Gyeongbokgung - Palace photos

Sorry for the delay in getting more Korea pictures up; real life reared its ugly head and diverted my attention. Thankfully, it's a long weekend, so updates are back on track.

Anyone who's ever traveled to Seoul could readily identify Gyeongbokgung Palace as one of the main tourist attractions in the city and country. It was the seat of the Joseon Dynasty which ruled Korea for hundreds of years (1392-1910) before the Japanese occupation.

I visited the palace on May 2, while doing my solo sight seeing around the city. Below is one of my favorite images of Korea: the juxtaposition of ancient and modern:



It's easy to forget that Korea went from reclusive Confucian monarchy to war torn wasteland to super-high tech economic power all within the span of 100 years.

As I entered the palace I noticed there was a lot of people, more so than normal. I quickly realized that I had stumbled across a recreation of a royal ceremony, which I definitely wasn't expecting. Being at the palace by itself is quite the experience, but seeing this sort of ceremony in action really brings the past alive:



I tried doing some research to figure out what exactly I was watching, but I still can't quite figure out. It's either a coronation or wedding ceremony for a Joseon dynasty king.



No ceremony is complete without dancers in hanboks:



Solid gold tourist jackpot. I totally wasn't expecting to see this, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.