The first full day in Korea was packed with Korean history and cultural immersion. We started off the day at Gyeongbokgung Palace which was the home of the kings of the Joseon dynasty, which lasted from about 1392 to 1910 in the common era. Gyeongbokung Palace is the largest of the five in Seoul and is right across the street from the Blue House which is the current presidential residence. Our tour guide told us that the reason that area had always and continues to be home to the rulers of South Korea is because is considered the safest area in the country because it is surrounded by a semi-circle of mountains. We also learned about the intentional design of the palace in order to emphasize fengshui, or harmony with the surrounding environment, as well as the about the organization of the palace. There are three gates to pass through before you enter the area with the king’s throne and there are three lanes leading there with the middle, elevated path only to be walked on by the king. Some of the symbolism we were taught about included that of the mural behind the king’s throne of the five sacred mountains of Korea which showed the power and jurisdiction of the king, and only the king could sit in front of that mural.
Beyond the throne room we passed several other structures in the palace including the king’s banquet hall and his living quarters which, we learned, were another example of the purposeful way the buildings interact with the environment. It was fascinating to me from both an engineering and a historical perspective to learn that the building could have air circulation controlled by which flaps were opened, and that the heating and cooling systems were natural and centered in the floor. The use of pine wood offered a natural cooling system for the summer, but fire chambers under the floors could be ignited and offer heating in the winters. Heating and cooling in Korea, our tour guide informed us, is still often routed through the floor instead of through ventilation like in America and this contributes to why in Korean culture activities like eating and sleeping often take place on the floor.
After the palace, we ate bulgogi for lunch in Insadong, and antique alleyway of Korea which was home to lots of artists and painters who were commissioned by the king. Then we went to the nearby Jogyesa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Because of recent celebrations, there were countless colorful paper lanterns strung up around the temple containing people’s prayer requests. Our next stop was Bukchon Hanok Village, a residential and commercial area of traditional homes where, because of its proximity to the palaces had always been home to aristocrats. All of these historical cultural visits made me realize to a much more significant extent the weight the history and traditions of Korea carry, and I am gaining a better understanding on their continued influence over the modern society and culture.
After the village we moved on to a more modern Korean site, Cheonggyecheon Stream. The stream at one point had become so dirty that it was deemed unsalvageable and had been cemented, but in 2005 the mayor of Seoul decided to attempt to restore the stream to it’s prominence and glory prior to its pollution. The stream was dug up and accompanied by a 10 kilometer walkway to allow people to enjoy it once again. The success of this project inspired other green projects in the city like Seoullo, a former highway that was renovated into a green overpass.
Finally, our last stop of the day was at Namdaemun Market, a massive 600-year-old street market packed with vendors selling clothes, trinkets, food, and so much more. Everywhere you turned there was another shop with reasonable prices and compelling things to offer. It seemed to me one could spend days there and still leave something to be explored.
