Tag Archives: Gyeongbokgung

Field Report: Heungbokjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 January 2020)

The architecture may be traditional and the atmosphere timeless, but the age of most buildings within the walls of Gyeongbokgung can be accounted for in years or decades – not centuries. Excepting a few original structures, this sprawling royal palace in the heart of Seoul is essentially a collection of 20th- and 21st-century replicas. ThatContinue reading “Field Report: Heungbokjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 January 2020)”

Field Report: Reconstruction of Heungbokjeon at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (15 February 2018)

I’ve been to Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung so many times, I can’t even say off-hand how many times I’ve gone there. And one of the things that keep drawing me back to this vast Joseon-era complex is the ongoing, almost mind-bogglingly colossal effort to rebuild the many palace structures destroyed in the early 20th century – aContinue reading “Field Report: Reconstruction of Heungbokjeon at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (15 February 2018)”

Food Report: Joseon Royal Refreshments at the Saenggwabang of Gyeongbokgung Palace (Seoul, South Korea)

Not being much of a gourmet, I’m usually content to live off convenience stores or vending machines whenever I holiday in Korea. That said, I’m not averse to sampling more refined delicacies every once in a while – and on a cold winter’s day this past January, I allowed myself a taste of the refreshmentsContinue reading “Food Report: Joseon Royal Refreshments at the Saenggwabang of Gyeongbokgung Palace (Seoul, South Korea)”

Field Report: Meeting an old friend at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 January 2017)

I was feeling quite knackered after my red-eye flight from Manila to Seoul. That said, with the sun high in the sky and the ambient temperature hovering somewhere below freezing (mmm, delicious), I decided that conditions were perfect for a quick visit to an old friend. As one might expect of an anti-social chap likeContinue reading “Field Report: Meeting an old friend at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 January 2017)”

Field Report: Cheongwadae Sarangchae and Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (29 September 2015)

If things had turned out a little differently, and Korea were still a monarchy (albeit a constitutional one) in our own day and age, the king and the president would have ended up as next-door neighbours. Whether they’d have been the sort of neighbours to share a pint and swap power tools – or tradeContinue reading “Field Report: Cheongwadae Sarangchae and Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (29 September 2015)”

Field Report: Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 September 2015)

As the largest of Seoul’s five royal palaces, it’s no wonder that Gyeongbokgung was once equipped with kitchens that could feed an army. Newly restored a century after its destruction, this former nerve centre of Joseon court cuisine invites visitors to imagine what it must have been like – and how difficult it must haveContinue reading “Field Report: Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 September 2015)”

Field Report: Seoul (12 October 2013) – Part 1/2

I don’t normally go on guided tours as I prefer to plot out my own course and travel at my own pace. However, the mums in our party were keen on seeing as many sights as possible with a minimum of time – and a minimum of fuss – so we booked ourselves a privateContinue reading “Field Report: Seoul (12 October 2013) – Part 1/2”