Proudly Recommendable Seoul Best 7 Destination to Foreign Friends - Information

When we receive question from foreigners about best destination in Seoul, we used to face somewhat embarrassing position since we have normally not think this point in our mind. I have experienced such awkward situation onetime when I got friend’s proposal taking a look around best destination in Seoul together. I have normally and seriously thought this issue and just simply pass away such issue since that is no sweat and simple. But I found it was not so easy and simple as I thought before. Therefore I have checked and reviewed the best seven destinations in Seoul which we could cover daily tour and selected following seven best destinations in reference to my friends working or experiencing at relevant tour field as below.

1.      Secret Garden Behind Changdeokgung Palace and Changkyeonggung Palace

If you get a proposal foreigners like to take a look around royal palaces, you may suggest Secret Garden Behind Changdeokgung Palace and Changkyeonggung Palace since these palaces may not be known to foreigners as Kyeongbokgung Palace but quite and beautiful palace garden. When Kyeongbokgung Palace was destroyed by Japanese invasion, this Changdeokgung Palace had been playing a role of alternative main palace for 258 years which most kings at Joseon Dynasty was loving as priority palace. Kyeongbokgung has been presently under recovery process works but Changdeokgung and its relevant halls comparably keeping its original structure and shape which we could easily figure King’s life at Joseon Dynasty.

Secret garden behand Changdeokgung is one of the best place along with Buyeonggi Pond which is spreading at 462,000 m2. This secret garden was only limited area where only King and his relatives could enter which they alternatively call banded area. Tourist should get approval for entering to the secret garden prior to their visit for preservation of valuable historical secret garden. If you apply entrance permission to the garden through guided tour, you could take a chance to looking around this secret garden along with official guide. One guide said “This secret garden is unique one principally different from western style garden which they are utilizing existing forest and mountains as it is. That is why many foreigners are loved to look around the Secret garden”. Guided tour has been organized in four different languages, English, Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. They told More than 100 English tour guide used to take a part at English tour program sometimes at peak season

l  Tip 1: If you visit to the garden at season for night program, you could try to apply entrance permission which is normally bloody and tough competition. But foreigners could buy the ticket without permission process and enter into the garden at night times without permission up to daily 500

l  Tip 2: If foreigners like to try to wear Korean dress, they could rent Korean dress near to Changdeokgung main gate or Changkyeonggung main gate which they could take an opportunity they could enter free without ticket purchasing due to Korean dress wearing. Palace. Rental fee of Korean dress is normally KRW10,000 per pair and hour.    . 만약

l  Open Hours : June to August 09:00 ~ 18:30 hours. Every Monday is off. . .

l  Entrance Fee : KRW 3,000 per head for adult. Special tour to secret garden is extra KRW 5,000 per head.

l  Tour Language to Changdeokgung Palace: Korean, English (Daily 2 times), Japanese (Daily 1 times) and Chinese (Daily 1 times),

l  Additional Special Tour to Secret Garden: English (Daily 3~4 times), Japanese (Daily 1 times) and Chinese (Daily 1 times),

2.       Bukcheon Korea House Village

Bukcheon Korea House Village is pretty and charming which is completely different form palaces style. We took a look King’s living and life at Palaces Tour. We then took a chance to look high level’s life and living at Joseon Dynasty like noble people. When you walk at small transitional path lined up with traditional Korea houses, you could face traditional tea shop and café and restaurant. You could enjoy nice traditional Korean tea and look down neat view of Korea house village which you might feel you become noble people at Joseon Dynasty

3.      Hongdae – Yeonnam Dong

Some foreigners learning Korean at Yeonsei University for several month  said “We may call Itaewon is foreigner’s area while this Yeonnam Dong is Korean style as well as foreign style. We do not feel any inconvenience at Yeonnam Dong culture”

She recommends playground in front of Hongdae University should be the best place which everybody could take a cup of draught bear and enjoy unknown musician performance at the playground and fully immersed to Hongdae mood. If foreigners like to take shopping, you could guide them to shopping road from Hongdae Station to Sangsang Maeul (Imagine Village). It is also recommended you could take them to walk to Yeonnam Dong village where many foreigners comes to know through mouth to mouth as see at the photo attached.

