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)”
Tag Archives: Joseon
Field Report: Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Jeonju, South Korea (25 January 2020)
Under the banner of Joseon, the House of Yi ruled Korea for more than five centuries from the royal capital of Hanseong (present-day Seoul). However, like most Korean families, they maintained a special connection to their ancestral hometown: the city of Jeonju in the southern region of Jeolla. As a mark of reverence for theContinue reading “Field Report: Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Jeonju, South Korea (25 January 2020)”
Field Report: Naganeupseong Folk Village, Suncheon, South Korea (24 January 2020)
In today’s post, we’ll visit a beautiful Joseon-era walled village west of central Suncheon, in the province of Jeollanam-do on Korea’s southern coast. Here, for centuries, a formidable ring of stone fortifications has maintained a silent, steady guard over a quiet town of rustic thatched-roof houses. Welcome to Naganeupseong.
Field Report: The Northwestern Walls of Namhansanseong Fortress, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (24 March 2019)
Despite the size and grandeur of their royal capital Hanseong – modern-day Seoul – the kings of Joseon were only too happy to sprinkle secondary “capitals” across the realm for special or emergency use. The fortified city of Hwaseong in Suwon is probably the best-developed example, with a full circuit of walls and a sprawlingContinue reading “Field Report: The Northwestern Walls of Namhansanseong Fortress, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (24 March 2019)”
Field Report: The Northwestern Walls of Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon, South Korea (18 February 2018)
On a chilly winter’s day this past February, I returned to Suwon in order to take care of some long-unfinished business: namely, completing my trek around the city’s massive Joseon-era fortress wall.
Field (and a bit of Rail) Report: Suwon Hwaseong Museum, South Korea (18 February 2018)
This report should have been focused on the museum in the title – but, as you’ll see further on, I was momentarily distracted by the transportation infrastructure I employed to reach it. What can I say: I’m a railway enthusiast through and through. But read on chaps, and I promise you that we’ll end upContinue reading “Field (and a bit of Rail) Report: Suwon Hwaseong Museum, South Korea (18 February 2018)”
Field Report: Hiking along the eastern walls of Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon, South Korea (28 January 2017)
Suwon (수원) is one of my favourite day trip destinations out of Seoul, mainly because of its breathtaking Joseon-era stone walls. And these walls really do take one’s breath away: not just because they look awesome, but because hiking all the way around them tends to leave unfit couch potatoes like me gasping for air.
Within striking distance 