Palace in Seoul - Changdeokgung (Seoul Trip Day 1)

Changdeokgung (昌德宮) was built in 1412 and served as the secondary royal palace after Gyeongbokgung. It is sometimes referred as the East Palace. The palace was burnt to ground in 1592 but then fully restored in 1618. The palace was served as ruling palace before the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung in 1800s. It is the most well-preserved royal palace in Seoul. It is currently an UNESCO Heritage Site.

Unlike Gyeongbokgung which was built on a leveled ground, Chandeokgung was built with better landscape design. If Gyeongbokgung gives us a feeling of "huge and elaborative", Changdeokgung gives the feeling of "calm and beautiful". According to some records, there are trees that grown over 300 years in the palace compound. 

Changdeokgung is near to subway Anguk Station (line 3 exit 3). We need to walk for five minutes to reach the main gate of the palace. The entrance fee for an adult is KRW 3000. Secret garden is a part of the palace, but we need to pay extra KRW 5000 to enter the garden (the ticket can be bought only at the entrance). More information about the entrance fee and open hours are available at Imagine Your Korea website. Useful information can be obtained from the official website of the palace as well.

We reached the palace at around 3:15 pm, and spent around 1 hour and a half there. Due to the time constraint, we didn't visit the secret garden. Changdeokgung is smaller compares to Gyeongbokgung, and we are using the same way to go in and and out. Thus we won't miss out any of the hall in the palace.

Donwhamun (敦化门), the main gate of the palace. The ticketing counter is located on the right side of the gate. The ticket to the secret garden is sold at the counter as well. We queued for less than 5 minutes to get our tickets. 

Beautiful walkway behind Donwhamun. We can go straight to see the officials' office, or turn right to enter the palace.

 Shrubs and trees are everywhere within the palace compound. 

 Jinseonmun (进善门), the first gate within the palace wall.

 Long passage behind Jinseonmun. The throne hall is on the left.

The throne hall, Injeongjeon Hall (仁政殿) is smaller than the throne hall in Gyeongbokgung. However, it looks nicer with the proper stone tiles and colourful foliage.

The throne hall is extensively decorated. The electric lamps were fixed in 1894.

 Seonjeongjean Hall is the place for the king's council. The hall is located beside the throne hall.

The residences for the king and queen are located next to the council hall (upper left). The residences are well-maintained (upper right). The rooms are connected by corridors (lower right) or by sliding doors. 

 The crown prince study hall is located beside the king's residence.

Another side of the study hall.

The entrance to the secret garden is next to the crown prince's study hall. There is a ticket checkpoint there.

We can see many visitors moving around the entrance to Changgyeonggung. Changgyeonggung is located beside Changdeokgung. We need to buy the ticket at the entrance of Changgyeonggung.

Nakseonjae complex was the last building that we visited in Changdeokgung. It was built in 1847 for the concubine named Gyeongbin. The concubine bear the king's child on behalf of the queen, thus being given a nice place to live in the palace. 

A part of Changgyeonggung can be seen from Changdeokgung.

We left Changdeokgung around 4:45 pm. It was getting dark early in autumn. However, we still managed to visit Bukchon before our dinner. Bukchon traditional village is not far away from exit 3 of Anguk Station. We spent around 10 minutes walking along Bukchon-ro to reach there.

We went to Buckhon information center to get information about the traditional village (upper left). The road to the village is smaller compare to the main road (upper right). People are still living in the traditional hut called hanok (lower right). The narrow alley, the hanok, and the village have been preserved in Bukchon for more than 600 years. 

Our photo at Bukchon.

After a tiring day trip to Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Bukchon, we took some street food on our way back to our hotel. Next on our trip- Nami Island.

[Gyeongbokgung in Seoul] [Changdeokgung in Seoul] [Nami Island]

[Seoul City Tour] [Getting around Seoul]

Palace in Seoul - Gyeongbokgung (Seoul Trip Day 1)

Gyeongbokgung (景福宫) was built by King Taejoin, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, in 1395. The palace originally consisted of 330 buildings with more than 3000 staff serving the royal family.

