#jogyesa

[loenadiary]

📍 Jogyesa Temple 조계사

[japanicus-nerdus]

Photo of the Day: Korean Buddhism

Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in Seoul. The tree you see behind the statue is a sacred white pine tree. I find this photo interesting because of the manner in which the Buddha is depicted. In Japan, the Buddha is not generally depicted in a jovial manner. If you see a jovial Buddhist image, it is generally either Jizo or Hotei. A statue of Jizo would look like this one, but he would be bald. Hotei…

[kyndaris]

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Our first proper day in Seoul had us running through the city using my highly advanced map-reading skills because Google Maps could not show even simple routes in and around the city except via public transport. This was due to the censorship laws of South Korea preventing the storage of map data on foreign server devices. As a consequence, Google cannot legally provide any real time navigation. Or so Google and Reddit tell me. Instead, locals rely on Naver and Kakao, but which do not always have English translations and thus tourists such as bleachpanda and myself are left fending for ourselves.

Still, after enjoying a ham and cheese 'Dagel' for breakfast at a local cafe, bleachpanda and I set out to Namsam Seoul Tower (or N Seoul Tower for short). Along the way, we stopped at the Namdaemun Market. There, we inspected the stalls to see what was on offer. Although we were both tempted to purchase souvenirs at this very first stop on our journey, we both resisted the urge.

We had, after all, not even properly seen the city!

Instead, bleachpanda and I purchased some egg tarts and a warm drink to drive away the wintry chill. While bleachpanda guzzled down her mocha, I was left disappointed by my 'choco latte,' which turned out to essentially be chocolate milk.

From Namdaemun Markets, we hiked towards Namsan Mountain, visiting a local 7-Eleven along the way to see if they shared any similarities to their counterparts in Japan or Australia (spoiler alert: they shared much more with their Asian cousins in Taiwan and Japan than those found out in the West).

Once at the start of the hiking trail up to Namsan, bleachpanda blanched at the prospect of climbing up to the tower. But with some gentle coaxing from me, she acquiesced. And so, we clambered up the mountain.

Bleachpanda, being the less fit of the two of us, required numerous stops to catch her breath. But these rests were also opportunities for us to take pictures of the scenery - capturing the early moments of spring peaking through as the snow began to melt.

By the way, did I mention there were love locks all around N Seoul Tower? Because that was a thing. As well as at the base of the mountain having a statue dedicated to the Comfort Women from the Second World War.

Still, it was aggravating to wait for her but it was the cross I had to bear as her travelling companion. Especially as we were nearing the tower and she vanished for nigh on eighty-four years because she ducked into a store to buy a fridge magnet.

At the tower, I purchased our entry tickets up and away we soared to the observation deck with a group of American tourists. Once at the observation deck, the entirety of Seoul was spread out before us. I used this chance to take copious amounts of pictures from this bird's eye view of the city:

Bleachpanda and I even bought a few souvenirs, including postcards. While I sent mine to a good friend (here known as redoubt on the internet), as he has a penchant of posting postcards to me when travelling overseas, bleachpanda sent one to her sister and another to her future self.

Once we had drunk our fill at the tower, we took the cable car back down to civilisation (bleachpanda's request) before heading to Deoksugung Palace. As I navigated our party towards our destination we refuelled at a Dunkin' Donuts before continuing onward.

Unfortunately, once we arrived at Deoksugung Palace, it was closed (this was due to the fact this palace is closed on Mondays. Why? I'm not sure. We would revisit it later). Disappointed, bleachpanda and I trekked instead to Gyeongbokgung Palace where we managed to catch a changing of the royal guard. During the performance, an explanation was provided regarding the process and of the outfits worn by the performers, which were based on 15th century Joseon dynasty clothing.

Fun fact, Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace of the Joseon palace and was built in 1395. Additionally, everywhere we looked, there were people dressed in hanboks because they allowed free entry!

Alas, bleachpanda and I were dressed in our thick entry gear. And so, we had to buy tickets to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. I also grabbed an audio gudie to provide some commentary of the historic site we were visiting, although I had to trade in my driver licence.

As we made our way through the Palace, I learned how the Palace served as the heart of the Joseon dynasty before it was razed to the ground when Japan invaded Korea back in 1592. This was later rebuilt in 1867. Within were several precincts and the living quarters for concubines and the royal family. Of interest to me was how there were separate palaces for the King and the Queen.

I also learned how during the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century, Gyeongbokgung was used for their own headquarters, with the Government-General Building being built after the Palace was levelled. After the conclusion of the Second World War, however, much of Gyeongbokgung has been restored.

