쉿~ 서울사람은 잘 모르는 경복궁 한복골목~경복궁~남산야경까지 한번에 돌아보기 | A hidden spot even Seoul locals don’t know Alley
A Seoul country bumpkin is going on a trip to Seoul. Starting from Yangjae Station, heading to Gwanghwamun and Namsan, I’m starting my weekend trip to Seoul today. Nice to meet you~ Take the elevator on the left side of Exit 4 of Yangjae Station and go down to the subway station. During the Joseon Dynasty, this area was called “Maljukgeori” (that statue is “horse”). It was a neighborhood where people raised horses for transfer and made horse porridge under the post station system. If you carry multiple credit cards, you’ll get a recognition error… If you enter the entrance and take the stairs on the left, you’ll be in the direction of the old city center. These days, large screen advertisements are often displayed even inside the station. I’m going from Yangjae Station to Gyeongbokgung Station. If you come out of Exit 5 of Gyeongbokgung Station, you can go straight to the National Palace Museum of Korea, but I wanted to have lunch nearby and look around, so I took the elevator you see near Exit 4. If you go through the small door in the wall across the street, you can go to the National Palace Museum or Gyeongbokgung Palace . If you prefer to enter through the large gate , you can just enter through “Gwanghwamun.” Starting from the bottom of Gwanghwamun, Walking along the stone wall road also has its charm. You can see the “Seoul tram” waiting at the traffic light on the left side of the crosswalk. It runs around the palace for sightseeing , but it seems like people are pedaling it for fun. It’s lunchtime, so let’s look for a nearby restaurant or food alley. Just 50 meters from the crosswalk, there is a food alley called “Jeokseongol” = food culture street. I can already see many foreigners wearing hanbok. I wondered where everyone got their hanbok, but specialized rental shops like this one are doing well. Although it’s called a food alley, it’s actually like a hanbok alley. Almost all the shops rent out hanbok. It seems like all the beauties wear hanbok^^ You can also see restaurant signs… So, before exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace in this alley , let’s take care of everything we need to eat and wear. I can hear the travelers’ laughter filled with anticipation in the alley. Today, in Gyeongbokgung Palace, everyone is a king, a warrior, a princess, and even a grim reaper. They’re all dressed up and have their swords ready, so let’s go eat. There must have been many printing shops in this alley in the past. I’m also looking for a place to eat. The old-looking signs It shows history. It’s drizzling, so even the mannequins are carrying umbrellas . Hanbok rental shops don’t just rent clothes; they also seem to be doing hair. They might even rent wigs, right? I peeked inside the store and it looks like they decorate with hairpins or something. If you wear a hanbok, the palace entrance fee is free. There’s also an old-looking grilled fish restaurant in the alley. After looking around, I got a little hungry. Today’s lunch is Naju gomtang with dumplings, “mandu gomtang.” After lunch, we go explore Gyeongbokgung Palace. Kimchi, kkakdugi MZ style, spoons and chopsticks set on napkins. There are quite a few customers in the restaurant. There are more foreigners than Koreans. “Nakji galbitang” looks delicious too… The meal is served. I ate and now I’m going to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Bye~ Hanbok girls… Thank goodness it’s not a smoking ban. National Palace Museum The intersection in front of here is the site of “Seosipjagak.” Dongsipjagak remains, but Seosipjagak is gone. This is the Central Government Complex building. The charm of the stone wall road is felt as a tranquility. Now, we’re entering “Gyeongbokgung Palace.” The rain just stopped, so there are puddles here and there. This is the “National Palace Museum.” This is “Gyeongbokgung Palace.” If you turn the corner slightly, you will see “Gwanghwamun.” This is the National Palace Museum building. During the Joseon Dynasty, there were palace buildings here , but now they are all gone, and only 25 percent remain. At 2 p.m., the Changing of the Royal Guard Parade is held daily (the palace is closed every Tuesday). Currently, if you enter the gate you see over there, you will see the palace buildings in full swing . The National Palace Museum now stands on the site of the old building. This is the view from Geunjeongjeon Hall after watching the Changing of the Royal Guard Ceremony. This is the most visited place by foreigners visiting Korea. Many tourists gather in front of the main