Seoul - Day 5

 

This morning started off with an extended bus ride out to see the Seo-Oreung, five Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.  Scottie and I took a walk around the park that included the following tombs: Gyeongneung, Changneung, Ingneung, Myeongneung, and Hongneung.

The first tomb we passed was Ingneung, the tomb of Queen Ingyeong, first queen of King Sukjong, 19th monarch of Joseon.  She passed away at the age of 20.  The next burial grounds we saw were Sunchangwon, where Crown Prince Sunhoe, the eldest song of King Myeongjong, the 13th monarch of Joseon, and his wife, Lady Yun, were buried.  He passed away at the age of 12.

The next burial grounds we hiked to were Gyeongnueng, the tomb of Deokjong and Queen Sohye (posthumous titles), son and daughter-in-law of King Sejo, the 7th monarch of Joseon.  The red-spiked gate signified we were entering sacred territory.  The road leading to the shrine was called Worship Road with two lanes (one for spirits and one for the King).

We also passed Daebinmyo, the burial place of Lady Jang, concubine to King Sukjong, the 19th monarch of Joseon.  When she bore the King a son first, he removed Queen Inhyeon and elevated Lady Jang to queen.  But he regretted it, and later restored Queen Inhyeon, and poisoned Lady Jang.  These stone figures represent military and civil officials.

The last tomb we saw crossed was Hongneung, the tomb of Queen Jeongseong, the queen of King Yeongjo, the 21st monarch of Joseon.  The T-shaped shrine ahead is where ancestral rites are held and the tablet of the deceased is enshrined during the rituals.

We spent the rest of the afternoon with Scottie's Mother's family including her brother and wife, her younger sister, husband, and daughter, and her mother.  We ate a family style meal at a place known for its tofu.  Everything was vegetarian (well except for the dishes with clams!), so I was excited.  We started with the traditional banchan, the various side dishes including kimchi (fermented cabbage), fried tofu, bean sprouts, spinach, etc.  For the main course, we saw more tofu dishes, stews or jjigaes, and more rice like in the bamboo stick.  I think we had sundubu jjigae and/or dwen-jang  jjigae, which are soup-based dishes that include tofu, soybean paste, a variety of vegetables (e.g., mushrooms, zucchinis, onions, red/green chili peppers), and random shellfish (e.g., mussels, clams, and shrimp).

I refrained from taking pictures here but probably should have plus I had to keep up with all the makgeolli flowing!  I did remember to follow the Korean tradition that Scottie's father taught me that you were supposed to receive drinks with both hands, specifically, the left hand supporting the right hand.  For dessert, we headed to Scottie's Grandma's house in Susaek, where we munched on strawberries, pears, and duk (tasty rice cakes).

After lunch, Scottie's parents took us downtown to walk around Yeouido Park for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

We also passed the National Assembly, the lawmaking body of government., and walked along the Han-Gang Riverside Park near Yeouido to kill some time before we headed on an evening boat ride tour of the Han River (forcing us to drink some Maxwell House…yeeesh).  Scottie and I are laughed at the fact that this tour included "entertainment" as if the buildings and city lights weren't enough.  But what we found even funnier was the fact that everyone kept going to the beverage and food section to get a hold of a corn dog.  Scottie and I managed to refrain but we partake in an OB.  To cap the boat ride, we saw some fireworks over with the city lights in the background.

For dinner, we stopped at Sanbong Hwarogui in Jongno for some Korean BBQ, pork-style.

More pictures located here.  A map of our trip located here.