We had missed the celebrations of the national day of the Republic of China, failing to see the fireworks display and troop marches in Taiwan. Nevertheless, to compensate for this loss, we had made 10 October a vey packed day for ourselves. Early in the morning we headed for the Unhyeongung, which was one of the shooting sites for the popular Korean drama serial Gung(Princess Hours). The palace is modest, but we had enjoyed the serenity. We were literally the only visitors there at such early timing!
Next we walked to nearby Insadong, which comprises shops selling traditional Korean artpieces such as calligraphy works, fans, paintings, stamps and souvenirs. Hangual drawings and writings can be found everywhere, and an aura of culture transpires there.
We had passed by Myeong-dong on the previous day, but it was only today that we made efforts to explore the place in proper and comb for good bargains. Myeong-dong is Korea's version of the Shibuya of Japan. It has been said that every trend in Korea starts from Myeong-dong, and indeed the shops cater mainly to the taste of punks and youngsters. They offer streetwear and funky clothes, as well as mid-range products by popular Korean brands. Personally, I like the layout of the shooping district, because I can never experience this back in Singapore. Very bustling yet orderly, and with a tinge of Korean pop culture.
With little time to waste (Francoise had bought more clothes!), we rushed down to the Namsam Park and Seoul Tower to clinch good viewing spots for the impending sunset. We took a cable car up Namsam Park, which stands at some elevation from Seoul City. We had our taste of the beautiful Korean fauna and flora, and experienced the rustic landscape offered by the mountainous country. Namsam Park has a small zoo, botanical gardens, streams, and nature reserves and trails. Beautiful.
We bought tickets and went up to Seoul Tower, which is reportedly the third tallest tower (not building) in the world. The night view was spectacular! Awesome! Even the washrooms had been nice too! You can catch night views at the cubicles too!
The night had been eventful, as we finished dinner and proceeded down to the banks of Hanyang River in the central business district of Seoul. HanyangRiver is a river (Korea's longest?) that runs through Seoul, and is instrumental to the construction of so many palaces on its outskirts. Generally, palaces all over the world have mountains at their rear gates and are located near rivers that serve as both sources of freshwater supplies and moats for defence. Anyway, Seoul's city dwellers love the river banks, and we had enjoyed our stroll there.
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