Seoul Tower & Cheonggyecheon Stream Lantern Festival 2012

Here are my fab pictures of Seoul Tower & Cheonggyecheon Stream lantern festival which I visited in November 2012. This was a great day and a worthwhile experience and I would certainly recommend any tourist or traveler in Korea to visit.

I was fortuitous that when I visited Seoul Tower the lantern Festival was occurring at the same time of the year, however in you visit earlier in the year I would still visit the peaceful tranquil Cheonggyecheon Stream.  

This was one for my favourite days in Korea when I visited Seoul Tower and then the Cheonggyecheon stream lantern festival. The only problem is it rained very heavy for the whole 8 hours but that did not stop a prefect day.I went on the train to Seoul and  gained accessed to the tower thought the cable car.

Waiting for the cable car 

I assumed this was optional but you have to get in the cable car to get up the mountain to see the tower. Like me if you are scared of heights don't worry, It provides a great view of Seoul and only lasts for moments. It was worth it the views were breathtaking and I really enjoyed myself despite the rain.

A view from the cable car 

A view of Seoul from Namsan Mountain

Seoul Tower opened to the public in 1980 and has since become a major tourist attraction. The 237 meter  Seoul Tower sits atop Namsan Mountain (243 meters) and  Seoul Tower offers panoramic views of Seoul and the surrounding areas.

After the Seoul tower I visited to the Cheonggyecheon Stream, this is a stream that runs through the heart of Seoul. Today the stream has been transformed into a haven of natural beauty amidst the bustle of city life of Seoul. It is a place were people go to relax and to get away from city life.

The stream has beautiful serene with small waterfalls, and nearly two dozen overhead bridges. and is 5 meters below sea level so you can't hear the traffic of the busy Seoul Center.

During my visit they had the lantern festival on the stream so the stream was lit up with lanterns in the water. There was apparently 10,000 lanterns from more than 20 countries worldwide emitting light along the wonderful stream. The lanterns are are symbol of 'hope and friendship'.

There were four areas each with they own theme. These consisted of lanterns from around the world portraying peace and harmony, a traditional Korean section with lanterns illustrating Korean culture, A section based upon famous symbols of Seoul and a area representing the future based on IT, technology and design.    

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace 

On 2 September 2012 I visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, this was the Royal Place where the King and Queen lived during the Joseon Dynasty from July 1392 to October 1887. It is one of the five grand  palaces in Seoul and coincidentally the biggest. It is absolutely beautiful and this amazing building is a must see for any traveler to Seoul or Korea. This can be made evident if any one is especially interested in history and architecture.   

Gyeongbokgung literally means "Palace of Shining Happiness" The vast majority of the palace has unfortunately been destroyed during one Japanese invasion or another, nevertheless It has since been restored to all its glory.  

I traveled to Seoul taking line 3 to Gyeongbokgung and exited at platform 5, upon my arrival I was met by a child who as it transpired was a guide for the Korean tourist board. The guide spoke prefect English and filled me in with all the historical details and informed me as to where and what each building was and its use. 

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most visited tourist attraction in Korea so crowds can be immense and this can create quite a wait to buy water and refreshments. Difficulties also arise when you are talking photos and many crowds quite simply walk past without any consideration of the photographer. 

There are many building and it can be confusing to understand what each room and area is used for, so getting a guide which is free and a map it a excellent way to gather the information.     

   

I would suggest having at least 2-3 hours to view all the amazing building and architecture and its well worth stopping at Blue House the official residence of the Korean President or the National Museum of Korea witch are both situated in the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds.   

    

Gyeongbokgung Palace is a top tourist attraction and if I visited Seoul again a place I would definitely visit again without any hesitation. 

Lee Milner