The palace was burnt in 1592 during the Japanese invasion, rebuilt in 1867, but again almost completely destroyed by Japanese during their occupation from 1910 - 1945. Only a few buildings such as Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Geunjeongjeon Hall, and Sajeongjeon Hall were spared. The major reconstruction of the palace is again started since 1990. Many palace buildings that we can see today are accurate replicas. To date, Heungnyemun Gate, Gwanghwamun Gate, the royal quarters, and the crown prince's quarters had been restored to their original state.

Gyeongbokgung is really huge. It took us 2 and a half hours to walk around the palace. Wearing comfortable shoes can ensure a good time walking through the ground with sand and uneven stone tiles. There are a few stairs to climb as well. Checking the weather forecast is important so that we can bring an umbrella in case of raining. We found only one cafe available at the souvenir shop. So we need to bring enough water to keep us hydrated if we are planning to stay long in the palace.

The ceremony of changing palace's guard is conducted in front of Gwanghwamun. The ceremony is held every hour starting from 10 am until 4 pm. The best spot to watch the ceremony is at the middle of the gate. We watched the ceremony at 11 am, before we started our tour around the palace. The ceremony however is a bit simple compare to the ceremony at Deoksugong.

The admission fee for an adult is KRW 3000 (around MYR 12). The detail about the opening hours and admission fees are available at the official site of Imagine Your Korea. A very informative map is available at The Soul of Seoul. We took subway Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung Station, and took exit 5. We could see Gwanghwamun on our left.

Gwanghwamun Gate was restored to its original state in 2010. The gate can be seen from Gyeongbokgung Station (upper left). The gate was beautifully painted with royal imaginary beasts (upper right). The royal guards attracted many visitors outside the gate (lower right). The ceremony of changing palace's guard starts at 10 am. We reached the gate around 10:40 am, and watched the ceremony before we continued our tour around the palace. The ceremony took around 10 minutes.

Heunghyemun (兴礼门) is the first front gate inside the palace's wall. There is a large square in between Gwanghwamun and Heunghyemum. The square was heavily guarded in old time. The ticket counter is located on the right side of the square. Click on the photo for bigger panoramic view.

Geunjeongjeon Hall (勤政殿) is the biggest and most magnificent building in the palace area. It is the throne hall in the palace. There is a gathering courtyard for the officials in front of the hall. The officials were arranged according to their ranking there. The higher their rank, the nearer their waiting position to the throne hall. Two rows (left and right) were assigned for the first three grades, the rest were one row each. This hall was built in 1867 to replace to one that was burnt in 1592.

Exquisite craftsmanship is exhibited on the top of Geunjeongjeon Hall.

The officials had to gather at the place designated for them, according to their ranking in front of Gyeongbokgung (upper left). The hall was built on two-stage stone platform with animal sculptures around located around the platform, including animals such as lions (upper right) and cat (lower right). We can see fine wood carved decoration in the throne hall, especially on the ceiling. 

The wooden throne of the king.

Sajeongjeon Hall (思政殿) is located behind the throne hall. It was the main council hall for the king- the meeting place for the king with the highest ranking officials. This hall was built in 1867.

Inside of Sajeongjeon Hall- the main council hall.

The halls such as Gangnyeongjean Hall, Gyotaejoen Hall, Donggung, and Sojubang Kitchen were restored after 1990. We walked around these halls through the passage beside the buildings (upper left). We could see the restoration work in progress in some of the buildings (upper right). The building patterns and craftsmanship are getting more simple (lower right). There are two structures that worth seeing- centralized chimney outside of Jagyeongjeon Hall with relief that symbolizes longevity, and the chimney behind the Gotaejeon Hall. These chimneys were used as the outlets for the smokes generated by the heating systems beneath the halls.

The backdoor of Jagyeongjeon Hall lead us to an open space with yellowish ginkgo trees. Click on the photo for bigger panoramic view.

