Monuments to visit South Korea

This half-moon shaped gate is the most famous of the gates that belong to Hwaseong Fortress. This is the south door which has the peculiarity of being independent, detached from the rest of the structure. It's quite confusing though fascinating to see that nowadays it is used as a roundabout. This former guard platform has characteristics specific to western castles (battlements and loopholes). Just on its side, you can see a plaque with all the names of those who participated in its construction

This group of traditional buildings is an altar to the memory of Song Si-yeol (1607-1689), a scholar and statesman of Joseon. He was the tutor of King Hyojong and directed the neo-confucianist school Giho and adhered to the old doctrine (Noron). A little anecdote about Song Si-yeol: oral traditions say that in his early years, he is said to have possessed "magical powers" such as being able to read at night without a lamp or to see ghosts. We'll let you be the judge of that information. His notoriety increased as he grew older. This ritual specialist was a particularly virtuous conservative, which cost him his life. He reproached King Sukjong, who had raised one of his adulterous sons to the rank of prince, and was exiled to Jejudo. Called back to Seoul for trial, he was ordered to poison himself on the way (one bowl of poison was not enough to kill him, he had to ingest three). He was later rehabilitated and King Jeongjo raised the altar to him in 1785 (he himself wrote the plaque that adorns the main building). In addition to the altar itself (sadang), there is a pavilion facing the river, not far from the Daerosa memorial stele, which dates from 1787.

At the exit of the city before the bridge, Yeongweollu overlooks the river. This pavilion is in fact the former door of the district town hall, which was moved here when the new building was constructed in 1921. A good place to take pictures of the temple on the other side.

Seoul National University is the best in the country in most areas. Opened after the war, it was transferred in 1975 to the foot of Mount Gwanaksan. It has two small museums that are worth a visit if you are going to hike on the mountain.

The University Museum, which is quite small, offers some interesting classical paintings, celadons and furniture.

The exhibition rooms of the Kyujanggak Archives are by far the most interesting. The modern building with a Korean roof houses the collections of the Royal Library once housed in a pavilion of the Changdeokgung Palace (Gyujangak, still visible). Founded in 1776 by King Jeongjo, these collections included the Royal Archives, a copy of each book printed in Korea and a collection of Chinese works reported by Korean ambassadors sent to Beijing.

Three other national archives had been created, including one on the island of Gangwhado, which provided the Korean holdings of the National Library in Paris, after the French took some books with them during the invasion of the island. More than 170,000 books, some of them very old, are kept here and are accessible to researchers. Two rooms display interesting works, such as music manuals, illustrated texts describing the complicated protocol of the Yi court, amazing maps of Korea and the world known at the time, a book on shamanism, the first book in Hangeul...

During the Goryo Dynasty (918-1392), this fortress was used in a defensive role, particularly due to its strategic position right on the Ganghwa Strait. The battery, which housed 8 guns, was built in 1679 and completely rebuilt in 1977. We can see a dragon-shaped battery (Yongdudondae) advancing on the water, very elegant; a fortified gate (Anhae-ru, 1745) and also the rest of the artillery. The French landed there and invaded in 1866, abandoning a few cannons.

Above the Sambulsa and Mangwolsa temples there are three statues, standing upright, which were discovered by chance in the mountain in 1923 and later transported to this place. They are a Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas, and their style is more reminiscent of the statues found under Goguryeo. These three statues, which must date from the 4th or ^5th century and whose origin is unknown, are among the oldest in the country. Even if what is mysterious always intrigues us, it is not a must in the city.

Located in the village of Bukchon, this is a traditional house built in 1907 during the period of Japanese domination. Modern features include a main room with panoramic views, spacious bedrooms, a large garden and outbuildings. Constructed from black pine, the house features Japanese-style elements and a two-storey main room structure, an unusual feature for a hanok of the period. You'll also discover how ondol, the traditional underfloor heating system, works.

It is the place where the people of Goryo resisted the Mongol invasion of 1231 for 39 years. King Gojong moved his capital there because of the strategic advantages the site had. He felt safe there. But four centuries later, in 1637, the palace was lost following a Manchu invasion. Nowadays, the only buildings that can be seen are the Dongheon and Ibangcheong offices, which belonged to local officials.

The fortress dates back to the time of the Three Kingdoms, but the visible buildings date from 1711, when King Sukjong undertook its construction to provide a refuge for the court in case of danger. After the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598 (Imjin War) and the Manchu invasions of 1636, the need for a safe place near the capital was indeed widely felt.

A fortified wall was built from Mount Ingwansan, near the palaces, to the fortress. This one is 10 km in circumference, but only 6 months were necessary for its construction: the heights of the mountains were judiciously used. The site appears to be naturally fortified. The valley in the centre included a palace, sheds, military buildings, temples, etc. The valley in the centre included a palace, sheds, military buildings, temples, etc. The valley in the centre included a palace, sheds, military buildings, temples, etc. These buildings, which never had to be used in an emergency, survived until the Korean War, when most of them were burned down. Of the 14 gates that made up the enclosure, only 3 have been rebuilt (Daeseomun, the only one partially spared, Daedongmun and Daenammun). All 143 guard posts have been destroyed. Five of the ten temples and two hermitages built for the soldier-monks remain.

This fortress is not comparable to the one in Suwon in terms of the beauty of the buildings but the site is really superb. Moreover, it is easily accessible from Seoul.

Nestled in the middle of the mountains, it offers a splendid view, especially in autumn. In winter, beware of ice on the stairs.

Originally, this building, whose architecture happens to be a subtle blend of modern and traditional, was the residence of the Secretary General of the Presidency of South Korea and was therefore closed to the public. The museum, which opened in 2010, offers an immersion into the history of Korean politics with the aim of offering visitors a wide range of Korean culture in one place. A good complement to visits to the DMZ and the city's main museums, to understand Korea as it presents itself to us today.