An ultra-modern metropolis with a history of more than 2,000 years - Jongmyo Shrine 738; Changdeokgung Palace Complex 816; Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music 00016; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881
What and Why
Seoul (Korean: 서울) is an ultra-modern city of stark contrasts. The city proper itself dates back to 18 BCE, when it established itself as the capital of Baekje (백제), and since served as the capital of the various Korean empires until today. With its long history, the city itself brims with culture and heritage and hence one will literally smell history everywhere around the city.
On the other hand, the city currently houses more than 10 million people, is one of the world's most modern cities and stations itself as one of the major economic hubs of the world. Clearly it also serves as a major technology force in the world with the companies like Samsung (삼성), LG, and Hyundai (현대) headquartered in the city. With its very modern lifestyle, It also serves as the epicentre of K-pop culture.
Technically speaking Seoul is no longer the administrative capital of Korea (한국, Hanguk) as the administrative capital has been moved to Sejong (세종) since 2012 CE.
Toponymy
Seoul simply means the 'capital city' in Korean, which is believed to have derived from the name of Seorabeol (서라벌), the ancient name of the already blogged city of Gyeongju (경주). It is interesting to note that Seoul has no corresponding hanja (한자) until 2005 CE unlike most other Korean cities. It was called in the Chinese circle as Hanseong (한성) or Hancheng (Chinese: 汉城), meaning the city of Han (漢), referring to its Chinese roots. The government only officially named the city with hanja in 2005 CE to the current name with its hanja as 首爾.
See
Seoul simply has too much to offer, and if I write everything, this blog will simply plagiarise an entire guidebook. I shall only visit those of cultural and heritage importance that I have visited.
Changdeokgung (창덕궁)
Changdeokgung (창덕궁), meaning prosperous virtuous palace, is one of the five great Korean palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty (대조선국). These five palaces are: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung (창경궁, prosperous celebratory palace), Deoksugung (덕수궁, virtuous longevity palace), Gyeongbokgung (경복궁, scenic fortituous palace) and Gyeonghuigung (경희궁, celebratory prosperous palace), all of which are located nearby in Seoul.
Surprisingly Changdeokgung is not even the main palace, but is simply the favoured palace amongst the five for all the emperors during the Joseon period. The main palace of the empire is actually Gyeongbokgung, as below, which is located right at the centre of main thoroughfare. Since Changdeokgung is located on the east of the Gyeongbokgung, it is also known as the East Palace (동궐).
Established in the late 14th century CE, the massive palace complex is guarded by the main gate Donhwamun (돈화문). The main palace has been burnt down a couple of times, just like those in Europe, but all reconstructions and repairs had ensured the original design had been followed. The overall design is fairly basic following frugality principles as practised in Confucianism, compared to other oriental palaces. Moreover the palace complex is very well integrated with the natural environment surrounding it, unlike other palaces that demolish the surroundings in order to impose itself onto the site.
The main hall of the complex is Injeongjeon (인정전, the good administration palace). The building is the main throne hall of Changdeokgung and was often used for as a states room.
The main piazza of the Injeongjeon includes the little stone markers which indicate the exact position of each officer's according to his individual ranking.
Inside the main hall sits the throne, by comparison the most ornate structure of the entire complex.
Below is Huijeongdang (희정당) which is originally the king's bed chamber, it became the king's workplace after the original states room was deemed too small for conducting routine state affairs.
The queen residence is called the Daejojeon (대조전).
The library is called the Ogdang (오당).
The back garden, called Huwon (후원) is an important element of this UNESCO WHS. The garden is beautifully landscaped with bonsais, pavilions and artificial stream. The entire garden is decorated with more than 30,000 species of plants and is one of the main reasons why this palace, instead of Gyeongbokgung, being inscribed as UNESCO WHS. It is easy to recognise that many parts of the palace were used to film the hugely popular Korean drama Dae Jang Geum (대장금).
