palace environment.

I really enjoyed my time in Changgyeonggung because there are many buildings to explore and there are very few people around. (I dunno if it was because it's still pretty early or because Changgyeonggung is not as famous as the other palaces like Gyeongbukgung.) To be honest, it was my favorite palace among the three I visited. (The other two were Changdeokgung and Gyeongbukgung.)

My favorite spot in the palace is this building shown below. It would have been a really great spot to read and chill because it's quiet. Plus, I love wooden floors! Also, no shoes allowed inside so it's alright to sit or even roll around lol.

After a couple hours of walking and taking photos with the tripod, I went to the back of the palace where I discovered that there's an entrance gate for Changdeokgung (another palace which happened to be my next destination). Pretty convenient, no? I will write about Changdeokgung next!