Day 2.1 Tuesday
November 27, 2018
Gangnam District Tour
We had a scheduled full day tour of Gangnam District, known to be “Seoul’s upscale, modern center, home to gleaming skyscrapers, designer brands and stylish nightclubs.” Our tour guide, Paul was supposed to pick us up at 9:10 in the morning but had called the hotel front desk to let us know that he was running late due to other guests being late to their meeting points.
The drive from Myeongdong took about 45 minutes. There was some sort of a rush in Gangnam; traffic was heavy at some points but moving. Our first stop was the royal tombs of King Seongjong, the 9th King of the Joseon era and his wife, Jeonghyeon. Right in the middle of busy Gangnam sits this well-preserved major piece of history. We loved the peacefulness of the place, as one can hear mostly nothing but the chirping of the birds.
Our second stop was the Bongeunsa Temple, a Buddhist temple founded in 794 by the Monk, Yeon-hoe. “Bongeunsa” means to honor the king. In the temple, the King’s eternal life was prayed for. However, I was obviously more excited to see this temple, as it was one of the filming spots of Lee Min Ho’s period drama, Faith. 😝
(Day 2 continued on next post...)
Can you hear the birds?
The statues of military and civil servant men and animals surround and protect the tomb
(Day 2 continued on next post...)
Gangnam
Entrance to the Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs
#sisters
what's left of autumn
Where memorial services were/are held
A monument to honor the king
*We were not allowed to walk on the raised path (left), as it is known to be the king's (spirit's) path
Can you hear the birds?
The statues of military and civil servant men and animals surround and protect the tomb
The tomb of King Seongjong, the 9th King of the Joseon Dynasty
Sis with Paul, our tour guide
Entrance to the Bongeunsa temple grounds
Lanterns "for a brighter future"
Scene from K-Drama, "Faith" a.k.a. "The Great Doctor" starring Lee Min Ho
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