Thursday, July 27, 2006

Gyeongbokgung (Seoul)

This is the main temple in Seoul. Behind this first picture is also the national museum.
It was used just before the Japense invasion at the end of the 19th century. That was when the final empress of Korea was murdered as she slept.
This picture is a meeting hall inside the temple grounds. It is pictured on the majority of Korean notes and you are only allowed over the moat at certain times (I couldn't really understand why)
Inside the national museum is a guide to Korean history from pre-historic ages. It has been littered with as many as wars as us Brits and Korea has ceased to exist on more than one occasion. I am pictured here with a friend from Geochang called Rick.
You aren't allowed inside certain rooms but you can see the splendour that many kings lived in.
This is another resident of Geochang. I know them as they asked for extra English lessons before they move to Australia. They are very friendly and helpful and took me out on the night for some dinner while I was visiting Seoul.
Andy has the victory buzz. This picture is showing the settlers in the south of Korea.


The great wall surrounds Gyeongbokgung and is covered with guards but it is mainly a tourist site now. Inside it amazed me how settlers all over the world pretty much learnt how to hunt at around the same time yet there was no way of international communication. The basic history is very similar to that of Europe with the relics of arrows and caves still being found.
The guards in red stand perfectly still and are well disciplined. Much like the 'beefeaters' of London.

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