4.      Seongsan Daekyeo Bridge – one of Han River Bridge and Han River Park

We said sometimes width of worldwide well known to the people like River Thames in London or River Seine in Paris are much smaller than that at Han River in Seoul. not wider Han River in Seoul. Some foreigners visiting to see Han River said Han River is not river but sea because it is much wider. Therefore It should be a good location we could take foreign visitors to wonderful and fantastic Han River night scenery. We aggressively suggest you may take them to Han River Park where they could see not only awesome night view of Han River but also gorgeous longer bridge at the Han River. There are 28 bridges at the Han River. We call Seongsan Daekyeo Bridge is the best night view which is related with unique design of bridge column and used to appear at several TV drama or movie. You could see beautiful night view of Seoul at the Han River park regardless what time because they are lighting always all days. If you take a cup of bear with chicken, calling as Chimaek and looking around fantastic night secenery, it should be a unforgettable memory to foreign visitors.     

Tip: Banpo Daekyeo Bridge is also reputedly known to foreigners as nice spot where they could see peculiars picture of falling down water with colorful light from the bridge, calling as Moon Light and Rainbow Spring Show.  

5.      K Star Road at Cheongdam Dong 

There are many bear monument imaging top star idol group at Cheongdam Dong K Star Road from Apgujeong Dong to Cheongdam Dong and JYP head office adjacent to this road which is under plan moving to New Head Office at Seongnae Dong soon. One coffee shop just crossing over JYP Head Office is known to JYP foreign fans as their Mecca. There is SMT Restaurant at this road which is running by SM entertainment company, IDOL Group. .

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Most People was concerning that K Star Road was made suddenly and shortly which would be sloppy works and arrangement. But most idol fans were unexpectedly pleased and easily satisfied to the fact they visited the K Star Road where popular idol group walked and visited at TV drama or movie.

Two German hot fans to Nichkhun, member of 2pm at JYP said “ We are really hot fans to Nichkhun and come over Korea first time for Nichkhun’s Birthday. We used directly to arrange K Pop event in Germany sometimes. We are quite satisfied to take an opportunity to take meals at the Street Restaurant running by JYP and get a chance to touch idol hand bronze print. We have been a good experience to do that”

Tip : Please note SM Town, SM Goods Shopping Mole is at KOEX Mall at Samsung Dong. If you have any foreign visitors hot fan to SM, you may recommend visiting to this shopping mole.

6.      Myeong Dong

Myeong Dong, optimally arranging for shopping is worthwhile to visit with foreigners because most foreign visitors satisfying to so active Korean movement as they sometimes lost their original plan or schedule.

One Philippine Tourer said “I could enjoy buying Korean products with much lower price here in Myeong Dong than that at Philippine and additionally tax free. There are many reputed brand products close by so that I could easily take around all relevant shops at the same time and conveniently comparing”. Please note food price is normally higher than average price at other places because of land and shop rental price is highest in Korea. Foreign visitors could take a chance to see active shopping area.

7.      Yongsan War Memorial Hall

This War Memorial Hall is surprisingly the most popular to 20^th age foreign visitors. When you visit the Hall, you will see more foreign visitors than Korean visitors who came there with family and sometimes see foreign visitors coming alone without any body.

Foreigners quickly and deeply recall Korea means as divided country who mostly like to take a tour  to DMZ where they could easily find the separated country. If any foreigners lie to learn more about recent Korea History and Korean War History, we could confidently say this hall should right palce answering to their questions about recent and war history.  

It would take normally 1~2 hours for complete tour which would take 3 hours in case anybody like to more carefully look.

l  Open Hours:  09:00 ~ 18:00 hours. Every last Wednesday at month opening until 20:00 hours. Every Monday is off.

l  Entrance Fee : Free

Guide Language : Servicing with mobile guiding facilities in English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, French and Arabic. 