After we had wandered through to all the major sites, bleachpanda and I exited out near the National Folk Museum of Korea. Eager to have my driver licence returned, we headed back to the entrance and exchanged the audio guide for my Australian identity document.

From the palace, we then headed to Bukchon Hanok village and finally nabbed a late lunch of pork cutlet - elsewise I might have keeled over. After we were both full, we took a gander around Bukchon, stopping by Bukchon Yukgyeong to snap an iconic view of the city of the buildings there and the city of Seoul splayed out before us.

Once we had snagged the picture, bleachpanda and I headed back to our hotel after a long day out in the city of Seoul. We stopped briefly at Jogyesa Buddhist temple before purchasing a few souvenirs and snacks.

So ended our first proper day in Seoul! Join me for the next few weeks as I regale you, dear reader, of our further adventures! For tomorrow is when we head into the DMZ (the last letter pronounced as Zed for all you Americans out there).

Looking back on our journey though, I'm a little sad I couldn't snag myself a hot CEO boyfriend after he hit me with his car. Still, there's always next time!

[ososperezosos]

October 10, 2023.

[nineteenfiftysix]

Jogyesa Temple (Seoul, South Korea - 2023)

[eepuniverse]

Hexel's World Tour Week 6 – Seoul

Everyone, I'm home. I know it sounds so cliche, but the moment I got off the plane in Seoul, I felt like I was coming home🇰🇷❤️. I already knew I could speak Korean, so getting through the airport and to the main city was a breeze (but can we talk about Incheon airport? It is so cool. I could literally spend a whole day at just the airport). I quickly got to my hotel in the middle of Seoul and it is way too nice. I feel like an imposter staying here hahaha.

There are some parts of the city that feel so familiar to me, even though I can't fully remember them. One day, I ended up just walking instinctively to this hole-in-the-wall kalgooksu restaurant and had the best noodle soup ever! 🍜(or I think it's the best I've ever had. It also felt so familiar!) Another place that felt super familiar was Dongdaemun and the Design Plaza. It kind of looks like a spaceship, but I knew exactly where to exit the subway station to get there. It was like instinct. The markets in Dongdaemun are so nice! They have so much fashion and accessories 👗 it was all so overwhelming. But I was able to buy gifts for Georgia while I was there

Talking about cool shops, I just wandered around Insadong for like half a day. There are so many side streets with cafes and small shops that you wouldn't even know were there unless you went to explore. From Insadong, I ended up walking to Bukchon traditional village. Both Insadong and Bukchon are known for their traditional hanok houses. And you all, I could LIVE in one of these. They're so beautiful and smell amazing like wood and paper! I found a place in one of these hanok houses called Aromind which lets you design your own perfume scent! It was so cool and I made one for Krista (hope she likes it!) 🎁

I also wrote down all the food places I loved to go with Dustin if we ever come to Seoul together, including this place that does bbq ribs DIPPED 🍖🧀 in melted cheese and a jjajangmyeon place that handrolls their noodles! I wanted to get Dustin a whole package of Hanwoo--prime Korean BBQ beef (did you know you could buy those?!)--but I was worried about getting it through customs, also, it was a lot to ship back to the US. So I got Dustin some green tea from Ossulloc 🍵, I know it's not technically food, but it's food adjacent! And their tea house in Gwanhun-Dong was so gorgeous with all the traditional ceramics and the little displays about how the teas are roasted! Plus, they're right by Jogyesa Buddhist Temple. They told me Jogyesa is the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The building dates back to the late 14th century! And you can write your wish on a piece of paper and hang it like a little flag. All the wishes fluttering in the air were so beautiful!

I didn't mean to organize my tour around Seoul based on buying the perfect gifts for my friends, but it turned out that way. So I knew I had to find something amazing for Mac, and I did in Gangnam! That neighborhood kind of reminds me of midtown New York with all the skyscrapers and the fancy hotels and buildings. They have the flagship store to this amazing sunglasses store called Gentle Monster. But they don't just sell sunglasses, they also have amazing art displays that the store clerk told me rotates regularly! In fact, lots of the cool high fashion stores do fun artsy displays in Seoul! From there, I just popped over to Lotte World Tower and bought ALL the duty free skincare! I can't wait to try all my facemasks with the band! Apparently Lotte World Tower is the tallest building in South Korea. And they even have an aquarium in there!

