To start off our first full day in Seoul, we visited many places of cultural significance, firstly being the Gyeongbokgung Palace which is where the King lived during the Joseon dynasty. The palace is very large with many different parts to it, but it also used darker colors and wood because at the time Buddhism was being driven out of Korea due to overindulgence in gold and other expensive lavishes. The landscaping was very impressive.

For lunch, we went to a traditional restaurant and ate bulgogi, fire meat, which was the best beef I have ever tasted. We then went back to the Jogyesa temple where the Buddhist festival took place the night before, which was just as pretty during the day.

Afterwards, we took a bus to Bukchon Hanok village which is a village of traditional Korean style homes that still has residents living there. Because it is an attraction, there are signs around the village telling tourists to be quiet while walking around so not to disturb those who live there. The houses and gardens were very pretty, and at the top of the hill, there was a view of all of the rooftops and anther view of the city. I find it interesting to see the traditional architecture juxtaposed to the modern skyscrapers. That is something I do not see often in America.

We ended our day by walking around Cheonggyecheon Stream. When Seoul first started to grow, the stream became a common place to wash clothes and dumb waste, so it turned into an eye sore to the people and was filled with cement. In the early 2000s, the mayor of Seoul, Lee Myung Bak (who later became President of South Korea and is now in prison), restored and gentrified the stream to a beautiful and calm attraction. Our time there was short, so I would like to go back.