Changdeokgung Buyonggi, King Fishing pond

Changdeokgung Secret Garden

Donhwamun - Main Gate of Changdeokgung Palace

K Star Road at Cheongdam Dong 

Han River Park

Hongdae Yeonnam Dong Forest Road

JYP Head Office at K Star Road

K Star Road Idol Bear Monument

Fully Lined Up around JYP Head Office 

Night View at Myeong Dong Street 

Outdoor Exhibitions at Yongsan War Memorial Hall 

Seongsan Daekyeo Bridge at Han River

Seoul Bukcheon Haeinjeong

Seoul Bukcheon Village

SMT Restaurant at K Star Road

Yongsan War Memorial Hall

Yeonnam Dong Matgip Golmok- Restaurant and Food Street 

Five Major Royal Palaces in Seoul - Information

 We called Royal Palace in Joseon Dynasty as houses which King is presently living or which lived one time before he becomes the King or which the King stayed one time or more during his travel. But it is principally used to put the word of Royal Palace where King is not only presently living but also doing political activity. There are five major Royal Palaces in Seoul as Deoksugung Palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Chandeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace and Gyeonghuigung Palace. People has sometimes called these palaces as North Palace, Middle Palace or East Palace or West Palace referring to each location.     .

There are not many people know all these palaces were damaged or destroyed by Japanese in 93% during Japanese ruling times which means only 7 percent left over when Korea is independent from Japan. This is obvious evidence why and how Japanese treat Korea as such which should not forget and remind to every Korean. All destroyed and damaged palaces have been recently restored after independent in reference to historical records. There is clear reason why they destroyed or damaged because they do not like to see Korea keep spiritual energy to next generation, cultural erase. 

1.   Deoksugung Palace

      

This is one of the five palaces of Korea’s last dynasty, the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted for over 500 years from 1392 until 1910. The dynasty had two critical moments: one the end of the 16th century and the other at the end of the 19th century. Both of them were related to this palace and to Japanese invasion coincidentally.

In 1592, the Japanese army landed in Busan and marched to the capital, Seoul. Prior to their arrival, King Seonjo fled to Uiju, where he stayed for one and a half years. When he returned to Seoul, he had no place to stay because all of the palaces had been burned down during the war. So, he used this place, which was originally the residence of one of his relative’s families, as a temporary palace. Prince Gwanghaegun succeeded King Seonjo and then renamed this place “Hyeongungung Palace”. After he was overthrown by King Injo, it was not used for about 270 years.

After King Gojong returned from the refuge with Russian legation, he chose to reside in this palace. He renamed this palace “Gyeongungung Palace” and expanded it. He also proclaimed to the world the establishment of the Daehan Empire and raised his own status from king to that of an emperor. He remained at the palace even after he had been forced to hand over the throne to his son, Emperor Sunjong. The name of the palace was changed at this time to Deoksugung Palace, meaning the “Palace of virtuous longevity.” In 1910, the official Japanese colonization of the Daehan Empire was completed. In 1919, Gojong passed away. His sudden death was one of the causes of the March 1st Independence movement.

Under the colonial rule of Japan, the palace was converted into a public park by Japan. The scale of Deoksugung Palace was decreased to one-third its original size, and the number of buildings reduced to just one-tenth. Please see more details at http://www.deoksugung.go.kr:8081/

2.   Gyeongbokgung Palace

It was in 1395, three years after the Joseon Dynasty was founded by King Taejo (Yi Seong-gye), when the construction of the main royal Palace was completed after the capital of the newly founded dynasty moved from Gaeseong to Seoul (then known as Hanyang). The Palace was named Gyeongbokgung Palace, the "Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven." With Mount Bugaksan to its rear and Mount Namsan in the foreground, the site of Gyeongbokgung Palace was at the heart of Seoul and, indeed, deemed auspicious according to the traditional practice of geomancy.

In front of Gwanghwamun Gate, the main entrance to the Palace, ran Yukjo-geori (Street of Six Ministries, today's Sejongno), home to major government offices. Along the central axis upon which Gwanghwamun Gate stood was the nucleus of the Palace, including the throne hall, council hall and king's residence. The government ministry district and main buildings of Gyeongbokgung Palace formed the heart of the capital city of Seoul and represented the sovereignty of the Joseon Dynasty. After all the Palaces in the capital were razed by the Japanese during the Hideyoshi invasions of 1592-'98, Changdeokgung Palace, a secondary Palace, was rebuilt and served as the main Palace. Gyeongbokgung Palace was left derelict for the next 273 years. It was finally reconstructed in 1867 by the order of the Prince Regent. The Palace Prince Regent Heungseon reconstructed was markedly different from the original. Some 500 buildings were built on a site of over 40 hectares and constituted a small city. The architectural principles of ancient China were harmoniously incorporated into both the tradition and the appearance of the Joseon royal court. Gyeongbokgung Palace was largely torn down during the Japanese occupation. ninety three percent of the restored buildings were dismantled, Gwanghwamun Gate was dismantled and relocated to the east, and an enormous building housing the Japanese Government-General was constructed in front of the main sector of the Palace.