[korealog]

[2] Too hot to touch (ENG/DE) — Sunday, 28.07.24

(ENG)

After a short search, I found a café and ordered a mango cheese bingsu (a kind of ice cream). Cooling down did me the world of good & I was able to continue exploring Insadong with energy. Generally speaking, this neighbourhood is a shopping district, but more for people who don't follow the latest trends. There is also a whole building full of do-it-yourself shops, so you feel like you're in your own little world here. There are always restaurants (called sikdang here, by the way) in narrow alleyways in typical traditional Korean "hanok" houses. There are also small galleries with paintings on display on every other corner in Insadong. The trip there was really worthwhile & I would recommend it again and again! Oh, there's also a café here where you can listen to records on headphones! But I'll be there again & tell you everything in more detail ;) There's something new to discover everywhere. Before I knew it, it was already 7.30pm again & I wanted to slowly make my way back. On the way to the metro, I discovered a temple in the middle of the houses by chance. This year, the 10th Jogyesa Lotus Festival is being celebrated here from July to August. Accordingly, the whole temple was decorated with bright lotus flowers. It was totally impressive & somehow the atmosphere made me feel very emotional that day. I couldn't blink so quickly and one tear after another gradually ran down my cheeks. Maybe because I was happy, but maybe also because I knew that this journey would soon come to an end & I would have to go back. Whatever it was, this feeling stayed with me for quite a while that evening. When I arrived in Noryijang (my neighbourhood), I ordered tteobokki (rice cakes + hot sauce) in one of the restaurants open 24 hours a day. By now I'm a pro when it comes to spicy food haha. My friends here have always praised me for the fact that spicy food is so good for me.

Till the next blog entry…

(DE)

Nach nicht mal allzu langer Suche habe ich auch schon ein Café gefunden und mir dort ein Mango-Cheese-Bingsu (eine Art Eis) bestellt. Die Abkühlung hat sehr gut getan & ich konnte mit Energie weiter Insadong erkunden. Im groén und Ganzen ist dieses Viertel ein Shopping Viertel, aber eher für Leute, die nicht nach dem neuesten Trend leben. Es gibt auch ein ganzes Gebäude voll mit Do-It-Yourself Läden, man fühlt sich hier eher wie in einer eigener kleinen Welt. In schmalen Gassen finden sich immer wieder Restaurants (hier übrigens Sikdang genannt) in typischen traditionellen koreanischen Häusern „Hanok“. In Insadong befinden sich auch an jeder zweiten Ecke kleine Galerien mit Gemälden, die hier ausgestellt werden. Der Ausflug dorthin war wirklich lohnenswert & ich würde es immer wieder weiterempfehlen! Ach, hier gibt es auch ein Café, in dem man über Kopfhörer Schallplatten hören kann!. Dort bin ich aber nochmal & erzähle euch alles etwas genauer ;) Überall gibt es wieder etwas neues zu entdecken. Ehe ich mich versah, war es schon wieder 19:30 Uhr & ich wollte mich langsam auf den Rückweg machen, Auf dem Weg zur Metro habe ich durch Zufall einen Tempel in mitten der Häuser entdeckt. In diesem Jahr wird hier von July bis August das 10. Jogyesa Lotus Festival gefeiert. Dementsprechend war der ganze Tempel mit leuchtenden Lotusblumen geschmückt. Es war total beeindruckend & irgendwie hat mich die Atmosphäre an dem Tag sehr emotional werden lassen. So schnell konnte ich gar nicht blinzeln und nach und nach liefen mir eine Träne nach der anderen über die Wangen. Vielleicht weil ich glücklich war, vielleicht aber auch weil ich wusste, dass diese Reise auch bald ihr Ende haben wird & ich wieder zurückgehen muss. Was immer es auch war, dieses Gefühl hat mich an dem Abend noch ein ganzes Stück begleitet. In Noryijang (meinem Viertel) angekommen habe ich mir in einem der 24h geöffneten Restaurants erstmal Tteobokki (Reiskuchen + scharfe Soße) bestellt. Mittlerweile bin ich Profi, was scharfes Essen angeht haha. meine Freunde hier haben mich immer dafür gelobt, dass mir das scharfe Essen so gut bekommt.

Bis zum nächsten Blogeintrag…

[earraigh]

jogyesa temple by morning and by night, seoul

조계사, 서울

[loenadiary]

📍 Jogyesa Temple - 조계사

[bennett2112]

23 November 2024 - Exploring Seoul

It was a beautiful clear morning for our first day in Seoul so we walked to Namsan to take the cable car up to Seoul TV Tower. The views at the top were amazing and made even better with the autumnal colours.

