Seoul-Chungcheong-Jeonju

In Buyeo we will get acquainted with the treasures of Baekje, including those included in the register of the State Treasures of the Republic of Korea (Buyo National Museum), we will visit the place where the Buddhist temple of Jeongnimsa was located, with a unique 5-step pagoda.

The only burial of Pek rulers that has survived to this day.

We will get acquainted with the unique tomb of King Muryeong-wang (501-523), preserved intact to this day. Treasures from this tomb are now kept in the National Museum of Gongju City. We are waiting for a tour of the museum, as well as a walk through the picturesque fortress of Consancon.

A small town located on the shores of the Western (Yellow) Sea, experienced ups and downs: once the majority of the population in it were not Koreans, but rich Japanese!

In the city, you can feel the atmosphere of the first half of the 20th century, the rapid, uneven growth of the country, the development of colonial capitalism, and the elusive charm of a provincial Korean town, with a touch of Japanese style in architecture.

The unique Buddhist temple Donggunsa has been preserved in the city: it is the only Japanese-style Buddhist temple in Korea. Founded in 1913 by the Japanese monk Uchida under the name "Diamond Temple", it was renamed after liberation (August 15, 1945) as Tonguksa ("Temple of the East Country"; "East Country" is one of the names of Korea).

During the time of the state of Goryeo (910 - 1392), not far from Kunsan in the battle of Jinpo, the first victory of the Koreans over Japan with the use of firearms was won, which is dedicated to the theme park with a collection of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, aircraft, etc., the joy of the boys.

Itinerary (subject to slight changes): Gunsan Museum of Modern History - former customs building, with a small customs museum - Chinpo Naval Theme Park - Donggungsa Temple - Walk through the old quarters of Gunsan.

A unique temple in Korea in Japanses style.

A shrine that houses a portrait of the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, King Taejo (Lee Songye). An extensive complex of buildings, including the sanctuary itself, the state sago archive, a museum, the burial place of the placenta of King Yechzhon, and a complex of auxiliary buildings.

Why and who made portraits of kings, what is a historical archive, why bury the royal placenta - we will try to find answers to these questions in Gyeonggijeong.

Imokte is in a small area called Chaman Graffiti Village; the walls of the houses here are painted by professionals and amateurs: the world of Japanese manga and Korean manhwa; korean alphabet, fantastic, disney cartoon characters, traditional korean stories.

In the very historical center of Jeonju, you will find yourself in a fabulous atmosphere. Traditional Korean hanok houses with tiled roofs line the romantic narrow streets. Here, each house is a unique masterpiece of architecture, reflecting the richness and depth of Korean history.

Walking along these streets, you will notice how each house merges with the surrounding nature and creates a harmonious image. You will see small gardens with flowers, well-kept courtyards, as well as traditional decor elements that recreate the atmosphere of antiquity, and sometimes, on the contrary, remind us of modern design trends.

Recently, it has become fashionable for Koreans and guests of the Land of the Morning Calm to rent stylized costumes - traditional hanbok, or European costumes of the era of the first half of the 20th century, which is closer to us. In Jeonju, you will see many such couples or families looking exotic against the backdrop of historical buildings and traditional hanok houses...

Omokdae-Imokdae

Unfortunately, the Confucians were not very tolerant of Catholicism. We are reminded of this by the Jeonju Catholic Cathedral (built in 1908-1931), located on the site of the executions of Catholics.

Keshinsa is a satellite temple (subordinate) to the famous Sudoksa, which has one of the few wooden structures from the Goryeo period; but, if Sudoksa, with the exception of the main hall, looks quite "modern" on the whole, then the spirit of antiquity has been preserved in Keynes ...

It was founded in 654 (the 14th year of the reign of King Uizha-wang of the state of Baekje) by the monk Hegam (혜감/慧鑑) under the name Kewonsa (ke - discovery; won - beginning). In 1350 (the 2nd year of the reign of King Chungsuk-wang of Goryeo), it was renamed Kasimsa (sim - soul; kesim - spreading wisdom). Burnt down in 1475 but rebuilt in 1484. In 1740, it underwent another reconstruction and has not undergone significant changes since then. Thus, before us is a temple with a history dating back centuries, and with several buildings from the Early Joseon era!

Taeuncheon - 1484. Buddha and bodhisattvas in the main hall - Taeucheon - non-standard: Amitabha, Ksitigarbha and Avalokiteshvara. "Hall of the found knife [wisdom]", located to the left of Daeungjeong - apparently, was erected simultaneously with it; on the right is the Eternal Life Pavilion (무량수각); The composition of the central part of the temple is completed by the open pavilion Anyallu - "Tranquility and Rest".

