Field Report: Seoul (11 February 2013) – Part 2/2

11Feb13 Seoul Changgyeonggung 017

With five sprawling royal residences scattered across their capital, a shortage of palaces was something the Joseon kings had no right to complain about.

In any case, their past extravagance is a boon for the tourists of today, who now have a rich buffet of historic structures to choose from and add to their itineraries.

Out of the five, I visited Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung earlier in this wintertime journey across Seoul. Time to add one more to the tally.

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Field Report: Seoul (11 February 2013) – Part 1/2

11Feb13 Seoul Jongmyo 023

The Kingdom of Joseon was a Confucian state, and its rulers considered ancestral veneration a high priority. It should come as no surprise that royal ancestors would be enshrined, and the prescribed rituals performed for them, in appropriately grand surroundings – like the ones I encountered on the third day of my trip to Seoul this past winter.

Continue reading “Field Report: Seoul (11 February 2013) – Part 1/2”

Field Report: Seoul (10 February 2013) – Part 4/4

10Feb13 Seoul Changdeokgung 052

Walking deeper into the garden, I was struck by the silence and the stillness of the snow-covered scenery all around me. We were right in the heart of Seoul, one of the world’s busiest cities, yet standing here I might as well have been hiking through a remote stretch of countryside far beyond the reach of the 21st century. No traffic noise, no heaving crowds: just the faint crunch of freshly-laid snow under my feet, the clear calm air of winter, and the woven arms of the innumerable trees, mercilessly shorn by the harsh season of any leaves that might break the progress of the warm sunlight filtering onto the cold skin of my face.

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Field Report: Seoul (10 February 2013) – Part 3/4

10Feb13 Seoul Changdeokgung 013

Gyeongbokgung was nice, very nice indeed – in a straight-laced, straight-lined, right-angled sort of way. The neatly planned succession of gateways and courtyards strung along rigidly laid axes makes for an impressive statement of power and order, consistent with the sort of ground plan one might encounter in other East Asian palace complexes (the Forbidden City in Beijing, for example).

Nonetheless, a strong case can be made for the rustic charm of a rambling layout, which was what I encountered in another of Seoul’s sprawling royal residences.

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Field Report: Seoul (10 February 2013) – Part 2/4

10Feb13 Seoul Gyeongbokgung 007

The charming brick-faced area around Myeongdong Cathedral may have had a strong European flavour, but my next stop featured some splendid examples of unmistakably Korean art and architecture.

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Field Report: Seoul (10 February 2013) – Part 1/4

10Feb13 Seoul Myeongdong Cathedral 001

Another day out in the freezing cold – but with bright sunshine and clear blue skies, conditions were just right for a relaxing journey through the historic centre of Seoul.

On today’s itinerary: Myeongdong Cathedral, Gyeongbokgung, and Changdeokgung.

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Field Report: Seoul (09 February 2013)

09Feb13 Seoul 007

Next week, Diego’s jetting off to South Korea for a family holiday. Now travelling with other people might not be his cup of tea, but when the chance for an excursion paid almost entirely out of parental pockets comes by, he’s not one to let the opportunity slip past.

As an appetiser for (and a nice seasonal counterpoint to) the autumn field reports that I’ll write after that forthcoming journey, I’ve decided to post a series of field reports documenting my solo trip to Seoul this past winter. It’s been months since that trip ended so these reports may contain less commentary than usual (a sad consequence of not having a memory card for a brain), but the photographs will no doubt speak far better than I ever can.

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Lounge + Flight Report: CX “The Pier” Business Class Lounge, HKG – & – HKG-MNL on CX 905

16Apr13 CX Pier Lounge HKG 001

Where Diego enters, sits, and leaves. (That’s the lounge part.)

And then enters, sits, and leaves. (That’s the flight part.)

Yep, that’s pretty much it.

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Lounge Report: JL “Sakura Lounge”, HND

16Apr13 JAL Sakura Lounge HND 001

Where Diego settles into a comfy seat, enjoys a great view, and gulps down a glass of one of his favourite beverages for the first time in more than four years.

(Yes, four long years. I’ll tell you the whole story shortly.)

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