We then took the cable car back down and headed to Namsangol Hanok Village. The village is made up of a collection of five hanoks (traditional Korean houses) recovered from different parts of the city and relocated to the northern foot of Namsan mountain. It was really peaceful walking around and seeing how different classes of people lived.

We then took the tube to Ikseon-dong, a small district which is known for its picturesque alleyways filled with cafes, restaurants and shops. We stopped in to Nakwon and shared a hibiscus tea and a slice of cake.

Jogyesa Temple is known as the centre of Korean Buddhism and is located near Insa-dong where we have been staying. The grounds were filled with colour with Buddha statues wrapped in flowers and Baeksong (a Lacebark Pine Tree) covered in decoration. At the centre of the temple, was the main Dharma Hall (Daeungjeon) named and after the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni. Inside were three magnificent golden statues of Amitabha Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Bhaisaiya Buddha.

In the evening we went to Niroumianguan (WooYukMyeonGwan Cheonggyecheon) to try their beef noodles. They were so tasty and they paired so well with the prawn dumplings and pickled cucumber we also ordered.

To cap off the evening we strolled back around the lanes in Myeongdong and got our caricature done.

[travelwithz]

Our first sightseeing spot in Seoul was the Jogyesa Temple a 14th century Buddhist Temple conveniently located across the street from our hotel. The temple was decorated for autumn with chrysanthemum flowers.

[2024-korea-japan]

조계사

Jogyesa Tempel

[stephenandsparklesdokorea]

Sunday October 2nd 2022 | Sunday Morning Stroll in Seoul

I woke up much earlier than the rest of our party and was able to enjoy another Sunday Morning Stroll, this time through the sleepy streets of Seoul. I got a closer look at Myeongdong Cathedral in the daylight, and tried to drone from the garden benches here before the church crowd arrived but most of Seoul is a no fly zone and it had started to drizzle a bit. Instead I set off walking towards Jogyesa Temple and found coffee somewhere along the way. ¾ of a mile later I found myself enjoying the immaculately landscaped gardens ofJogyesa Temple, its trees adorned with flowers and lanterns, sculptures made out of warm toned mums, and gardeners already at work watering and sculpting new topiaries in shapes of animals, cartoon characters, and deities. I’m glad I got here early because tour groups were already starting to arrive, and it was neat to see this vibrant temple contrasting the surrounding glassy modern buildings in relative solitude. 

The things that stood out to me on the next half mile were passing a lot of antique shops and walking along a road that went under a building, My next stop was quiet Unhyeongung Palace, a political building and residence that was simple and unassuming compared to Gyeongbokgung and Changgyonggung, but not somewhere I’d go out of the way to visit again. From there I walked through the Insadong shopping area, which is somewhere I actually had been to on our honeymoon. Most of the shops were still closed, and there were more utility and delivery vehicles on the streets than pedestrians, so it didn’t look much at all like the bustling walking streets I knew it would later in the day. I stopped to take a picture at a mural I vividly remembered from my first time here and then detoured across the street to walk past Tapgol Park on my way back to the hotel. I again crossed the creek at Cheonggyecheon, a block over from yesterday’s walking route, and in an area with more trees and foliage along the banks. By the time I got back to the cathedral near our house, a farmer’s market had been set up at its foot and I perused its offerings before meeting back up with Josh and Alexis. Devin had gone to the airport and from here on out I’d be the one third wheeling. 

[japan-korea]

Jogyesa Temple tonight

[char1ottee]

Seoul culture🇰🇷

Museums

Seoul is home to 115 museums, including four national and nine official municipal museums. The National Museum of Korea has a collection of 220,000 artifacts. The National Folk Museum is located on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung and focuses on the daily life of historical Koreans. Bukchon Hanok Village and Namsangol Hanok Village are old residential districts consisting of hanok (traditional Korean houses).

The War Memorial covers the history of wars that Korea has been involved with, especially the Korean War.[132][133] Seodaemun Prison is a former prison built during the Japanese occupation, and is used as a historic museum. The Seoul Museum of Art, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, and Ilmin Museum of Art are art museums in the city.

Religious monuments

The city has buildings related to a number of religions. The Wongudan altar has been used since the Three Kingdoms Period. There are also a number of Confucian shrines, such as Jongmyo, Sajikdan, Munmyo, and Dongmyo. For Buddhism, Jogyesa is the headquarters of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Hwagyesa and Bongeunsa are also major Buddhist temples in Seoul.

