It’s really fascinating how a brief and shallow experience of sightseeing in a historic landmark can affect me in such a deep emotional way. I’m a big Korean drama fan and I love the historical ones in particular, so my visit to Seoul, Korea definitely had the palace tour in my itinerary. However, beyond the typical fangirling from seeing the actual palaces in person, walking the grounds and listening to the stories behind the marvellous buildings and walls, was a very emotive yet calming experience to me.
You see, traveling alone and being surrounded by lots of strangers who are laughing or having fun with their friends and family can be quite lonely sometimes. It’s true I was missing my family while I toured by myself, but those moments when I couldn’t share my fascination to someone, I was able to immerse fully in the experience of imagining what life was like during the different historical eras in Korea. Every time I felt at awe with what I was seeing, I feel better knowing I had the opportunity to marvel at such beauties while I’m young. And this is part of the reason why I keep sharing my travel memories (and feelings) in my blog.
Gyeongbokgung Palace Address: 161 Sajik-ro, Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
The spring air and sun helped a lot in setting the mood for my trip. Even with a brief drizzle on day 4 and the freezing cold air that had my face numb for days, it was still one of my favorite travel experiences. The cherry blossoms did a wonderful job lifting up my mood, despite my cravings for company.
I bet it would be such a blast if I could watch a drama filming live (and see some handsome K-actors too) and fangirl with my friends. So if you’re a big culture/history geek and a K-drama fan just like me, you shouldn’t miss some of the biggest palace grounds in Seoul. Too bad I only got to visit two of the great ones. Angkor Wat still holds the highest spot in my most unforgettable places to visit, but Seoul is definitely up there in the top 3.
Deoksugung Palace Address 99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
But what’s with my post title? Well if you didn’t know, queens and concubines (both) lived within the palace walls but didn’t share the same roof and bedroom with the King. They had their own quarters, own servants, own garden, and seldom saw the King during their days as part of the royal family.
I can only imagine how lonely their walks were while being a subject of the crown. But that was their fate, whether they chose it or not. And this is mine. To walk the palace grounds in Seoul with just myself and my own thoughts as company. The flowers were in bloom and I’ve captured them in my memory. Life is fleeting and so is solitude. The beauty of spring will forever live on no matter how short the season. I saw them for myself. I waited for no one under the cherry blossoms.
Here's a short slideshow of some photos from Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung Palaces in Seoul
This is post #2 of my Seoul, Korea blog series. Please standby for my next story =)
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