Palaces of Seoul

Seoul is usually known for its urban sprawl, skyscrapers, and neon lights. However, there are numerous historical treasures spread throughout the second most populated city in the world. Seoul was founded in 18 B.C. and has developed a storied history over the past 2,000+ years. It was the capital of Korea even during the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. The city is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Changdeokgung, one of Seoul’s “Five Grand Palaces."

The “Grand Palaces” were built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty who ruled the peninsula for nearly five centuries. Unfortunately, many of palaces were damaged and destroyed by the Japanese during their invasion of Korea. Yet, some of the original structures still stand today and many portions have been restored to their former glory. The palaces are a beautiful cultural experience and easily accessible by the Seoul Metro. Most are within walking distance from one another.

Changdeokgung

Changgyeonggung

My favorites are Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung because of their peaceful gardens and city backdrop. Both palaces are directly next to each other. 

Seoraksan National Park

A couple weeks ago, Blair and I ventured the 6 hour bus ride from Daegu to Sokcho for some fall foliage. Sokcho is a city located on the northeastern coast of Korea, not far from the North Korean border.  The city is known as a gateway to nearby Seoraksan National Park, where we spent most of our weekend.

Seoraksan is one of Korea’s most popular national parks and is listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is known for its stunning natural beauty, rare flora and fauna, and Buddhist temples. From the park’s main entrance there are many trails, with some peaks measuring over 1,200 meters above sea level, as well as access to a cable car.  We decided to hike the Biryong Falls and Ulsanbawi courses.

The Biryong Falls course is a short hike from the main entrance. “Biryong” literally means a flying dragon. It is believed that “long ago, the villagers suffered from a dire drought. The villagers found that a dragon had stopped the flow of the stream from the fall. They offered a maid as a sacrifice and the dragon disappeared into the sky, thus letting the stream flow once again."

The Biryong Falls Course.

The Ulsanbawi course is a longer hike and known as one of the park’s more difficult hikes. The top is 876m high, where you can enjoy panoramic views of Daecheongbong (the highest peak), Sokcho, and the East Sea. According to legend, Ulsanbawi comes from the city of Ulsan in southeastern Korea. It is said that on its way to the making of Kumgangsan, the rock fell in love with Seorak and decided to stay there for good.

The Ulsanbawi Course.

Seoraksan is a beautiful national park, the fall foliage made it even more enjoyable. The park has amazing scenery and plenty of great hiking opportunities.

The view of the East Sea in Sokcho.

Busan Jagalchi Festival

Another festival we went to was the Busan Jagalchi Festival. Jagalchi is Korea's largest seafood market. Every October, the market hosts a large festival under the slogan, “Oiso! Boiso! Saiso! (“Come! See! Buy!”).  The festival has various events and hands-on activities, including a parade, live entertainment, barehanded fishing, and octopus relay races. 

The entrance of Jagalchi.

Squid Being unloaded from the boats.

Around the market.

Blair fishing for our dinner.

Our freshly caught fish being grilled. 

The Busan Jagalchi Festival was a fun day out. Fish markets are great way to experience Korean culture. I always have a lot of fun exploring them. 

Somaemuldo

After spending Friday night in Jinju for the Lantern Festival, we decided to head to Somaemuldo for the day.

Somaemuldo is an island off Korea’s southern coast in Hallyeo Haesang National Park. It takes about an hour to get there by boat from Tongyeong (a small port city on the southern coast). Tongyeong was only an hour bus ride from Jinju. Once we arrived, we headed to the port, explored a small fish market, and purchased our boat tickets.

The boat ride to Somaemuldo was beautiful as we passed many small islands. Somaemuldo itself was even more impressive. The island is small, has beautiful scenery, a small village, and a lighthouse that was built by the Japanese during their occupation of Korea.

We decided to take the longer trail toward the lighthouse, along the ocean. The views from the trail were amazing. The lighthouse is actually on a separate, smaller island. You can only walk to the smaller island twice a day, during low tide (when the path isn't covered with water).

The island reminded me a lot of Hongdo, but it definitely had its own character and appeal, both deserve a visit.

The boat ride to Somaemuldo.

Around Somaemuldo.

The sunset during the boat ride back to Tongyeong. 

Jinju Lantern Festival

The past two weekends, Blair and I also went to the Jinju Namgang Yudeung (Lantern) Festival. The festival originated during the Japanese invasion of Korea. As a military strategy, Korean soldiers placed many lanterns on the Namgang River to prevent Japanese troops from wading across it. It has since become an annual tradition, and one of the largest lantern festivals in Korea. 

It was truly an amazing festival, my favorite so far.