경복궁 Gyeongbokgung pt. 3

After finally being satiated (and Justin having learned a valuable lesson in listening to me when I say I'm hungry), we headed back to the folk museum. I didn't take any pictures inside as cameras weren't permitted, but I think that it was a definite must see if you're in the area.

The zodiac in wisemen costumes.

The folk museum is underneath this fantastic pagoda. Around this time, so very sweet Chinese tourists asked me to take their picture. Due to me carrying around a very expensive and impressive-looking camera, a lot of people asked me to take pictures for them. As I'm a lousy photographer, I'm hoping I didn't ruin too many people's pics.

After spending not enough time in the folk museum (we were worried about the closing time on the palace grounds), we headed back into Gyeongbokgung. The area round the entrance is of commoner's buildings that have been moved there to show what the average person's life was like. There is also a small area to show what Seoul looked like the late 19th century, before the illegal Japanese invasion and colonization. 

This is what the kitchens used to look like. I think I would have gone nuts.

These are totems that the locals worshiped to protect their lives and villages.

Around this time, we were stopped by a friendly, talkative Korean. He said hi in passable English, and asked where we were from. When we sad Seattle, he exclaimed "I love Seattle! I've gone there!" He threw a few more phrases at us. When he left, I turned to Justin and told him I felt like I had been practiced. He said that we probably had been.

So it's no coincidence that these statues look, um, phallic. They were totems where people would pray for children, particularly sons.

This is a tomb (it was empty)

A rotary mill.

The case holding the printing blocks. Despite what you've learned in history class, the Chinese invented the printing press way before Gutenberg, and the Koreans invented movable type. 

This is 향원정 (Hyangwonjeong), a hexagonal pavilion build on a man made pond. This was my favourite part of Gyeongbok so I told about a million pictures of it.

This is site of the building that Queen Min was brutally murdered and her body burned into from Japanese assassins. Queen Min was an interesting person. After having an arranged marriage, she and the king actually grew to like each other. She also was a driving force for a lot of the progress and modernization of Korea. She founded Ehwa University, a women's university which still exists to this day, and is one of the top colleges in the country. After being betrayed by her father-in-law, her death started the Japanese invasion.  

This is 경회루 (Gyeonghoeru). This was my second favourite place. It was a royal banquet hall.

I loved Gyeongbokgung, If you can only see one palace, this is the one to see. I would allow half a day at the very least, but I could have spent the entire day there and at the folk museum.