The garden was beautiful in autumn mood.

Hyangwonjeong Pavilion.

This is a special structure at the back of the palace- Geoncheonggung (乾清宫), as it was built  by the mixture of stones, bricks, and wood. This structure was restored in 2007.

Jibokjae Hall is located beside Geoncheonggung. It was once the private study room for the king. It is now a public library with around 1000 books in collection. We started to walk back to the main entrance via the left sidewalk, where we could see Taewonjeon Hall, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, and Sujeongjeon Hall.

Beautiful scenery of Taewonjeon Hall, which was restored in 2005.

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion was a place used for royal events. The current building was built in 1867.

Sujeongjeon Hall was built in 1867, served as the resting area for the king. The hall was built on two-stage stone platform in respect of the king.

Gyeongbokgung is really a place that worth a visit. The palace is huge, and really look nice in autumn. There are other places of interest nearby- Bukchon, Changdeokgung, Deoksugong, and several other places are within walking distance (10 - 30 minutes). 

We took a lunch break nearby Sejong Center of Performing Art, and then continued our journey to Changdeokgung.

[Gyeongbokgung in Seoul] [Changdeokgung in Seoul] [Nami Island]

[Seoul City Tour] [Getting around Seoul]

Day Trip to Kuang Si Waterfall, Luang Prabang

Kuang Si Waterfall is located around 30 kms south of Luang Prabang. The journey took around one hour by car. Traveling in a group of four, we decided to use tut-tut. Our advice- try to get the price from a few tourism companies to get the best offer. We took the package from Phone Travel Co with the price of  250,000 Kip for 4 people.

The road was not in very good condition, especially after leaving Luang Prabang town area. But still, the journey was not very rocky for a tut-tut truck. There was literally no signboard on road, thus it might be hard to drive there by our own (not sure Waze could be used or not). 

8:30 am sharp, Mr. Teng, the representative from Phone Travel Co came to our hotel together with the driver. The tut-tut was in fact a small truck with two rows of seat at the back (upper right). The road was good in the town area (upper right), but getting worse when we traveled out of the town (lower right). There were nothing much to see along the road, except huts and farms.

We reached the entrance of Tat Kuang Si Park at around 9:30 am (upper left). Kuang Si Waterfall is located in the park. The entrance fee was 20,000 Kip per person (upper left). There were a few rows of shops selling souvenirs, snacks, and drinks beside the ticketing counter (upper right). Kuang Si Bear Rescue Center was right beside the entrance of the park (lower right). Several black bears which were saved from the local poachers lived their good life in the center. The bear rescue center was a part of the waterfall conservation area, thus no extra entrance fee required. 

Souvenir shop at the rescue center.

It might be too early for the bears to entertain visitors. They were sleeping. We could hear the sound of splashing water from the conservation center. The whole center was not big. We could see everything there in less than 10 minutes. There was a path that led us from the center to the bank of the stream. The 50 meter high Kuang Si Waterfall is located some 100 meters away upstream. 

Turquoise green colour water flows through green forest is picturesque. Pools are formed in between waterfalls. Visitors can take a dip in the water in two of these ponds.  

We came across several smaller waterfalls when we walked upstream.

Water flows rapidly in certain area.

A beautiful multi-layer waterfall. There was a restaurant beside the waterfall.

We continued to walk upstream following the path. The thunderous sound of water were getting stronger. We finally saw Kuang Si Waterfall two minutes later.

A bridge was built to provide the best view to the visitors.

Visitors were taking photo from the bridge.

Second and third layers of the waterfall could be clearly seen from the bridge.

Kuang Si Park was clean and the walking path was safe for sandals (upper left). Picnic tables and benches were prepared along the walking path (upper right). Changing area was available as well (lower right). There was a restaurant in the park. The food was a bit pricey, but well, that's the price to pay if we want to take a meal beside the waterfall. The restaurant was located nearby the waterfall.

