Saturday, Mar 30th, Seoul, South Korea

Greetings!

We began the day visiting a Confusion shrine of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897),  Jongmyo.  The longest building in Korea of traditional design, it was founded by the first King (Taejo) whose family dominated the early years.  The Dynasty eventually included 27 Kings, 19 of which are enshrined here.

In May of each year, ritual ceremonies are held contiuing a tradition begun in the 14th century.  Both the shrine and the ceremony are on the World Heritage List.

Skipping ahead 300 years, and only a few blocks, we took a quiet walk through a hillside neighborhood (Bukchon Hanok Village) which has also been designated a historic district, and which enforces strict quiet among the visiting tourists.  Signs and patrols enforce the silence, and 600,000 visitors arrive annually to see the homes of government bureaucrats who served the Joseon Dynasty.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Saturday, Mar 30th, Seoul, South Korea