hall to see Geunjeongjeon Hall. The uneven stones on the floor are called “seomdol.” They reflect light and prevent glare. This is where many official events such as banquets for foreign envoys and regular assembly were held during the Joseon Dynasty . The small stone pillars lined up in a row are called “pumgyeseok,” and officials would sit next to them according to their official rank. Through the gate outside over there. Visitors are coming in. These days, with the global hit of the “K-pop Demon Hunters” movie, many tourists are visiting the locations in the movie as if on a pilgrimage. This place is also paved with “seomdol.” Since it is a rare stone that has been hard to obtain since ancient times, it was only used in front of very important buildings. Let’s take a peek inside Geunjeongjeon . “Geunjeongjeon” is the king’s official office. It is a symbolic space of national power in a dynastic state. Behind the king’s chair, you can see the “Ilwolobongdo” . “Ilwolobongdo” represents the sun, the moon, and five mountains. They symbolize Samgaksan Mountain, Geumgangsan Mountain, Myohyangsan Mountain, Jirisan Mountain, and Baekdusan Mountain respectively. “Ilwolobongdo” symbolizes royal authority and the territory of Joseon ruled by the king. “Geunjeongjeon” looks like a two-story building from the outside, but it’s actually a single-story building from the inside . The interior is a space that combines the first and second floors, so the ceiling is very high. Enjoy the splendor of the “dancheong” patterns on the ceiling and the exterior of the building. We’ll see more of the buildings other than Geunjeongjeon in another video. The sculptures on the eaves of the roof of Geunjeongjeon are said to be “Sa Tripitaka” and his entourage. The one on the far right is “Sa Tripitaka”, and the one to his left looks like the monkey “Son-Oh-Gong”. The last one looks like a dragon’s head . Aren’t they all symbols that protect the palace? It’s cool to see Samjang and his entourage on the roof , embarking on a journey to the West. I’ll organize the rest of my tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace in another video . And after a while, we came back to eat again. We came out of Gwanghwamun and walked to the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and came to eat kimbap. Both the ramen and kimbap are delicious (Cheongdam-dong Witch Kimbap Gwanghwamun branch). The ramen is chewy and the kimbap has a rustling taste. It’s a great restaurant ^^ . It’s cool because it’s made of glass on three sides, and it’s also great for taking in the view of the Sejong-daero intersection. Now, let’s take a bus up to Namsan to see the night view of Seoul. It seems the sun is starting to set slightly. After taking a regular bus to the entrance of Dongguk University, transfer to bus 01A or 01B and go up Namsan. I can see “Dongdaemun” through the left window. This is the “Peace Market” and “Dongdaemun Design Plaza” buildings. This is the “Dongik University Entrance” subway station . I can see the “Jangchung Gymnasium” building. Many famous boxing matches used to be held there. These days, it seems to host volleyball matches and celebrity performances. This is the “Supyo Bridge” stone bridge in Jangchungdan Park. It was originally located in Cheonggyecheon 2-ga, but it was moved here in 1959 during the Cheonggyecheon restoration project. I heard that “Kim Du-han” lived as a beggar under Supyogyo Bridge. It must have been under that bridge (it was Cheonggyecheon, not here). They say there was a “subyo” under Supyogyo Bridge to measure the depth of the water, so you might want to look for it. Now, let’s take a bus and go up Namsan Mountain. It would have taken 30-40 minutes to walk up, but it goes up in no time if you take the bus. It seems that many people go up at this time to enjoy the sunset and the night view of Seoul. A bus running through the forest towards the peak of Namsan… It’s amazing. And….. Finally~~~ This is a wonderful night view of Seoul that will make your eyes pop. These days, with the “Kedeheon” craze, a popular restaurant with night views in Seoul, more and more foreigners are visiting this place . Then, take the 01A or 01B bus and get off in front of Namsan Library. There is also Namsan Library and the “Dasan Jeong Yak-yong” statue. I transfer to another bus here. There are no tourist attractions in Seoul just by taking the bus. I am now going home while enjoying the night view of Seoul outside the window. I am tired after walking around here and there all day^^ Have a fun trip to Seoul~~ Bye~ See you next time~~~
#Kpop #seoul #namsantower #Gwanghwamun #nightview
