Day 9 - Moonlight Tour @ Changdeokgung Palace

Changdeokgung Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site from the Joseon Dynasty founded in 1392 to 1910. It is also known as Donggwol, the Eastern Palace as it is located east of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Every year, the Changdeokgung Palace holds night tours during two periods. First during June-August and second during August-November. This is an exclusive tour as tickets are usually sold out fast every year and their tours are very limited as well. It is open for Koreans on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights while foreigners only can visit on Sunday nights at 8pm-10pm. Each night, only 100 people are allowed to attend. The moonlight tour is a guided tour so don't be worried about the language barrier as foreigners will be given special tours which are available in English, Japanese and Chinese.

When we arrived, we were divided to form smaller groups for the tour. It was a cooling night as we waited outside the palace entrance for the tour to start. We were given time to have a photo session with the palace guards on duty and get ready as the tour guide handed out headsets to listen to the guided tour.

Finally, the tour commenced as the palace guards did a mini performance that signified the opening of the tour. As we entered the gates, we were given hand-held lanterns so we can see in the dimly lit palace. Once I was in the palace grounds, I felt like as if I was transported to the past. It was as if the palace doors separated the modern and tradition world while the palace walls hid us away from reality.

We were brought to the heart of the palace, the Injeongjeon Hall, which was the Venue for Royal Ceremonies. We got to see the King's throne and the famous folding screen called Ilwoloakdo byeongpung, embroidered with the sun, moon, and five mountain peaks.

Then, we were brought to see the King's quarters where we heard light flute music playing. At first, we thought it was just music played from speakers but it was actually a real person playing it! He sat in the Sangnyangjeong pavilion and gave a non-stop flute performance for all the visitors, which was really applaudable.

As the pavilion is located at the top of a hill, we could see from afar NamSan Tower and buildings from the modern world. Having the thought of needing to return back to reality after the tour ends made me wish that the night would never end, but I guess we can only look forward to the future.

Next, we took a long walk in the dimly lit palace grounds to reach the Buyongji and Aeryeonji Pond, also known as The Majestic Royal Backyard. There, we saw another performance of a lady playing a gayageum, which is something like the Chinese guzheng. We enjoyed the music while having a short rest before heading to our last stop of the night.

Lastly, we headed to Yeongyeongdang Pavilion, where performances were held in the past. We were treated with traditional Korean beverages and snacks while watching the last performance of the night which lasted for a good 30-40minutes. We were entertained by traditional dance, musical and singing performances under the breezy Korean night sky.

Personally, I felt that the Moonlight tour at Changdeokgung Palace was the most memorable experience I had in Korea. It is really a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. Walking the palace grounds in the quiet night is really different as compared to daytime, where you can fully immerse yourself into the world of the past. Words and pictures are not enough to describe the rich-cultured experience. Tickets are priced at 30,000won, so be sure to try it at least once in your life! It is really an unforgettable experience! I will definitely be back again next time! See you again Changdeokgung Palace!

(More info about the tour can be found here: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=1087481)

Written by Andrea Ng as ODAO.

Day 9 - Seodaemun Prison

I had never heard of Seodaemun Prison before, but it was a fruitful experience visiting the museum as it added to the educational aspect of this trip, and helped us learn more about Korea’s rich history. The building was brick red from outside, and since it was constructed at around the 1900s, it looked quite old.

We took pictures, all brimming with curiosity about just what the prison’s history was. Soon, my friends and I were being led by a guide who explained to us that the prison was used during the Japanese Colonial Period to house Korean liberation activists. About 3000 were imprisoned. And not all of the prison’s buildings were preserved, only seven out of fifteen remained.

Afterwards, we were led upstairs where we could see all the different ways the Japanese tortured the prisoners. One such method was hanging the prisoner upside down and pouring scalding water on them. It was really horrible to imagine all the sorts of torture that happened before in the very same place.

We also got to visit a memorial hall and the prison cells themselves. Our guide explained that more than 20 people would be in a cell, and there was no toilet or bucket for them to relieve themselves. Standing there in the cell with my friends, I really understood how terrible the living conditions were for the prisoners. That day, I had a new dream–world peace.

Written by Peggy Tan as ODAO

Day 8 - DMZ

It was day eight of the trip and the first destination for the day was to visit DMZ, otherwise known as the Korean Demilitarised Zone. This zone extends from the mouth of Imjingang River in the east to the town of Geseong in the west. In this two kilometre zone, military activity of any sort is forbidden and it is now a safe haven for a diversity of wildlife. Animals like red-crowned cranes, mountain goats, black-capped kingfishers and more can be found living in the DMZ.

The first part of the DMZ tour was a trip down a tunnel dug buy the North Korean army in 1978 as a form of means spy on South Koreans. The tour guide explained that this was the only tunnel left behind to serve heritage and cultural purposes, allowing tourists to have a first-hand experience on what being in this tunnel feels like. I was filled with excitement as I grabbed my helmet and waited patiently in my seat for the monorail to start moving into the tunnel.

The rocky ceiling above my head was lined with a single line of LED lights that extended from the very start of the tunnel to the deep end of this 1.64-kilometres long tunnel. The monorail moved slowly downwards, bringing us to the deep end of the 73-meters deep tunnel. All I could see were the same rocky textured walls that had several yellow circle markings on them. These yellow markings used to be bombs that the South Koreans planted as a form of attack against the North Koreans that were trying to sneak into South Korea, explained our tour guide. After the ten-minute ride, I arrived at the alighting point where I had to travel further into the tunnel by feet.

This tunnel is only two meters high and two meters wide but thankfully, I was able to walk through the tunnel without struggling too much. The ground was covered in a black mesh cloth, making it comfortable and easy to walk on. Metal railings were also put in place along with lights that lighted our way as I ventured into the tunnel. At the very end of the tunnel was a restricted area that left me curious as to what lay behind that wall. Could it be a secret tunnel that led to North Korea? I guess I’ll never know.

Next up in the tour was a short five-minute drive to the Odusan Unification Observatory where I was able to look across the DMZ to North Korea. Sadly, it was foggy that day so I couldn’t get a clear view of North Korea but I could still see some buildings that were peaking through the fog. Something unique about this observatory is its’ huge speakers that were playing Korean-pop music. It was said that the loud playing of this music was to demoralise the North Koreans, depriving them of the entertainment that South Koreans get to enjoy. I had mixed feelings as I looked across what seemingly appeared to be peaceful North Korea. All I could hope was for the best for both countries as I walked away and headed to my next location.

My last destination for the DMZ tour was the Dorasan Station. This station is one of the northernmost railway stations that connects Seoul to Sinuiju on the Gyeongui line. This station however, only allowed restricted access so I was not able to enter the railway boarding area. It was still pretty cool to have seen a railway station myself because I’ve never seen one before!

Well, that concludes my trip to the DMZ and now, I can’t wait to head to Insadong and Itaewon!

(Information about DMZ obtained from:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_ENG_2_2.jsp

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/pictures/130820-wildlife-korea-dmz-war-culture-biology-science/)

Written by Abigail Leong as ODAO