Myeongbujeong ("Hall of 10 Lords of the Underworld") was built in 1646. Thus, the temple consists of really old buildings. If you want to plunge into the atmosphere of tranquility and antiquity - welcome to Kesimsa.

Stone fortress built between 1417 and 1421. Here was the command post of the army of Chungcheong Province. The main purpose of the fortress is to resist the raids of pirates from Japan. For 10 months, Admiral Li Sunxing served here in 1578.

The famous "Baekje smile" is the characteristic friendly and warm facial expression of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, reproduced in the statues of the state of Baekje (18 BC - 660 AD).

Of course, reproductions and photographs are one thing; but getting to know the smile in the original is different! It used to be quite difficult to get to the "smile" - after all, the Buddhist trinity is located in the Korean outback - Sosan County, South Chungcheong Province, but now an asphalt road has been laid here; we have to walk only a short section of the path ... Nearby are the ruins of the temple, in which there was a hermitage (satellite temple / hermit's dwelling) with the Buddha and 2 bodhisattvas with our smile.

The unique technique and artistry of the unknown master will allow us to see the open, unburdened, friendly expression on the face of the Baekje people who lived here more than 1400 years ago.

The site of the martyrdom of over 1,000 Korean Catholics between 1797 and 1872. Pope Francis made a pilgrimage here in 2014.

Changdeokgung - "Palace of Flourishing Virtue", built between 1405 and 1412, was the home for the kings of Joseon throughout most of the kingdom's 500-year history (1392-1897). It was also the residence of the last ruler of the Korean Empire.

The palace was destroyed during the Imjin War (1592-1598) and was restored in 1609. From 1623 to 1868, it served as the official residence of Korean kings. Since 1997, the Palace of Flourishing Virtue has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Chogyesa Temple is located in the heart of the capital of South Korea - Seoul. Despite the small area, the temple is the central administrative temple of the largest school of Buddhism in Korea with the same name - "chogye".

Gyeongbokgung Palace became the first residence of Korea's new Joseon Dynasty in 1395.

During the war with Japan (1592-1598) the palace was almost completely destroyed; however, it was restored in the middle of the 19th century and again became the residence of the Korean kings.

The palace is the architectural center of the northern part of the city of Seoul and impresses both with its size and extraordinary symmetry.

You will not only be able to capture yourself against the background of classical palace architecture, but also hear an entertaining story from our guide about the history, palace culture, the customs of the royal family, the symbolic meaning of the material attributes of the palace.

In the heart of Seoul, you can find an amazing architectural marvel — the Seoul Anglican Cathedral. Its history is both astonishing and fascinating.

So, in the early 1920s, when the skies were bluer than the dream of a weary builder, the Right Reverend Mark N. Trollope, the third Bishop of the Anglican Church of Korea, envisioned the construction of a cathedral. Funding for this idea came from the sacrificial offerings of the faithful Korean church members. These courageous Koreans were so devout that they could challenge the gravitational pull of any planet.

The British architect Arthur Dixon designed the cathedral. On May 2, 1926, the consecration ceremony took place, and everything was ready to begin construction. However, at that time, Japan ruled Korea, and it turned out that completing the project in its original cruciform shape was more difficult than explaining the meaning of life to the entire universe.

Since the cathedral was built during the Japanese colonial rule in Korea, it was impossible to finish the church according to the original design of the cruciform building. Therefore, the transepts on either side and the nave were shortened, and the building remained mostly unfinished.

The Cosmic Miracle of 1993

However, as they say, nothing is lost in the galaxy, especially if it involves architects' blueprints. In 1993, as if by the will of fate itself, the original plans were discovered in a library in England.

And so, in 1996, after long and convoluted years, the cathedral was finally completed according to the original plans. Now it stood as it should have from the very beginning — magnificent, splendid, and ready to welcome all visitors, whether earthlings or alien tourists.

Insadong is famous for the abundance of souvenir shops, traditional restaurants and tea houses, boutiques.

Insadong-kil Pedestrian Street is the central street of the area.

Often you can see street performances - traditional Korean samul-nori percussion quartet or martial arts tekkyon, taekwon-do or performances of youth groups in the fusion style, etc.

