Today was a pretty cloudy day with a lot of light rain, but we still got to see a lot of beautiful structures on our tours. We started today by walking to Cheonggyecheon Square where we had time to walk along the water, which was decorated by the many lanterns hanging across it.

We then walked to Gyeongbokgung Palace where we first watched the changing of the Royal Guard’s ceremony, which is a reenactment of the process that took place during the Joseon Dynasty, even recreating the costumes and weapons originally used in the ceremony.

After that, we walked around to see the rest of the many buildings that make up the palace, including a couple pavilion structures that have been built in the center of small bodies of water.

After walking through the palace, we went to Cheong Wa Dae, or the Blue House, which served as the presidential residence of South Korea up until 2022. The building is named after the blue tiles that make up the roof. We walked inside the building and around the surrounding area where we saw the use of traditional Korean architectural style as well as the beautiful natural scenery.

Our last tour was of Jogyesa Temple, which serves an a venue for many Buddhist events like rituals and ceremonies. Many colorful lanterns are displayed hanging outside and around the temple, a tradition in South Korea leading up to Buddha’s birthday. Buddha’s birthday falls on May 15th, however the date is determined by the Lunar Calendar, so it changes slightly every year.

Finally, we ended our day with dinner at MyeongdongJung, where we were served many different traditional Korean foods. I was able to try many new foods including jellyfish, bulgogi, and dried silverfish.

Our first full day in South Korea was great, and I am excited to continue experiencing Korean culture.