Ta Kuang Si Park is worth a visit (unless you can find something else better to do in Luang Prabang). The park was clean, organized, with clear signboards reminding visitors to stay safe and stay clean. There was literally no mosquito in the park (at least none of us were bitten). There was no food and beverage sold in the park, except Lao Green Jungle Cafe and Restaurant. The food there was a bit pricey, so you might want to buy some snacks and drinking water at the entrance of the park. Wearing slippers or sandals are advised, and there is no dress code for those who want to swim in the pools. Last but not least, we would have more privacy in the morning, as most visitors would arrive at the park in the afternoon (usually around 11 am - 1 pm). The park would be very crowded in the afternoon.

Well, Luang Prabang might be our last destination for 2017. What's next? We have not decided yet, but, there are a few in our wishlist. We hope you enjoy reading our sharing about Luang Prabang.

[Luang Prabang Old Streets and Temples] [Getting Around Luang Prabang]

[Kuang Si Waterfall] [All Our Destinations]

Accommodation, Food, Transportation and Shopping in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is not a big town. The unique heritage town with French and Laotian architectures were harmonized by green surrounding, fresh air, and slow-paced town life. We would like to share our experience about where to stay, what to eat, transportation and shopping in Luang Prabang.

Accommodation

First, where to stay? Our recommendation- somewhere in vicinity of the Royal Palace Museum. The town would get busier to the south of the Royal Palace Museum with more locals on the streets. Moving to the north into the heritage area, you would find the town get quieter with more tourists roaming around. 

We stayed at Rim Vang Guesthouse (RimVang or Ringvang Guesthouse in some websites). It is located at Ounheun Road, right beside the Royal Palace Museum. From there, we could walk to the night market in 2 minutes. Royal Palace Museum, Vat Mai, entrance of Mount Phousi, morning market, several grocery shops and nice eateries along Mekong River were around 5 minutes away, while Vat Xieng Thong, Vat Visounnarath, and Traditional Art and Ethnology Centre were around 15 - 20 minutes away.

Rim Vang Guesthouse is at the corner unit of a two-storey wooden terrace house.

The guesthouse was well decorated (upper left), with heritage wooden-themed interior design (upper right). The dining area was just in front of the reception counter (lower right). The breakfast was prepared by the owner of the guesthouse. We had free flow eggs, local fruits, home made yogurt and bread, cereal, coffee, tea, and milk. 

Ounheun Road from Mekong riverside. Royal Palace Museum is located at the other side of the road. We can see lush-green Mount Phousi far behind the buildings. The end of the road connects to Sisavangvong Road (the location for the night market).

Food

Eateries are available all around Luang Prabang. We can either take a quick meal at a noodle stall, or a sumptuous dinner at one of the beautiful restaurants beside Mekong River. Road side stalls selling local food and beverages provide wide range of choices to the visitors as well. We like the food in Luang Prabang, very much. The local food were a bit different compared to Thai, Vietnamese, or Cambodian food. Well, let us show our photos.

Top in our list- Lao noodle. We found a nice stall on the edge of the night market, right beside the junction of Kitsalat Road and Sisavangvong Road (upper left). Both khao piet or wet rice strand (upper right), and khao soy or hand cut rice noodle (lower right) were nice. The stall was full with people and we had to queue to get an empty seat. Raw vegetables and special sauces were provided to enhance the taste of the noodles. Like Vietnamese noodle, free flow of raw vegetables were given. Basil leaf was given raw instead of adding into the cooking soup like Cambodian food.

There was another place where we could get nice Lao noodle- a shop nearby Indigo House along Sisavangvong Road (upper right). We tried a few dishes there, including seafood fried noodle (upper right), fried rice with pork (lower right), and noodle soup. 

We could find several nice restaurants beside Mekong River. We tried two of them- Vision File Restaurant at 177 Khem Khong Road was the better one. The best part of Vision File- nicely decorated (upper row)  with nice view along Mekong River (lower right). Anyway, we found mosquitoes around the area. We should bring some insect repellent to avoid the pest.

Mekong River from Vision File Restaurant. We could see people rowing dragon boats, ferries transporting commuters, and fishermen towing their nets along the river.  

