Secret Garden, Seoul Tower & Korea House

Secret (Biwon) Garden

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHGCTdI-SkBp_6V7VaMd0OlgFZnfNDe7OWnT-wCPtyw9q92iQIjRRrkyqcC52pNphBxBneqk8APZSLtCO63ClhVXQFyzHOWFSqnc5xVb-5iTN3acWq_CG6UsMnGjM3wMocH8vfk1BQTo/s1600/cdg2.jpg

June 16, 1988: Part V

Our next stop after the Olympic Park was Changdeok Palace (also known as Changdeokgung Palace). This palace was finished in 1412 by King T'aejong and in 1463, the secret garden was added. Thirteen of Korea's kings lived at this location for a total of about 270 years. In 1592, the Japanese burned down several of the buildings which had to be rebuilt. This occurred several times. Now, thirteen original buildings still remain. Biwon (secret) garden has 28 buildings. This area of the palace was built so that the royal families had a quiet, scenic place to relax.

From Changdeok Palace, we jumped to the 20th century as we headed towards Seoul Tower. This is a communication tower that opened in 1980 and it is a common point of interest. At the top, you get a wonderful, panoramic view of the city.

The last stop of the day was Korea House. This was such a great way to end our first day in Seoul. Korea House is both a restaurant and theater. We ate a traditional Korean dinner and then saw the show of traditional dancers, drummers and other folk performances. Korea House is a place that all international tourists should visit.

June 16, 1988 was a day that gave us a look at both historical and contemporary Korean culture. Touring all of these places was amazing and I hope to be able to do it again someday. Moreover, it was especially meaningful to tour these locations with other adoptees. From the visit to our agency office to the Olympic Park and the Secret Garden, June 16 was a day not only to see and learn about Korea, but also one that enabled us to appreciate our heritage through a new perspective.