This area may be one of my favorites in Seoul. Other than these two must-sees, there are so many other neat areas near by, such as Insadong's pedestrian street full of handcrafted Korean gifts, Jogyesa Temple, and Cheonggyecheon Stream. It's worth it to plan your outing around the palace changing of the guard ceremony, which occurs every day at 11am and 1pm. Since the boys were out of school for an American holiday, we could avoid the local and weekend crowds. Plus, now that Mariam is in school, these adventures simply seem less challenging. However, we still missed you sweet girl!
Bukchon Hanok Village is just one subway stop from the palace and offers a peek into ancient Seoul. People still live in many of the hundreds of traditional homes and others have been turned into museums and tea houses. In one of the art centers, the boys each painted a lotus flower, which can be seen on many ancient temples, palaces, and homes. The lotus flower is a strong symbol in the Buddhist religion, which represents purity of the heart and mind. If you have seen this flower grow and then close under muddy water only to beautiful bloom again at dawn, you can see why many cultures have found symbolism in the lotus.