Gyeongbokgung (경복궁)
The main palace of the empire, Gyeongbokgung is the main residence of the Korean emperors, and is located right in the main thoroughfare of Seoul, facing Gwanghwamun Plaza (광화문광장) directly. Although as mentioned above, the palace is not the favoured residence of the Joseon emperors and princes, but was still used as the emperor's families residences and the official government building complex. Similar to Changdeokgung, it was burnt down a few times, especially so by Japan (Japanese: 日本, Nihon) during their occupation of the Korean peninsula, as it symbolises the Korean sovereignty. The palace was built at the same time with Changdeokgung.
Geunjeongjeon (근정전) is the throne hall and the main buidling where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon dynasty.
During the daytime at the hour, there is an hourly change of guard outside the main gate which is quite a scene to watch, comparable to that outside the Buckingham Palace of London. Today the palace serves only a tourism role.
Gwanghwamun Plaza (광화문광장)
The main gate and entrance to the Gyeongbokgung is Gwanghwamun (광화문), meaning the gate of light. The gate was built during the 14th century CE and was as expected, destroyed. The current version was reconstructed in the mid-19th century CE but was moved to a different site during the Japanese occupation to make way for the now demolished massive Japanese Governor General Building (조선총독부 청사, Joseon-Chongdokbu Cheongsa). It was returned to its current position in 1968 CE.
The main picture shows the current plaza which is highlighted by the statue of Sejong (세종, né 이도, Yi Do). During Sejong's reign, Joseon enjoyed a time of prosperity and advancement, in particular science and culture. In particular, Sejong personally created and promulgated the Korean alphabet system Hangul (한글), which the components are engraved at the base of the statue.
The other statue at the end of the main road is for Admiral Yi Sun-sin (이순신) who was a Korean military general famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Japanese invasion into Korea during the late 16th century CE (임진왜란, Imjin-waelan). Yi has since been celebrated as a national hero in Korea.
Jongmyo (종묘)
Jongmyo (종묘) is a Confucian shrine dedicated to the perpetuation of memorial services for the deceased emperors and empresses of the Joseon Dynasty. The name itself means the shrine for ancestors in Korean. Established during the 14th century CE, the shrine is considered the oldest Confucian shrine of this type in Asia. The building is notable for its very long length, making it possibly the longest building in Asia.
The building is divided into 19 rooms, each housing the memorial tablets or plaques for the emperor and his queens. According to tradition, the tablet is enshrined three years after the emperor's death.
When the tablet was transferred from the palace into the shrine, a massive and elaborate procession took place and marched along the stone pathway. The central elevated cobblestone pathway is restricted to the emperor's tablet and the carrier can only walk on the slightly lower part of the pathway. Commoners should not have physical contact with the pathway for respect.
During the procession, the particular accompaniment of court music is known as Jongmyo Jeryeak (종묘제례악), meaning the procession music for Jongmyo. The music is supposed to invite the ancestral spirits to descend from heaven to celebrate the king's achievements. This court music is practised once a year on the first Sunday in May and is organised by the descendants of the royal family. The tradition is inspired by classical Chinese texts concerning the cult of ancestors and the notion of filial piety. It also includes a prayer for the eternal peace of the ancestors’ spirits in a shrine conceived as their spiritual resting place.
The order of the ceremony was defined in the 15th century CE and most elements have remained unchanged until today. During the rite, the priests, dressed in ritual costume with a crown for the king and diadems for the others, make offerings of food and wine in ritual vessels. The dances are performed by 64 dancers in 8 lines representing the opposing yet complementary forces of Yin and Yang (Chinese: 阴阳) as set out in the Confucian texts. This is now an ICH, as a matter of act one of the earliest ICH.
Ihwa Mural Village (이화 벽화마을)
Formerly an area for the poor and the elderly, Ihwa Mural Village (이화 벽화 마을, Ihwa Byeokwa Maeul) was turned to a public canvas when the ministry intention to revitalise the area by inviting artists to do murals all around the area. Clearly successful it had brought many tourists to the area, resulting in an unfortunate by-product of littering, noise and disturbances to the community.
Namdaemun (남대문)
Namdaemun (남대문), meaning the 'great southern gate', houses the oldest and largest markets in Korea and is one of the main tourist attractions in Korea. Since the market has such long history, the street alleys were quite narrow and clearly they were not designed for automobile traffics, and hence it has become a long custom that hand-cart or trolleys are used to transport goods in and out of the market. Not the cleanest locale in the usually clean Seoul.
