The Royal Palaces of Seoul, South Korea

Gyeongbokgung Palace: Geunjeongjeon throne hall) and the Geunjeongmun (gate).

The main cultural attractions of Seoul are its royal palaces, dating from the Joseon Dynasty that lasted from the 14th century to the early 20th century, with the Japanese annexation of the Korean peninsula. Unlike Tokyo where you can only peer at the palace gate and moat, one actually gets to enter each of the palaces and walk where the emperors (and his consorts) walked and imagine what it was like during the glorious old days. There are five major palaces, with the massive Gyeongbokgung Palace receiving the most visitors. The Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Royal Shrine have been designated as UNESCO Heritage Sites, while the Changgyeongung and Deoksugung Palaces are relatively quiet despite being located in such a bustling city such as Seoul. All the palaces have received major restoration (after all those palace fires and Japanese vandalism), and therefore appear pristine and somewhat artificial to the visitor. Who cares, as these sites are a major source of pride for the Koreans.

A major inducement to visit is the low price of entry, just W3000 for each of the major palaces and W1000 for Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine. Alternatively, one can buy a passbook for all five palaces for W10,000, which is valid for up to one month.

Gyeongbokgung Palace: the gate and perimeter wall just behind the throne hall.

Gyeongbokgung Palace: the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion (royal banquet hall), built on the edge of a little lake is Seoul's answer to Beijing's Floating Pavilion.

Gyeongbokgung Palace: perhaps its most picturesque site is the Hyangwonjeon Pavilion, built on an artificial island and connected by a wooden foot bridge. 

Changdeokgung Palace: the Injeongjeon (main throne hall).

Changdeokgung Palace: the Buyeongji Pond and Juhamnu royal library, part of the Huwon Secret Garden. Entry  to this part of the palace is strictly by language-specific group tours at designated times.

Changdeokgung Palace: a truly intimate setting within the Secret Garden.

Jongmyo Shrine: the Jeongjeon is the larger of two shrines where according to Confucian  beliefs, the spirits of past emperors and emperesses are honoured. Every year in early May, an elaborate ceremony of pageantry and music is conducted to the most stringent details and customs. 

Changgyeonggung Palace: located just east of the Changdeokgung Palace,  this  quiet  palace is a rare oasis of tranquillity .

Deoksugung Palace: right smack in the centre of Seoul's business district, this palace has  a unusual  combo of traditional Korean and more modern neoclassical Western architecture. The grounds also house the Museum of Modern Art.

Panoramas from Seoul and Around, South Korea

A fantastic view of central Seoul from the 18th floor terrace of the Eastgate Tower Hotel, located within the shopping district of Dongdaemun.

Here are some shots from Seoul and the few places we visited outside the capital city of the Republic of Korea. As stated previously, Korea is a very visitor-friendly nation with great culture and many worthy tourist attractions, and one would have a hard time not having anything to do here.

The little palace of Unhyeongung is besieged by students and tourists, not surprisingly since its located  very near the shopping district of Insadong.

A view of the infamous Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) from the vantage point of Imjingak. Seen in the centre are the new Unification Bridge that leads into North Korea and the old wooden Freedom Bridge, on which returning POWs walked upon after the Korean War.

A relic of the Korean War, the bullet and shrapnel-ridden locomotive that was abandoned in the DMZ.

The Janganmun (northern gate) of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, a wall that encircles the heart of the city, located 30 km south of Seoul. 

Perhaps the most picturesque part of the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress wall is the Hwahongmun (water gate), through which the Suwon creek flows.

The Hwaseong Haenggung, the palace within the city walls of Suwon, and site where the Korean drama Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum) was filmed. Looming in the background is Padalsan, Suwon's highest point.

For the young and young at heart, the frivolous fancies of Lotte World theme park.