Francoise and I had a very packed day. First we went to the grandest and largest palace of Korea, the Gyeongbokgung. With a possibility of 1 out of 365, we actually visited this palace on the proclamation day of the Korean alphabet, the hangual, and was admitted onto the grounds free! What a pleasant surprise to light up a Monday morning!
Gyeongbokgung was the main and largest palace of the Joseon Dynasty and one of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The palace was constructed on the orders of the Joseon founder, King Taejo. Standing on 410,000 square meters of land, it was a symbol of majesty for the Korean people and the home of the royal family. It is to the Koreans in the same way as the Forbidden City is to the Chinese.
The main building where the King received his ministers and discussed court matters together:
The palace theatre (located at the centre of a pond of picturesque surroundings and linked by Oriental-styled bridges) that held stage performances to entertain the royalty and nobility:
Some of the living quarters of members of the royal family, libraries and function halls:
The Folk Museum of Korea (looks like a pagoda) is also located in the palace premises:
The grand finale of our tour in the palace had to be the reenactment of the ancient ceremony that commemorated the proclamation of hangual as the official script of Korea. A grand parade of "guards" and "ministers" was showcased here:
Indeed, a splendid display of ancient robes and traditional costumes!
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