Myeong-Dong (명동)
If Namdaemun is for the traditionalists, then Myeong-dong (명동) is for the present and is the Seoul's main shopping, parade route and tourism districts, featuring mainly luxury goods. The area is particularly attractive to young girls as all the main Korean cosmetic brands are carried extensively here. I do not know of any tourists who come to Seoul without stepping into this trap. Myeong-dong means 'bright cave' in Korean.
Insadong (인사동)
If Myeong-dong represents the present and Namdaemun represents the past, Insadong (인사동), meaning 'cave of kindness temple', is an integration of both. It contains a mixture of historical and modern atmosphere and represents the cultural history of the nation. The street mainly sells authentic, traditional and local products and handicrafts. There are many art galleries and shops, and to me is possibly the more touristy place in Korea, than the commercial and artificial Myeong-dong.
Buy and Do
Ginseng (인삼)
I would personally recommend buying souvenirs in the more culturally-rich area of Insadong than the usual Myeong-dong and Namdaemun. The most important product from Korea is definitely ginseng (인삼) and its derivatives and needs almost no introduction.
Eat and Drink
Korean cuisine (한국 요리)
As a food afficionado, Seoul genuinely does not disappoint. In fact there are so much to offer in terms of diversity and quality. One of the gems that we have unearthed was Jihwaja (지화자), and this is definitely no ordinary restaurant. Technically it is a culinary school that perpetuates the imperial cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty. The experience is extra-ordinary and one is treated with a festival of traditional food, and the cuisine itself is inscribed as a national intangible cultural property!
The food's quality is absolutely stunning, although one must be warned that the portion might be a bit small. After all the course of meals being served are exactly those served in various state dinners.
The middle course of the marinated beef.
Other than this fine-dining experience, the main local food area is the Dongdaemun (동대문) area, where all the authentic local Korean food can be found. There are a few of them, but one will not escape from the ginseng chicken casserole. One of most famous of them all is Wonjodak (닭한마리).
Kimchi (김치)
The single Korean dish that everyone recognises is kimchi (김치), which is simply fermented cabbage. Now it is eaten as a side-dish in all Korean dishes and is THE Korean staple.
The practice of preparing kimchi dates back to the Silla (신라) times, when there was an extensive vegetarian diet due to the influence of Buddhism. Preparation of kimchi, aside from preserving food, also helps to develop the bond within the community, especially women.
It is unknown to me that kimchi preparation follows a yearly cycle, clearly this is no longer true in modern industrial era. In spring, households procure shrimp, anchovy and other seafood for salting and fermenting. During summer, they buy sea salt for the brine while during late summer, red chilli peppers are dried and ground into powder. Late autumn is Kimjang season, when communities collectively make and share large quantities of kimchi to ensure that every household has enough to sustain it through the long, harsh winter.
Modern-day kimchi is typically made from napa cabbage and white radish, although there are hundreds of variations. Housewives also monitor weather forecasts to determine the most favourable date and temperature for preparing kimchi.
Without question, kimchi making and consumption is a major cultural icon and identity of Korea and is naturally an ICH.
Dog meat (개고기)
One notoriously controversial food served in Korea is dog meat (개고기, gaegogi), and one can see the meat in display ubiquitously. I was prohibited from trying it by my friends, but I welcome the challenge in the future. The culture is definitely declining as animal rights, sanitary concerns and the overall negative perception that come with the consumption all play a part.
Stay
We had a wonderful stay in one of the hanok (한옥), the traditional Korean village house, located in the Bukchon (북촌) district. By the way Bukchon means the north village.
Hanok were built all the way back during the Joseon dynasty, and were largely built around a square cluster with a small communal courtyard. The houses themselves, while showing a good oriental designs, are fairly basic, they are just a room with a tatami on a heated floor and that is all. Some have partitions within a larger rooms, and most toilets are usually installed communally outside the hanok.
Korea has a hot summer and cold winter and hanok are fully equipped to deal with this weather through its underfloor heating system known as ondol (온돌), which heats up the floor by burning wood underneath the flooring. The flooring is constructed with masonry to ensure the hanok is not burnt down as a result. While primitive, the system still works very well in the modern context and the room was very comfortable when we were there during Christmas.
