Seoul City Tour-Part 1

Today we enjoyed a full day city tour of Seoul. We visited the Jogye Temple which is a head quarters for Zen Buddhism in Korea. There were many, many lanterns as Buddha’s Birthday is in May so they are preparing for a festival celebration. This temple is unique because it is not on the mountains and because the four guards at the entrance are made of stainless steel instead of wood. Our next stop was the Gyeongbok Palace where we were able to see the changing of the guards ceremony at 10:00am. This palace was erected during the reign of King Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) which was the last kingdom in Korea. From there we walked to the National Folk Museum and saw a replica of a traditional wedding ceremony, baby’s 1st Birthday party, the new years commemoration to celebrate the ancestors , and an ornately decorated death Bier for transporting a dead body to the burial site. These traditions are for the most part gone now but not totally extinct.Read more