Seoul from the middle ages to the space age

On August 15, Gwanghwamun Square was the site of a political rally estimated to have included 20,000 participants or more. Discussing all the politics connected to that event would take a separate post, so suffice it to say it was a very controversial gathering, particularly in the context of coronavirus concerns. Any gathering of over 100 people currently is banned in Seoul and the surrounding areas, so the city seems to have been very unhappy about the rally. By Monday – August 17 – Gwanghwamun was back to being deserted, and all we saw were some of the remnants of Saturday’s political action.

We walked through the (extremely large) square and looked at some of the statues of historic figures on our way to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest of Seoul’s 5 historic palaces. It was once the center of government in Seoul and housed the royal family and court. Originally built in 1395 during the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung was destroyed by fire in the 16^th century and then rebuilt late in the 19^th century. Its extensive grounds are now a museum, and there are plans for further restoration. Once again, we were able to see the changing of the royal guard here, an intricate and beautiful ceremony. The grounds were dauntingly large, but we enjoyed wandering through the maze of buildings and looking at the bright colors of the restored woodwork.

Exiting Gyeongbokgung through the east gate, we walked quickly through the grounds of the National Folk Museum (it was closed) and into Bukchon Hanok Village. The village is a historic neighborhood of Seoul, featuring about 900 preserved hanok, traditional Korean homes. Although some of the historic houses are still residences, many of them are now shops, restaurants, and cafes. All of the guidebooks warn to beware of the crowds here, as evidently in “normal times” tour buses routinely drop off huge groups to wander the narrow streets and take in the shopping opportunities. Was it crowded on Monday? Umm… no. In keeping with the theme of the weekend, we had all the major tourist sites to ourselves.

Although it is a weird feeling to be in a big tourist attraction alone, it was really enjoyable to be on our own in Bukchon. I can imagine it is hard to get the sense of a traditional, historic neighborhood when you are surrounded by throngs of other tourists. (Think Colonial Williamsburg!) Because we were able to wind through quiet streets, where many shops and galleries were closed, it felt much more like we were visiting someone’s home.

We did get to see the inside of a hanok at the Go Hui-dong House, the former home of an artist that has now been converted into a small museum. Go Hui-dong is known as the first Korean Western-style painter. His home was slated for demolition a few years ago but was saved by neighbors who had the house designated as a national cultural heritage site.

For our heat-avoiding “rest stop” of the afternoon, we stopped in a café and ended up ordering a very large dessert. We had no idea what it was, but the picture had red beans, which I love, so we ordered it. When it arrived, we couldn’t help but laugh and be grateful we had ordered only one. The snack of shaved ice, vanilla ice cream, sweet red beans, mochi, and nuts came in what looked to us like a punch bowl! After asking some questions, we now know that we were eating patbingsu (팥빙수), a traditional Korean summer dessert. It certainly hit the spot of being cool and hydrating, and it kept us going for another few hours of walking!

Our last stops of the day exemplify Seoul’s constant theme of ‘old meets new.’ Heunginjimun Gate (aka, Dongdaemun Gate), designated as treasure no. 1 by the Korean government, is one of 8 historic city gates that originally were part of Seoul’s city wall. Today it sits in the middle of a traffic circle, which reminded us a little of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. From Seonggkwak Park across the street, we could look down over the gate and also climb a small part of the old city wall. The panoramic view of Seoul and Namsan from the wall gives a sense of the tremendous scope of this city.

Just up the street from this small piece of history, we visited the ultra-contemporary Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), which sits in the middle of Dongdaemun Market. The DDP was completed in 2014 as the centerpiece for Seoul’s fashion and design district. It is essentially a park that includes shops, galleries, and even a museum. In the center is an open-air plaza with tables and chairs that are available for a quick sit-down or a picnic. You really can’t miss it, as it looks to me like a spaceship – albeit a lovely one – has landed in the middle of Seoul. The scope of it is hard to take in, but it is an amazing piece of artwork in the center of a district that includes traditional markets alongside countless shops and 26 shopping malls!

We realized only later that South Korean President Moon Jae-in had given his Liberation Day speech, commemorating the 75th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule, at the DDP on August 15. “What matters the most is reducing gaps and inequality,” Moon said. “Only when everyone is living well can we say that genuine liberation has been achieved.”

If you want to see larger versions of the blog photos, visit Peter’s Flickr album. In an upcoming post, we will include nighttime photos of the DDP and Heunginjimun Gate, a sight to see!