Ihwa Mural Village

 

Bits of blue paint shown faintly through the haphazard gray above it on one of the steep narrow stairwells that line the Ihwa Mural Village.  I had hoped the news reports I read weren't true but the famed mural of koi fish that once swam their way up these stairs had been painted over by an angry resident in the middle of the night in 2016. 

While walking through the Ihwa Mural Village I noticed a lot of the same signs that I saw in the Bukchon Hanok Village. Plastered on the sides of walls in various states of decay were pleas to be quiet. So often as tourists we forget that people are living their full lives in the spaces that we exist in only partially. 

In 2006, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism transformed a poor neighborhood in Jongo, Seoul into the Ihwa Mural Village- a new site for art and tourism. I along with many other tourists walked our way up a series of hills to snap picks with these beautiful pieces of art.  You can see a couple of examples below. However, with this new beautification came a lot of foot traffic and complaining from local residents prompting angry locals to vandalize not one but two iconic pieces of art. 

 

In addition to the murals, there are a lot of new and cool shops and cafes have sprung up around the increased traffic. One shop has this beautiful view of downtown Seoul- as can be seen below. If I had more than a week in Seoul I definitely would have come back with a book and some tea. There was quiet a crowd when I was there but one owner stated in the Korea Herald that his business was down 35% since the vandalism occurred. 

Meandering through the different areas in the mural village I thought back to my home of DC and how pushes to make poor areas economically viable often comes at the expense of local residents. I understand deeply how you can feel unheard as they make your neighbordhood better for everyone but you. I'm not sure whats best on a strucutral policy level but what I do know is that while traveling I hope to give more then I take. 


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Seoul/Royal Palaces

 

Past and present were separated by a single road in Seoul. Sky scrapers bow in front of the main gate of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The sun reflecting off long glass panes making the grounds of the royal palace bright and vibrant. 

Seoul like Tokyo was a city with their eyes looking forward into the future but their hearts rooted deeply in the past. 

Gyeongbokgung was build in 1395 and was the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. The pillars above line the inner wall of the first gate that you walk through. This palace is the biggest and most visited of the 5 royal palaces that you can explore in Seoul. 

By far my favorite part of this palace was the colorful pillars and ceiling inside of the first gate. 

I really enjoyed the artifacts like the large drum in the middle. The entire complex was a lot larger then I had anticipated. I had to rush through the back part of the grounds because I had tickets for the Secret Garden tour in Changdeokgung at 2:45.

While all the tourists might be grouped in the middle courtyard taking pictures make sure you go around and explore more and get some pictures that other people don't have.

  The detail work on these buildings is so astounding. I can only imagine what they looked like when first built. Much of what exists was rebuilt after Japanese Imperialism, in 1592,  destroyed much of the grounds. 

The photo below is from the secret garden tour in Changdeokgung built in 1405. Thankfully the two palaces are only a 15 minute walk between them which makes it a perfect way to spend half your day in Seoul. While Gyeonbokgung was favored by the kings the neighboring Changdeokgung Palace was the place where the prince's preferred to spend their time.

More than 2/3rds of the palace is actually a garden that can only be viewed through a group tour. Despite my aversion towards tours I have to say it was a great deal since it came in a museum pass.

There was a similar color scheme that I noticed between the two palaces. Lots of green with spots of bright yellow, red, and blue. Color was expensive and so the extensive use of color in these buildings was supposed to reify the power and strength of the monarchy. The middle photo is of an inscription that prays for long life and is on the top of a doorway that leads into a quiet shaded area with a beautiful pond. 

The Garden Tour gives you an intimate look at what life might have been like hundreds of years ago. From quiet reading nooks by a lake to an area where the princes used to play royal drinking games.

If you are at all interested in history and architecture then this is definitely not something that should be missed. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss another addition to the archive. 

Bukchon Hanok Village

 

Close your eyes and imagine with me: you step off the bus in Seoul. Your downtown and you can tell because the sky greets you with metal clouds that glitter in the night and reflect the world during the day. You walk 3 blocks north and duck east into an alleyway and suddenly you're transported back to the Joseon Dynasty. The rush and hecticness of the city fall away as you explore the narrow alleys and intricate details of the traditional Korean houses called "hanok". People wander around you dressed in high-waisted, A-line dresses  called Hanbok's- they are bright and colorful. You are lost in another time, but fantasies don't last forever and the woman wearing the hanbok pulls out a selfie stick and you're transported back to the present. 

