After enjoying the sights and sounds of
Bukchon Hanok Village, Yue and I took a leisurely stroll down the streets of
Samcheongdong as we made our way to nearby
Gyeongbokgung Palace.
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Lost in Seoul? Ask these ladies for directions.
They'd be more than glad to help you! |
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| Quirky displays are a familiar sight at Samcheongdong. |
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| Polar Bear and Yue Bear. |
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| Jinsun Book Cafe. |
'Nearby' is actually an understatement because it took us about fifteen minutes or so before we reached
Sinmumun Gate, the north gate that's right across
Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) where the President of Korea resides. And mind you, we were walking in the dead of winter!
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| Daehan Minguk! |
Sinmumun Gate used to be closed to the public for a long time because of its proximity to Cheong Wa Dae, but it was finally made accessible in 2006, at the insistence of then president Roh Moo-hyun.
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| The pathway leading to Sinmumun Gate. |
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| Cheong Wa Dae. |
Yue was starting to get whiny from all that walking, but I just kept on telling him,
'We're almost there, just a few more steps'. Took us probably a thousand to get there. Haha!
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| Sinmumun Gate, finally! |
He heaved a sigh of relief after we reached the north gate, but his relief turned to worry after realizing how huge the palace grounds were.
The grandeur of Gyeongbokgung after the jump!