An effort to fully restore Gyeongbokgung Palace to its former glory has been ongoing since 1990. The Japanese Government-General building was finally removed, and Heungnyemun Gate was restored to its original state. The royal living quarters and the East Palace for the crown prince were also restored to their original state. Please see more details at http://www.royalpalace.go.kr:8080/html/eng_gbg/main/main.jsp

3.   Chandeokgung Palace

     Changdeokgung Palace was registered as UNESCO World heritage in 1997 and also known as Donggwol, the Eastern Palace, because of its location to the east of Gyeongbokgung Palace. For 270 years, the palace was home to the Joseon government and was also the favored residence of many Joseon Dynasty kings. This makes Changdeokgung Palace the longest-serving royal residential palace. Compared to other palaces, Changdeokgung Palace is well-preserved and still has many of its original features. A particular virtue of Changdeokgung Palace is the way its buildings blend into the surrounding landscape. The palace's rear garden, Huwon, is considered an excellent example of Korean garden design and is the only rear garden of any Korea Palace. In 1997, Changdeokgung Palace was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

      Visitors to Changdeokgung Palace might also like to see the nearby Changgyeonggung Palace as well as the recently restored Naeuiwon (Royal infirmary) at the entrance to Changdeokgung Palace. 

      Huwon: a garden of natural beauty is self-contained and occupies sixty percent of Changdeokgung. The palace buildings are situated on the ridge of Bugaksan (Mt.) and have very few artificial features in order to blend into their natural surroundings. In the center of Huwon is a large pond, Buyongji, along with Buyongjeong (Pavilion) and Juhapru (Pavilion). A cross-shaped roof and two supporting pillars rising from the pond make the design of Buyongjeong unique. It is said that King Jeongjo (the twenty-second king of the Joseon Dynasty) and his courtiers often enjoyed fishing here at Buyongjeong. In the past Juhapru housed a royal library and was a place where both king and courtiers studied and discussed politics. Eosumun (Gate), the entrance to Juhapru, has a symbolic meaning for kings and government officials because of its name which literally means “Fish cannot live without water” but is usually understood as “The ruler should always put his people first.” This is main entrance to the Changdeokgung palace. When it was first built, there was a white granite substructure, on the top of which a two-storied gate building was erected. This is a typical structure of the entrance to our palace that was transmitted from the Three Kingdoms period. Unfortunately, now, the substructure has disappeared; only the two-storied building remains. This is quite different from the structure of the Gwanghwamun, the main entrance to the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty, which was erected on the structure with three open arches on the ground.

     As one may observe, the Donhwamun is elegant but simple because it was built as an entrance to a separate palace of the Changdeokgung palace. The Donhwamun was set on fire by the Japanese invaders, but it was reconstructed as it had been by King Seonjo in 1607. It's the oldest entrance to remain in Seoul. Only the threshold of the entrance was reconstructed so that an automobile could pass through it easily. (Treasure No.383). Please see more details at http://eng.cdg.go.kr/main/main.htm.

            5.   Gyeonghuigung Palace

The Gyeonghuigung Palace was completed after an extended period of construction, during the 12th year of the reign of Gwanghaegun (1620). After the Japanese invasion in 1592, Changdeokgung Place was used as the residence of the king, while Gyeonghuigung Palace was used as a detached palace. The palaces were also named according to their geological location: Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung were called the East Palaces, while Gyeonghuigung was called the West Palace. During its heyday, Gyeonghuigung comprised more than 100 halls, most of which were burnt down in two separate conflagrations, one during the 29th year of the reign of King Sunjo (1829) and the other during the 20th year of the reign of King Gojong. The remaining halls also faced similar fates, as the Japanese colonialists demolished most of them to build schools to educate their children. After the national liberation in 1945, Seoul High School was built on the site, where it remained until 1978. In 1985, several buildings including Sungjeongjeon Hall were restored. Please see more details at http://eng.museum.seoul.kr/eng/index.do