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For my first full day in Seoul I wanted to do as much exploration as possible. Thankfully the Bukchon Hanok village is situated in between the two main palaces. Word of advice Google maps does not work for street by street directions. It was able to tell me where the bus would pick me up and drop me off, however, I had to navigate the winding streets around my hostel to get there. 

 I walked over 9 miles in total my first day, but it was worth it because the village was originally created to house nobility and high-ranking government officials.  And you can really see the majesty in these houses through the intense attention to detail. Despite years of wear and tear the attention paid was so clear. 

As I wandered around the village I stumbled across this street art that took up the bottom portion of a large wall. I wasn't sure if it was history lesson from the Joseon Dynasty or some kind of protest art.

Besides taking photos and exploring the maze that makes up this village I highly suggest everyone find the Bukchon Hanok Observatory. From there you can see the roofs of all the houses and the beautiful patterns they made. Looking south you can see the roofs of these hundred year old houses and how the blend into modern city, looking north and the hanok's fade off into the base of the mountain. 

Exploring the history of Seoul through this village was the perfect introduction to Seoul, a city that blends so seamlessly the past, present, and future. Make sure you subscribe below so you never miss an addition to the Archive!

Busan

 

After spending a month and a half in Tokyo I was ready for a change in scenery. I've grown used to the flow of the city: waiting for trains, walking home, deciphering kanji on the menus of ramen restaurants. Living in Tokyo a part of my routine; one of the hardest and most life-changing routines I've had to develop but routine none the less.   

The best way to appreciate the space you live in daily is to take a break from it. When DC became too monotonous I would take a trip to NYC to clear my head. Now that I'm in Tokyo a quick jaunt to South Korea is how I'll re-ground myself. 

Originally my goal was to travel to Thailand, but after discovering how hot it becomes in April I decided that the temperate climate of South Korea would be better for my aesthetic. Instead of flying from Tokyo to Seoul I decided to take the ferry from Fukuoka to Busan instead. This way I could squeeze two extra cities into my trip. 

Busan is the second largest city in South Korea and is thought of as Korea's San Francisco. While there the city was building frantically as its the home of the 2030 World Expo.

The first thing I noticed in Busan and later Seoul is the sheer number of sculptures I have never seen so many statues and sculptures around a city as I have while traveling through South Korea and I'm from DC. 

 I felt awkward navigating around this foreign culture and new language. But at the same time, I felt alive. Nowhere did this contradiction feel more literal then inside a restaurant. The first picture above is the restaurant I ate after checking into my hostel.  The first time I saw the prices on the menu I audibly gasped before I realized that the currency was Won instead of Yen. For comparison,  one thousand yen is ten dollars whereas, ten thousand won is 8 dollars. I ate this thick pork bone soup that was popular in the south along with the delicious side dishes called banchan.

The next day before I caught my bus I wondered the downtown area and found another restaurant. I ordered a  soup and some dumplings. The soup was bright red with chunks of meat and vegetables. I realized after gulping down half the soup that it was so red not because it was seasoned with Kim chi but because it was deep and intensely spicy. The number one thing I missed in Japan was spicy food and while Japan was lacking the Koreans live for spicy food. I just wish I had been prepared because I started sweating so much that the lady who owned the shop was seriously concerned about me. 

The timing of this trip was perfect because, as I sat on the ferry about to leave Japan, I realized I had started to feel at home in Tokyo. After feeling so sad and confused my first few weeks I wasn't sure I would come to love Tokyo. However, as the ferry zipped me across the Sea of Japan all I could think about was how I couldn't wait to return. 

Busan is a city rich with history, art, and culture. I definitely need to come back and explore more of the city. But with only 24 hours between when the ferry dropped me off at the harbor and a bus would whisk me away to Seoul, I could really only explore the downtown business district. 

The view from my bus to Seoul. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss my adventures in Seoul and all my additions to the archive.