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 SEOUL
Seoul is both the
capital and the heart of the Republic
of Korea, containing about 10.3
million of the nation's 46.8 million
people.
It is the financial, political,
commercial, recreational, educational
and cultural center of Korea,
home to major corporations, banks,
government offices, leading schools
and universities, theaters and
entertainment facilities. There
is a rich and satisfying variety
of things to see and do for residents
and visitors alike.
Seoul was a seat of government
in the Baekje Kingdom, more than
1,500 years ago, but the city's
true genesis occurred in 1394,
when it became the capital of
the new Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
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| Downtown
Seoul >>The Cultural Side |
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Deoksugung
Palace is adjacent to City Hall.
This palace complex is filled
with commanding structures: Daehanmun,
the main gate Junghwajeon, the
throne room or audience hall and
Seokjojeon, the first Renaissance-style
building in Korea, which now houses
the Royal Museum's exhibition
of items used by the royal court.
The palace and grounds are open
to the public year-round.
:: Location
: Across from City Hall and within
walking distance of deluxe hotels
in downtown Seoul
:: Transportation
: Subway Line 1 or 2 to City Hall
Station |
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The
40 acre Gyeogbokgung Palace was
built in 1394, the third year
of the Joseon Dynasty. Gunjeongjeon,
the largest and most impressive
building in the palace, served
as the throne room and audience
hall. Gyeohoeru, a spacious two
story pavilion, overlooks a picturesque
man-made pond just northwest of
the throne hall.
It served as the feasting hall
for gatherings of royal ministers
and diplomats. Hyangwonjeong,
a secluded pavilion nestled in
the middle of a lotus pond at
the northern end of the palace
complex, is where the royal family
could enjoy special private occasions.
:: Location
: Behind Gyeogbokgung Gate and
within walking distance of City
Hall and Insa-dong
:: Transportation
: Subway Line 3 to Gyeogbokgung
Station |
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The
former National Museum building,
originally built as the headquarters
of the Japanese headquarters of
the Japanese occupation forces,
was demolished in 1996, and the
contents were moved to a temporary
National Museum. Although smaller
than the former one, it exhibits
4,500 artifacts representing over
5,000 years of human endeavors
on the Korea Peninsula. The new
National Museum will be built
in Yongsan Family Park in 2003.
(www.museum.go.kr)
:: Location
: In Gyeogbokgung Palace
:: Transportation
: Subway Line 3 to Gyeogbokgung
Station |
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The
National Folk Museum is in the
Gyeogbokgung complex. It is located
next to the palace and shows the
religious rituals, housing, household
tools and implements, food, and
social dynamics of traditional
Korean life.
:: Location
: In Gyeogbokgung Palace
:: Transportation
: Subway Line 3 to Gyeogbokgung
Station |
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Changdeokgung
Palace, just east of Gyeogbokgung
Palace, is also a popular tourist
destination. It is best know for
its beautiful back garden, Howon,
78 acres of gardens superbly landscaped
with pavilions, ponds and wooded
areas. Daily guided tours of the
garden are available in English,
Japanese and Korean.
:: Location
: Adjacent to Changgyeonggung
Palace |
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Changgyeonggung
Palace is adjacent to Changdeokgung
Palace, and is another well-preserved
royal complex with magnificent
gates and elaborate bridges, evoking
visions of an earlier era.
:: Location
: Adjacent to Changdeokgung Palace
and across from the Seoul National
University Hospital
:: Transportation
: Subway Line 1 to Jongno 3-ga
or Jongno 5-ga Station |
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Jogyesa
Temple is one of the largest Bubbhist
temples within the city limits
and is the headquarters of the
Jogyejong Sect. It is famous for
its Lantern Festival held every
spring to commemorate Buddha's
birthday.
:: Location
: Just west of Insa-dong
:: Transportation
: Subway Line 1 to Jonggak Station
or Line 3 to Anguk Station |
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Jongmyo,
located just across Yulgongno
Street from Changgyeonggung Palace,
is a heavily wooded garden with
buildings containing the royal
ancestral tablets of the Joseon
Dynasty. In 1995, Jongmyo Shrine
was added to UNESCO's World Heritage
List.
On the first Sunday in May, the
courtyards and shrines of Jongmyo
are opened to the public for an
annual Confucian ceremonial rite,
one of the most interesting ceremonies
in Korea.
:: Location
: Across from the Seun Arcade,
between Jongno 3-ga and Jongno
4-ga
:: Transportation
: Subway Line 1 to Jongno 3-ga
or Jongno 5-ga Station |
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