However, you wrote that some of the dirt floor palaces were burned down during the 1592 Hideyoshi Invasion. You should point out that it was Korean slaves that burned many of them down.

Koreans teachers and historians are busy spreading the untruth that Japanese burned down all their dirt floor palaces, when their own slaved burned them down many of them.

Koreans have a long ugly history of slavery. Actually, Korea may have been the only nation in world history where they enslaved their own kin groups. It was the Japanese that freed the Korean slaves. One of the many great things the Japanese have done for Korea. In fact, thanks to the reforms that the Japanese made, Koreas with well known names that were assocated with slaves changed them to names like Kim and Lee.

These days Koreans are busy writing a new histoy where korean slaves where happy.

I seem to remember that Ryu or Yoo and Bang are old slave names. I will have to look that up.

As far as doing a self tour at Changdeokgung for 15000 won that is pretty expensive. Last time I did the tour there I just let the group get way ahead of me so I could take pictures. It is impossible to take decent pictures with a hundred people in a tour group around you.

The Marmot has some nice photos of that European style botanical garden on the other end of the pond. I wonder if they open that up in warmer weather (was closed when I went in December).

ps: You can save yourself some won by sneaking away from the tour. The easiest place to do that is the at the pond, where the group takes a break. Hide behind the pavilion and wait for everyone to leave. Then wander around on your own, making sure not to cross paths with the group as it enters and exits that nobleman’s house in back.

1. the huge contrast of the noisy old people’s hangout in front of Jongmyo park, where you buy the ticket, which is teeming with old folks with nothing better to do but noodle on guitars with car-battery amps, sing badly into karaoke machines, and bang on sameul-nori drums, and the very mellow, leafy green peaceful atmosphere of the trails inside — Changgyeonggung isn’t as quiet as Jongmyo park, but it’s easily the most low-key of the big palaces in the vicinity.

2. The heron family that lives in the lake near the back of the palace grounds.

ps: my student tells me that this spring and summer, for 15000 won, on Thursdays you can wander around Changdeokgung on your own, instead of being required to take one of those guided tours. Sweet!