The one we stayed in is called Hanok Guesthouse 201 (한옥 게스트하우스 201). Bukchon itself is a tourist spot well worth a visit, even if one does not stay inside. Excellent stay, I strongly recommend staying in these hanoks instead of hotels. My only tiny concern was when I needed to pee during a freezing night I had to run across the find the loo.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
Seoul is a modern metropolis and has one of the best metro systems in the world that connects almost every point in the city. The entrance fee for Jongmyo and Changdeokgung is KRW 1000₩ and 3000₩ respectively. Seoul, as aforementioned, is one of the great tourist cities in the world and simply has too much to offer. One can spend easily a week or two without getting bored.
Seoul is served by one of the best airports in the world located in Incheon (인천). Most of the tourist spots are located in the north bank.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Jongmyo is the oldest and most authentic of the Confucian royal shrines to have been preserved. Dedicated to the forefathers of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), the shrine has existed in its present form since the 16th century and houses tablets bearing the teachings of members of the former royal family. Ritual ceremonies linking music, song and dance still take place there, perpetuating a tradition that goes back to the 14th century.
In the early 15th century, the King Taejong ordered the construction of a new palace at an auspicious site. A Bureau of Palace Construction was set up to create the complex, consisting of a number of official and residential buildings set in a garden that was cleverly adapted to the uneven topography of the 58-ha site. The result is an exceptional example of Far Eastern palace architecture and design, blending harmoniously with the surrounding landscape.
The Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul is the setting for a Confucian ritual dedicated to the ancestors of the Joseon dynasty (14th to the 19th century) that encompasses song, dance and music. The ritual is practised once a year on the first Sunday in May and is organized by the descendants of the royal family. It offers a unique example of a Confucian ritual, which is no longer celebrated in China. The tradition is inspired by classical Chinese texts concerning the cult of ancestors and the notion of filial piety. It also includes a prayer for the eternal peace of the ancestors’ spirits in a shrine conceived as their spiritual resting place.
The order of the ceremony was defined in the fifteenth century and most elements have remained unchanged until today. During the rite, the priests, dressed in ritual costume with a crown for the king and diadems for the others, make offerings of food and wine in ritual vessels. The Jongmyo Jerye is music played to accompany the rituals and is performed on traditional instruments, such as gongs, bells, lutes, zithers and flutes. The dances are performed by 64 dancers in 8 lines representing the opposing yet complementary forces of Yin and Yang as set out in the Confucian texts.The Munmu dance, accompanied by the harmonious and soothing Botaepyong music, is characterized by a first step to the left. While the Munmu dance symbolizes the force of the Yang, the Mumu dance, accompanied by Jeongdaeeop music and characterized by a movement to the right, represents the force of the Yin.
The ancestral ritual is nowadays often considered to be devoid of meaning, especially in the context of the growing importance of Christianity. However, the ritual and its music are protected through the National List of Intangible Heritage and the 1982 Law for the Protection of Cultural Property.
Kimchi is the Korean name for preserved vegetables seasoned with spices and fermented seafood. It forms an essential part of Korean meals, transcending class and regional differences. The collective practice of Kimjang reaffirms Korean identity and is an excellent opportunity for strengthening family cooperation. Kimjang is also an important reminder for many Koreans that human communities need to live in harmony with nature. Preparation follows a yearly cycle. In spring, households procure shrimp, anchovy and other seafood for salting and fermenting. In summer, they buy sea salt for the brine. In late summer, red chilli peppers are dried and ground into powder. Late autumn is Kimjang season, when communities collectively make and share large quantities of kimchi to ensure that every household has enough to sustain it through the long, harsh winter. Housewives monitor weather forecasts to determine the most favourable date and temperature for preparing kimchi. Innovative skills and creative ideas are shared and accumulated during the custom of exchanging kimchi among households. There are regional differences, and the specific methods and ingredients used in Kimjang are considered an important family heritage, typically transmitted from a mother-in-law to her newly married daughter-in-law.
References
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Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke-travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.
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