Gyeongbokgung: Still Standing

Last weekend I went to Gyeongbokgung, the largest palace complex in Seoul. Though I've been before, the last time I went was almost two years ago, so when a friend asked me if I wanted to go together it seemed like a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

The palace is situated on some prime real estate, being located at the end of Gwanghwamun Square in the heart of Seoul. Notable neighbors include the Blue House, the home of the Korean President; the United States Embassy, which is one of the most heavily guarded buildings I've seen in all of Seoul; and the mighty Bukhansan mountain, which provides a suitably grand backdrop for the palace.

While Gyeongbokgung isn't as ornate or mysterious as some of the other Korean palaces, it more than makes up for that with sheer size. It is by far the largest of what are referred to as the Five Grand Palaces, and even with that said it currently only contains 40% of its original number of palace buildings (thanks Japan).

My friend and I took our time meandering around the palace, stopping to participate in a tea ceremony along the way. When our desire to immerse ourselves in historical Korea was satisfied, we left and headed for the Dongdaemun district.

Now while Dongdaemun is famous in it's own right for being a shopper's paradise, the place I really wanted to visit is tucked away in a small corner behind the enormous department stores and ritzy hotels. There, hidden from most, is a small community of Russians, Uzbeks, and other Eastern European peoples. I've heard this area referred to as Little Russia, and whether or not that's accurate, that's what I've come to call it as well. Once inside Little Russia, the signs change from familiar Hangul to almost alien Cyrillic, the smells and aromas become meatier, and you realize the old men sitting on plastic lawn chairs outside of convenience stores drinking cheap beer are no longer Korean. It's all really interesting.

We went to an Uzbeki restaurant and gorged ourselves on oily food, flaky cakes and strong beer. Afterwards, we did a little shopping so I could get some souvenirs (the kind you can drink) before making the long journey home. I've got to say, it's probably a good thing I don't live near Little Russia. I could easily see myself savoring lamb kebab and Russian beer on a daily basis.