The Myeongdong Cathedral is a landmark of the Myeongdong, Jung District. Yakhyeon Catholic Church is the first Gothic church to be built in Korea. Yoido Full Gospel Church is a Pentecostal church affiliated with the Assemblies of God on Yeouido in Seoul. The St. Nicholas Cathedral, but sometimes called bald church, is the only Byzantine-style church in Seoul.

Festivals

In October 2012, KBS Hall in Seoul hosted major international music festivals – First ABU TV and Radio Song Festivals within frameworks of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union 49th General Assembly. Hi! Seoul Festival is a seasonal cultural festival held four times a year every spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Seoul, South Korea since 2003. It is based on the "Seoul Citizens' Day" held on every October since 1994 to commemorate the 600 years history of Seoul as the capital of the country. The festival is arranged under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. As of 2012, Seoul has hosted Ultra Music Festival Korea, an annual dance music festival that takes place on the 2nd weekend of June.

Seoul has a large quantity of parks. One of the most famous parks is Namsan Park, which offers recreational hiking and views of the downtown Seoul skyline, especially via its N Seoul Tower. Seoul Olympic Park, located in Songpa District and built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics, is the largest park. The areas near the stream Tancheon are popular for exercise. Cheonggyeche

Architecture 🏙️

The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon dynasty city, now the downtown area, where most palaces, government offices, corporate headquarters, hotels, and traditional markets are located. Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs from west to east through the valley before emptying into the Han River, was for many years covered with concrete, but was recently restored by an urban revival project in 2005. Jongno street, meaning "Bell Street", has been a principal street and one of the earliest commercial streets of the city, on which one can find Bosingak, a pavilion containing a large bell. The bell signaled the different times of the day and controlled the four major gates to the city. North of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan. Further south are the old suburbs, Yongsan District and Mapo District. Across the Han River are the newer and wealthier areas of Gangnam District, Seocho District and surrounding neighborhoods.

Historical architecture

Seoul has many historical and cultural landmarks. In Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, Gangdong District, neolithic remains were excavated and accidentally discovered by a flood in 1925.

Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the late 14th century. The Joseon dynasty built the "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul—Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung—all of which are located in the Jongno and Jung Districts. Among them, Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as an "outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design". The main palace, Gyeongbokgung, underwent a large-scale restoration project. The palaces are considered exemplary architecture of the Joseon period. Beside the palaces, Unhyeongung is known for being the royal residence of Regent Daewongun, the father of Emperor Gojong at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.

Seoul has been surrounded by walls that were built to regulate visitors from other regions and protect the city in case of an invasion. Pungnap Toseong is a flat earthen wall built at the edge of the Han River, which is widely believed to be the site of Wiryeseong. Mongchon Toseong is another earthen wall built during the Baekje period that is now located inside the Olympic Park. The Fortress Wall of Seoul was built early in the Joseon dynasty for protection of the city. After many centuries of destruction and rebuilding, about 2⁄3 of the wall remains, as well as six of the original eight gates. These gates include the south gate Namdaemun and the east gate Dongdaemun. Namdaemun was the oldest wooden gate until a 2008 arson attack, and was re-opened after complete restoration in 2013. Located near the gates are the traditional markets and largest shopping center, Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market.

Modern architecture

Various high-rise office buildings and residential buildings, like the Gangnam Finance Center, the Tower Palace, Namsan Seoul Tower, and the Lotte World Tower, dominate the city's skyline. The tallest building is Lotte World Tower, reaching a height of 555m. It opened to the public in April 2017. It is also the 6th highest building in the world.

The World Trade Center Seoul, located in Gangnam District, hosts various expositions and conferences. Also in Gangnam District is the COEX Mall, a large indoor shopping and entertainment complex. Downstream from Gangnam District is Yeouido, an island that is home to the National Assembly, major broadcasting studios, and a number of large office buildings, as well as the Korea Finance Building and the Yoido Full Gospel Church. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, and Lotte World are located in Songpa District, on the south side of the Han River, upstream from Gangnam District. Three new modern landmarks of Seoul are Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park, designed by Zaha Hadid, the new wave-shaped Seoul City Hall, by Yoo Kerl of iArc, and the Lotte World Tower, the 6th tallest building in the world designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.

In 2010 Seoul was designated the World Design Capital for the year.

[japanicus-nerdus]

Photo of the Day: Lanterns

Buddhist temple in Seoul, Jogyesa Temple I am assuming these are names of parishioners who have passed away. It was a very cool effect.  Please visit my gallery for more images https://peregrinationsjapan.picfair.com/