Palaces of Seoul – Page 2 – Within striking distance

Field Report: Seoul City Hall and Deoksugung, Seoul, South Korea (12 December 2014)

On a cold but lovely Friday morning in Seoul, blessed with clear skies and bright winter sunshine, Diego sets off on a long stroll through the historic centre of the Korean capital.

Field Report: Unhyeongung, Seoul, South Korea (10 December 2014)

On a dim, chilly, overcast winter’s day in Seoul, Diego pokes around one of the Korean capital’s smallest royal residences.

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

After a delicious (if somewhat hurried) lunch, our merry band of travellers hopped back onto our waiting minibus for the next part of today’s Seoul city tour.

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”

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

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

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

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 reachContinue reading “Field Report: Seoul (10 February 2013) – Part 4/4”

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

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 ForbiddenContinue reading “Field Report: Seoul (10 February 2013) – Part 3/4”

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

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.