Gyeongbokgung

Yesterday we visited one of many palaces in Seoul. Gyeongbokgung (which means “palace greatly blessed by heaven”) was originally built in 1395. Although it has suffered much damage over the years due to wars, it has been refurbished to its traditional style over the past 20 years. We were very lucky to arrive at Gyeongbokgung just in time for the ceremony of the changing of the guard. This involved several dozen guards all wearing traditional 15th century, Joseon dynasty uniforms (see photo). The detailed painting of the walls, ceilings and eaves of the buildings was amazing! The National Folk Museum of Korea is also on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung. This museum includes wonderful exhibits about the history of the Korean people and the Korean way of life. The beautiful gardens of the museum contain sculptures of the Korean zodiac animals (I am a dragon!) and totems that scare away evil spirits or converse with those who have died.