Gyeongju

I went to Gyeongju over the past weekend, which is well known for being a historic city. It has more UNESCO sites than the rest of Korea combined. Most of them are burial mounds. Some were excavated by Sweden, but I’m not sure why. If there are two close to one another they are King and Queen.

You’re allowed to go inside one of them as well, however you have to pay for that. It’s 1,500 for adult entry, but also allows you into a beautiful park as well. It’s difficult to get pictures inside the mound, as it is dark and everything that was inside is behind glass. You’re also not allowed to take pictures, which I saw on the way out, but there was no one there to stop me anyway.

After this we went to Cheomseongdae which was built between 632-647 and is the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia. It was filled with dirt up to the 12th layer of exterior stones (which are quite large) and people could observe from there up to the 15th layer.

There is a bug bus that goes around this area as well, which is super cute! This park includes a few mounds, places to keep ice, the tower above, rapeseed fields, old buildings, and at the time, a concert area.

From there we went to Anapji Pond, which is very beautiful, manicured, and mostly reconstructed.

Nearby is the National Museum, which I didn’t find too interesting. Most is reconstructions of things you will see around the town. Also, the main part is closed right now. Good thing it’s free.

Stayed at Potato Motel which gave us a 10,000 discount from 70,000 to 60,000 when I made a face. Dinner at Han’s Deli was pretty good, but mine was too spicy. If we weren’t too tired, we probably would have sat there for longer so I could eat, but I was going to fall asleep from walking around in 90% humidity and 30C weather.

The next day we went to Bulguksa Temple which is accessible via the 10 or 11 bus which cost 1,500 won each (fitting, as the bus ride takes about half an hour). Be sure to get off at the stop next to the parking lot, not another with a similar name that is surrounded by shops. From the bus stop, go up the right walkway as it goes though a park where people are selling food, drinks and standard Korean souvenirs (the left is for cars but has a sidewalk as well).

At the top you have to pay an entrance fee of 4,000.

Once inside you walk quite a bit more. All of the stonework is original, as that was not effected when Japan burned them down (of course it wasn’t effected, and of course Japan burned it down–like everything in Korea at some point…). However, this was burned down far before the 1911 invasion.

There is still reconstruction going on. Behind the main temple and the largest stairs photoed below you can see a building which ruins the photo. We had to go around and up to see that that is where the reconstruction is going on, and the building is to protect the pieces. Current reconstruction is of a pagoda which had a crack on the 3rd level.

We had just missed the bus to go to Seokguram (they leave every hour on the hour) and it was too hot to walk the 30-50 minutes so we headed back.

Buses to Busan leave every hour on the hour, except around 6:00 when they leave at 6:00, 6:40, and then 7:40, 8:40….etc.

Buses there from Busan leave every 30 minutes.

Namdaemun Gate

Well hello there! It’s back! After being closed for 5 years due to a fire and reconstruction it has been rebuilt and there was kind of intense security. People watching everywhere! I stepped on grass to get a better angle and they told me to move away.

National Treasure No. 1

Designated on Dec 20, 1962

Sungnyemun, the South Gate of Seoul, was erected in 1398, 7th year of King Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty, as one of the four main gates of the capital city.

In February 2008, an arsonist set fire to the gate, almost entirely destroying the roof of the gate house, to the nation’s great horror. Repair was planned and carried out for five years, from 2008-2013, during which the city walls to the right and left of the gate were also restored.

Delhi

Got into Delhi just after noon and even though it’s a holiday (Good Friday) it’s very busy.

I left with the guide at 2:30 (supposed to be 2 but he was late…) and we went to Jama Masjid which is the biggest mosque in India. No pictures were allowed to be taken and I had to wear a wrap around my body (not over my hair though, like I thought). It’s beautiful with red walls and marble floor with outlines for where people can sit and pray towards Mecca. It’s closed to the public whenever prayer is going on.  The white floors are all covered  so the white does not provide glare like it does at Agra Fort.

We then went though a walk of the small market streets in Old Delhi. We did the gem streets, food street and gold and silver street.Between the food street and gold and silver street we walked down Chandni Chowk which is the main street where it didn’t actually seem like a lot was going on.

After that we went to Rajghat–which means for Royal Burial Grounds–which is where Gandhi was cremated, the ashes in Hindu culture are always thrown into the Ganges River. It’s a really beautiful area with tons of flowers. I didn’t go down to the spot because there were a lot of people but there is a great place to view from above. Other important people have locations there like the first Prime Minister.

Next we went to a lotus mosque that was built by Iranians in the 1980s. the marble was imported form Italy–and it’s all marble! we didn’t go in because the line was very very long.

Next I was taken to Kashmir Cashmere. I hate when someone takes you somewhere just to have you buy stuff. Normally in India I could just avoid it just by not following people. However when your driver and tour guide take you somewhere that is another story….you can’t get away. I could say that I don’t want to go in but they would just insist and insist and insist.

Anyway, I was told stories upon stores of how all the money goes back to Kashmir which is a warn torn area where I guess the Indian government doesn’t send any help. I wish I had been able to go there as photography is supposed to be amazing because it is so beautiful (worth fighting for…) but it was too far for my time in India. Also could be a bit kid-nappy, according to the US State Department website when I looked it up. They showed me how to make the rugs (hand knotted) which were too pricey for me ($435 for the 2nd size they had, smallest was like a bath mat). I said $150 as a super low-ball because I didn’t want one and they said they would call the family and ask if that was an okay price! Ended up buying a scarf for $60 when they said $80.

Next day I went past the government buildings like Parliament, Presidents house and Prime Ministers house.  I went out for a walk near the Presidents house and there were monkeys everywhere! They must be the first line of defense.