Mekong River weed with special sauce (upper left), raw vegetables with minced pork (upper right), sticky rice, which was served in special container (lower right), and Lao-style fried rice were several dishes that we tried at the restaurants. Mekong River weed is a must-try food in Luang Prabang. The weed can be eaten together with sticky rice. 

We tried several dishes at Tamarind Tree Restaurant Mekong. The restaurant was located beside Mekong River, not far from Vision File Restaurant. Stir-fried mushroom in coconut water with seafood was special (upper left), while deep fried pork (upper right), fresh spring roll with peanut sauce (lower right), and Lao salad with egg were just average.

Food district is a narrow street beside Indigo House. It opens from 6 pm till 10:30 pm. We could find several stalls selling fruits, local products such as Mekong River weed, and a few stalls selling roasted fish, chicken, and pork there (upper left). The street was busy (upper right). Taste wise, the roasted food just average (lower right), but the papaya salad was nice. The portion of food in food district was small, with average price of 15,000 - 20,000 Kip per portion.

We found extra-large coconut in Luang Prabang at Vision File (upper left). Lao coffee (upper right) and local orange juice (lower right) are highly recommended. The orange juice was sold at the roadside stalls. 

Transportation

Taking taxi from airport to our hotel nearby the Royal Palace Museum, the fee was fixed at 80,000 Kip. Quite expensive. We used tut-tut for the trip from our hotel back to the airport with 50,000 Kip. We rented a tut-tut to Kuang Si Waterfall with 80,000 Kip. For the rest of our trip, well, we just walked around on foot.

"You don't have to rent a bike, just walk around, why you are in a hurry?" That was what our hotel staff told us. He was right. We found no issue walking around within the old town area.

Luang Prabang International Airport is not far away from the heritage area. However the taxi fee was not cheap. We paid for taxi at the ticketing counter, then went to the waiting area to get a taxi. The process was smooth. The staff at the ticketing counter could speak in English, but not the driver. So we requested the staff to write down our hotel's address in Lao for the driver.

Souvenir and Shopping

The best place for shopping- Luang Prabang night market at Sisavangvong Road. The market was not big, around 100 meters long. Clothes, key chains, fridge magnets, handicrafts, alcoholic drinks, shoes, sandals, snacks, kitchenware, drawings, and decoration items were sold along the night market. 

Bargain? Yes, we could get up to 40 - 50% of discount on some items. We should compare the price of the same or similar item as the price was varied from one stall to another. The market starts daily at 6 pm and closes around 10 pm.

The market is located at Sisavangvong Road, in front of the National Palace Museum.

Stalls at Luang Prabang night market.

Wine brewed with poisonous insects and snakes (upper left), decorative bowls (upper right) and masks (lower right) were some of the items available in the market. Key chains made by metals taken from the arsenals left by U.S. army could be found as well. For the wine, you could actually pay to take just a small cup of them. We bought a few fridge magnets and food from the market.

Morning market is located along the lane behind Vat Mai, which can be accessed via Sisavangvong Road, Khem Khong Road, and Kitsalat Road. The morning market starts at around 5:30 am and closes at around 10:30 am.

Morning market is a place where locals gather to buy their daily needs. There are some souvenirs (upper left) and snacks (upper right) for tourists as well. Local vegetables (lower right) and exotic food such as little maggots can be found as well. Visit the market early is important to avoid hot burning sun. The snacks were quite cheap. We could bargain if we bought in bulk.

D & T Super Market- a place where we could buy imported food and beverages from China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, together with Lao coffee, tea and Lao beer under one roof. The supermarket is located some 50 meters from Dara Market. About Dara Market, it was not more than a few rows of  rundown stalls, selling some imported clothes, shoes, and electronic products. Our advice, skip the place.


More about our stories in Luang Prabang are available:

[Luang Prabang Old Streets and Temples] [Getting Around Luang Prabang]

[Kuang Si Waterfall] [All Our Destinations]