Escaping the summer heat: Deoksugung Palace Night Tour

After a series of hot days (in the 90s!) our students were able to visit an important historic site in Seoul without having to stand in the hot sun! On Tuesday night, the students took a night walking tour of Deoksugung Palace.

Deoksugung Palance is one of the Five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon dynasty in Korea. It has alternated between temporary residence and official palace and therefore has an interesting mix of both Korean and Western-style architecture. With a tour guide, the students were able to "cross the bridge" into the palace and learn more about Korea's history and traditional architecture-- along with some other myths and stories.

While the tour started while the sun was up, the sun quickly set and all of the lights in the palace came on. The palace lit up at night was a completely different atmosphere than the palace lit up during the day! This allowed students to see a different side of Korean traditional architecture. After sundown, the city cooled down significantly and students were able to walk around, take pictures, and enjoy their time at the palace without worrying about the intense summer heat. There was even a photoshoot happening next to us, where students could see the traditional Korean clothes called "hanbok." 

After a few hours (and many pictures) in the palace, the tour guide informed the students of a famous waffle stand located next to the palace. Apparently, during the Joseon dynasty, the king owned a waffle maker. Now, the waffle stand next to the palace sells waffles inspired by the old king's love of these Belgian-style waffles! The students were more than happy to take a break, enjoy a waffle and a smoothie, and enjoy the night view of the walking street next to the palace. 

After enjoying their sweet treats, students went back home to rest and prepare for another busy day!