Amongst the skyscrapers of downtown Seoul you’ll find the Changdeokgung Palace covering a few blocks of highly priced real estate. Clementine and I paid a visit to this big palace on a Public Holiday as we braved the heat and crowds to catch a glimpse of one of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty in Seoul.
We walked around and captured some photos of this fascinating yet monotonous palace. It was a great sight to see the sheer size of the palace ground, but as many tourist hot spots around the world you’ll often remember the small things opposed to the main reason for visiting. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great day trip and an amazing sight, but the things that stood out for me were all the CCTV cameras located where a Korean might want to take a piss, the Korean men spitting and farting in public and the guards telling me I am not allowed to eat my guava roll on the palace grounds.
Behind the palace grounds you’ll find the Secret Garden. An enormous garden built for the private use of the Joseon dynasty. This was a great sight and the garden is well looked after with numerous ponds, temples and big trees. Less CCTV camera’s and an opportunity to break away from the crowds and enjoy my guava roll.