One of the central streets of Seoul, Jongno (literally "Bell Avenue") is named after the pavilion of the same name, which houses the main bell of the country. It is this bell that the best people of the country beat on New Year's Eve.

However, even mere mortals can hit it for good luck: at 12:00 noon, the pavilion is usually opened for visitors. However, a limited number of guests are allowed.

Shopping area, cafes, restaurants. The central Catholic Cathedral of Korea is also situated here.

A great opportunity to get acquainted with the history of the introduction of Christianity into Korea!

Symbiosis of urban landscape architecture and nature - the Cheonggyecheon River; everything is artificial in it: the bed of the river, the banks, the water itself ...

In fact, it was a real, natural river; but after the Korean War, it was "hidden" underground. As a result of the grandiose Cheonggyecheon restoration project in 2005, the river was reopened to visitors and residents of Seoul.

The complex of the central Gwanghwamun Square in front of the Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace, which is the compositional center of the capital of Korea, offers amazing views of Seoul: on one side is the main residence of the kings of the Joseon state (now a museum). But along the  Sejong-daero Avenue, departing from the square, there are high-rise modern buildings: government, embassies, Kyobo - the largest bookstore in Korea. Further down the avenue we can see the Seoul City Hall and still further - the Great South Gate of Namdaemun (National Treasure No. 1).

The unique architectural structure was opened to the general public (and city officials, of course) in 2013.

Its uniqueness lies in environmentally friendly, unusual and unexpected solutions: a double facade of an unusual shape, reminiscent of a sea wave, covering, by the way, the former Seoul City Hall; choice of heating sources; way of preserving the old city hall, Guinness record for the world's largest vertical green façade (internal).

To the northeast of Gyeongbokgung Palace lies the scenic hilly area of ​​Samcheon-dong. Due to the fact that the residence of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was located north of Gyeongbokgung (and west of Samcheon-dong), development activity in Samcheon-dong is very limited. Thus, despite the unique location in the center of the capital of Korea, there are no high-rise buildings in this area, and the cost of land is relatively low. This feature gives the area a unique charm: art galleries have chosen it; cafes and restaurants; flea markets and boutiques of stylized Korean clothes; here you will see a large number of preserved Korean-style houses - hanok.

The name of the district comes from the name of the government office of the Kingdom of Joseon, Samcheon-jeong (also known as Seogyeok-jeon); Samcheon-jeong's activities included performing Taoist sacrifices to Heaven, Earth and Stars. Literally, the name translates as "Districts / quarter of three purity": "Clean (light) mountains and clean water lead to greater purity and kindness of the human soul."

The oldest temple in Korea is Sudoksa. This temple is unique; he, one of the few Korean temples, was lucky enough to survive the war with Japan in 1592-1598. The oldest building of the temple - its main pavilion Taeungjeong - dates back to the Goryeo period (1308). On the beams supporting the roof of the building, you can still see the unique surviving image of the "Golden Dragon" from the Goryeo period. However, the temple was founded much earlier - in the Baekche era, information about its foundation dates back to the 6th century (Sabi period). Sudoksa is the only surviving Baekje temple!

At the end of the 19th - the first half of the 20th century, the temple became the center of the revival in Korea of "proper Korean" Buddhism, which was persecuted both under the kings of Joseon and under the Japanese colonial authorities. In particular, such famous monks as Gyeongho and Mangon lived and conducted their activities in the temple.

The first and largest Korean folk village in terms of area and exposition.

There are more than 260 buildings in the village, including houses of representatives of different classes, government agencies, pharmacies and mills, and craftsmen's workshops.

The village recreates in detail the atmosphere of rural life of the Joseon era. Buildings were brought from all regions of Korea: here you will also find houses made of volcanic tuff from about. Jeju (and the famous black pigs from there, by the way!), And thatched houses from the southern provinces of Korea, and the house of the provincial governor, and the Confucian village school. You can taste traditional Korean dishes at the village market.

The journey begins with a fascinating walk through the narrow streets surrounded by traditional Korean houses - hanoks. Each house is a living museum that reflects the unique style and architecture of ancient times.

Travelers hungry for knowledge can discover the craftsmanship of folk artisans.

But that's not all! This wonderful complex offers unique shows and concerts featuring traditional Korean dances, music and rituals.

Each show and concert is organized with love for details and leaves a unique impression. You will be delighted with beautiful costumes, incendiary rhythms and incredible talents of artists. The atmosphere will be filled with energy and delight, and you will find yourself a real witness to the beauty and splendor of Korean culture.