Changdeok Palace of the Joseon Dynasty

September 19, 2010

Such a nice day off! I have indulged, seen cultural sites, and spent time alone as well as making friends. I got a slow start, but it was worth sleeping until 9:30am – such a treat!

I visited the Changdeok Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and good karma was on my side because I thought the English tour started at 3:30, but it was 2:30 and I arrived just in time (teaches me to always double check Lonely Planet - lol). It has rained all day so the colors aren’t as vibrant in my pictures and I opted to save the royal gardens for another day since they’re a separate ticket. The admission to the palace is 3,000w (about $2.50!).

This palace was built by the Joseon Dynasty in the early 15^th century. The dynasty itself began in the late 14^th century – King Sejong, who I mentioned in an earlier post, was one of the early kings. This palace was meant to be a secondary one, but a Japanese invasion destroyed the main palace as well as this one in the late 16^th century. Changdeok was rebuilt and made the official royal residence for, I think, the remainder of the dynasty. Many of the buildings have burned at different stages, some by accident and others by revolt. The wood structures are lovely, but flammable. The last survivor of the dynasty died at 74 in 2005.

The Throne Hall is where kings’ coronations and other major ceremonies were called. The picture with the high throne is from this hall. The tour guide called the next building we visited the king’s “office,” which seemed a bit of an understatement. :) Unfortunately, none of the buildings were lit so it was difficult to see details. These were the only two buildings that had any furnishings. It sounded like most of the other furnishings were either looted by the Japanese who occupied Korea from 1910-1945 or sold by the last members of the dynasty who had little wealth for most of the 20^th century. A few of the last members of the royal family came back to the palace to reside in what had been a residence built for a concubine in 1847. The last family member that came back died in 1989 (the pics with white doors are from here). It is amazing to think it was so recent, in my mind the Joseon was ancient and in the past. But the past always has a way of reaching into the future. This story also reminded me of the last surviving member of the Ottoman royal family who was practically my neighbor on the Upper East Side - no I never met him :) - and he died just last year.

I took the picture of the faded blue Korean sign because it just seemed to fit the feel of the place. A place of lost glory and former opulence that is only subtly evident today.

The layout of the palace complex follows Feng Shui ideas, such as to enter the palace one crosses a little river because a river should be in the foreground and a mountain in the background. Crossing the river provides a nice feeling of entering a new and separate space.

As I walked I met a couple of nice local college students. One of them would like to get together next Sunday, which would be fun. I’m not sure if it was my winning personality that won her over or if she just wants to practice English. :) For all the places I’ve traveled I’ve found Korean women much more likely to strike up a conversation and want to spend time together than women in other countries. On the flip side, while Korean men have been helpful when I’m lost and such they do not flirt like men in some other places. It’s so nice not to have to put up the armor to deal with aggressive men. I also don’t get stared at as a blonde foreigner too much. The young kids seem to stare because I’m such an anomaly here though. It’s cute.

After the palace I desperately needed to find an atm and since Citi charges an arm and a leg if I don’t use theirs I went on my search. I knew there was one near City Hall, but was worried how accurate the internet map was. After walking a few minutes low and behold a big building with a Citibank sign! There is also a California Pizza Kitchen next to it so I took it as a sign that that was my late lunch spot. I splurged and not only got pizza, but also a long island ice tea! The area is lively so I just wandered and sat in cafes the rest of the evening.

I feel rejuvenated and ready to face the next 6 days. I can do this job. This will be my mantra for a couple of months. Hopefully, the most challenging part is behind me as we are now more acquainted and I understand more what she expects. The cleaning part will be my escape and private time. I’ll get in a zen mindset. I can put on my Zune (no, I don’t like iPods) and work. I don’t mind it although cleaning the floors by hand is tiring. Why can’t we use mops?

P.S. I was shocked, the contact solution I pay $15 for in NYC is under $5 here! I’d stock up if I had the space and arm strength.