Changing of the Royal Guard Ceremony: A must-see when you visit Gyeongbokgung

It was a Friday when we visited Gyeongbokgung. Before leaving the guesthouse, I talked to our very accommodating and friendly guesthouse manager, Charlie, about getting to the palace. He then provided the times for the changing of the royal guards ceremony.

I wasn't really excited or anything for the said event, but I thought I'll watch it anyway since I'm already there. And man, was I amazed! It was a ceremony, alright. As I mentioned in my previous post, the palace ground was huge! And it was filled with guards in royal uniform and carrying traditional weapons with a traditional instrument - a big drum - being played during the ceremony. It was both grand and elegant which made me appreciate what little history I know about this country. The beautiful background is a big bonus and brings the whole experience to a different level.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

November 27, 2015
Day 6

On our 6th day, we visited the main and largest palace of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung or the Gyeongbok palace. This palace served as the home of Kings of Joseon dynasty, the Kings' household, as well as the government of Joseon. (source: Wikipedia)

The palace ground was huge! It was a cold day at -7C, so it was a bit of a struggle to walk with nowhere to escape the cold. So with the hope of keeping ourselves warm, we kept walking. We bought our tickets and checked the throne hall, the king/queen/crown prince quarters and other buildings.