When she was all done, we had a driver take us to the Changdeokgung Palace. It was so nice having a driver to just drop us off at the front gates! We bought our tickets then entered into the palace. When you first walk in, you pass through the Donhwamun (돈화문), which is the palace's main gate. You can see the main gate right behind us!
The grounds to this palace were so huge! There were so many buildings and courtyards. There was a large ditch that was water-less that Little A really loved, so she asked if she could get a picture with just her and grandma and grandpa! The cool thing about this picture, is that you can see the Geumcheongyo (금청요), which is the stone bridge in the background and also the oldest structure in the palace dating back to 1411!
After making a wrong turn into what appeared to be living quarters, we snaked our way back on the correct path. The main walkway in the palace is a long dirt and cobblestone road. It was not very stroller friendly and I kept getting stuck. It was an extremely hot day, and there isn't a lot of shade or trees to lessen the blow of the sun. The kids and my dad would keep out of the sun by hanging out under the archways in the walkway.
We walked a ways down the pathway and were greeted by the Injeongjeon (인정전), the palace throne hall. It is a beautiful palace. It was a beauty to behold! I kept asking my parents if they had ever seen anything like it. It was fun showing them something they hadn't ever seen!
My dad seemed to enjoy the palace, but my mom was all smiles and excited at all the new things to see and smell! It was fun being at the palace with her and showing her around Seoul!
It was past lunch time, and all my kids were hot, hungry and thirsty! We still had a few parts of the palace grounds that we wanted to see, but the kids were beginning to fade quickly. We went into the little snack bar in hopes of finding ice cream or food, but were disappointed. Since the Changdeokgung Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, food is not allowed on the premises, so the only thing someone could buy were teas and drinks. We walked back to the main gate, to eat our lunches and find some ice cream.
We found a little ice cream shop across from a 7-11, so we ordered ice creams and sat at the table and ate our lunches and ice cream. It was very pleasant being in an air conditioned room. After we cooled off, used the bathrooms, and ate, we went back to the palace to see the last of the grounds. We went first to the beautiful Huijeongdang (휘정당), which is the royal bedchambers of the king. We all loved the roof and the iron statues on the roof!
The Changdeokgung Palace has a secret garden that Big Sis really wanted to see, but after we saw the map and how very large it is, we decided to save the Secret Garden for a much cooler day! My dad, Monster and M&M stayed in the shade of the little shop, while mom, Big Sis, Little A and I saw the last few buildings before the Secret Garden entrance.
The building that I had been eyeing since we walking on to the grounds was the Seongjeonggak (성정각), this is where the crown price lived. This was actually my most favorite structure of the entire palace! It was so original and beautiful. If I lived in one of the houses of this palace, this is where I would want to live. It reminded me of a princess cottage!
The last building that we saw was the Daejojeon (대조전), the queen's bedchambers. We all really liked this one because it was up off the ground and in its own little courtyard!
The buildings were all so beautiful and stunning. The colors were vibrant and it was so neat seeing it all. We will definitely come back when it is cooler so Big Sis can see the Secret Garden! But, It was such a delight to show my mom and dad a South Korean Palace!
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