I went to India Gate which is not so much a gate as you cannot drive or walk though it but a war memorial. Tons of people offering to take pictures which did not even look that nice or sell pipes. Odd mix. Very bored looking security again. The flowers there were beautiful again, as were those around the canopy behind the gate. Actually, those were nicer.

Next was Humayun’s tomb.

Finally, I went to Qutab Minar.

On the way back I went past Red Fort again (had gone by it in the morning before the Delhi market but didn’t get good pictures). It’s kind of hard to take good pictures as there is a lot of traffic going past, no parking lot and all the street ‘parking’ (really just seems like a lane that should have cars being driven in it) was taken up by tuk tuks, rickshaws and stands selling food.

I went to Indian McDonald’s for lunch which was fantastic. I had the Spicy Paneer Burger and I don’t know why this is not offered everywhere! In the US they could use mozzarella or halloumi cheese, bread it, fry it and put it on a bun.

Then I went to the airport.

Humayun’s tomb

Next was Humayun’s tomb (and Isa Khan’s tomb but that is under construction–I got a few pictures). Another set of amazing buildings and gardens which have been well restored. I feel like sandstone shouldn’t restore well but I guess it does. Most of the tourists here were Indian or German (how do they get everywhere??)–but there were some Americans who said ‘this mosque is so different from the rest–it’s almost classy!”Is she saying the rest are tacky?

I liked Afsarwala mosque and Tomb more as it was not overly big like Humayun’s tomb.

Tons of eagles flying around the top like at the Taj Mahal. There were lots of signs talking about how it was a very big deal to do the reconstruction as it will create a better neighborhood and more religious understanding as at the time this tomb was built India was mostly Muslim and is now mostly Hindu, thus most workers are Hindu. A Muslim man lifted the curtain of construction for me to be able to take better pictures of Isa Khans tomb.

And, like I said, Isa Khan’s tomb.

Seoul Museum of History

This museum let me know that I don’t care too much for the dynasty era of Korean history. I tried reading the information but I would get bored less than halfway though reading the sign. That being said, there were some beautiful things throughout the museum.

On the bottom floor there are two exhibition halls, among other things (restaurant, information, gift shop, etc) and the rest of the museum is on the 2nd floor (realistically its the 3rd floor but visitors cannot go anywhere on the 2nd floor).

I first went to the right and there were exhibitions on Jeongdong: a Strange Coexistence and the Universal Exposition of Paris 1900: the Daehan Empire Met the World. The Paris one confused me at first because the sub-heading was not there so I expected some French art…not so much though, it was Korean stuff that was sent to Paris to show the world what Korea was like before 1900.

Below are pictures from Jeongdong: a Strange Coexistence was about the changing times from traditional to Western, which is exemplified in the second picture, of the modern man and the bike. The first picture is of Seoul at the time of 1899.

In the Universal Exposition of Paris 1900: the Daehan Empire Met the World there were many things from the time before 1900 (as the exopsition was in 1900) including the walls that Koreans would put up between rooms and instruments. There were also the chairs that kings were carried on, fans, chairs, pots and drums.

On the floor with the exhibitions, it starts in Zone 1 of Seoul of the Joseon Dynasty, then Zone 2 of The Capital of the Daehan Empire, Zone 3 of Seoul under Japanese Control, and ends with Zone 4 of Development of Seoul.  However, at the top of the stairs there is the Seoul Panoramic Theater, which has a mini-model of Seoul in it. It’s actually called ‘SEOUL: Now and in the Making’ which I thought was a great title for a city display. Very difficult to get pictures of without a tripod because of how bright it is. As I was looking a kid walked in and just went ‘WOAH’ and went all fours and stared down at what he had been standing on as his father and myself laughed.

What I enjoyed in Zone 1 were the models of the city, or models of how life used to be.

Zone 2 is the smallest of the zones and displays the start of modernization/Westernization. One thing that was prevalent was the numbers of foreigners, specifically Japanese,  was increasing–as you can see in the first picture–which lead to Zone 3 quite well. On the floor in one of the three rooms was a map of the Seoul that was before occupation. The final room had a photo show going on with descriptions of the photos. The ones I thought were most interesting were:

• 1907: Report on the national debt redemption movement, the Daehan Maeil Sinmun (Newspaper) and the Hwangseong Sinmun (Newspaper)
• 1907: Japanese army soldiers march in downtown Seoul when Emperor Gojong was forced to abdicate
• 1907: forced abdication of Emperor Gojong and enthronement of Emperor Sunjong
• 1907: Parade of Emperor Sunjong after ascending the throne
• 1097: Uprising of loyal army soldiers
• executing loyal army soldiers
• 1910: Japanese annexation of Korea

Zone 3 had more models, but this time displaying the way things were changing in specific areas, such as Cafes, Barber shops and Billiard Halls. There was also a lot of writing about the changes in culture and how things were under Japanese occupation. Department stores were created, people started to read more as it was a good way to find out about rebellion and young people who dressed in modern styles were basically saying ‘everything you wear is terrible, look at all the money I have, I am better than you because I dress like a Westerner’. At this time World War 2 was going on and Korea had to fly the Japanese flag.

Zone 4 starts with a short sum up of Liberation, US Occupation, and the War. There is a whole museum about the Korean War, so I think they skip over it here because there is no point in going over all the information twice. After that there is information about Seoul growing and expanding in number of people but not size, which lead to overcrowding, bad sewage, shanty towns (and fires in them) and food shortages. This lead into the dictatorship which lead to a lot of construction and helped Seoul become a booming city and Korea a booming country. After that it seemed like the museum skipped a bit, showed a 1970s dress and went to the Olympics, which was a massive deal for Korea to hold, less than 50 years after the Korean War.

Back to the ground floor, there is the Cartographic Achievements of Joseon, which are maps that were collected by a private collector and loaned to the museum for display.