Korea History Tour: Korea Begins Discount Tickets

5.0

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Based on 3 reviews |

161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Seoul

5.0 /5

3 reviews

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Korea History Tour: Korean Code

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$45.57

REG. $50.00

Overview

Most Seoul tours show you the sights. Korean Code teaches you to read them. In three hours we follow a single idea, an old Korean code of heaven, earth and humankind, through four places a short walk apart around Gwanghwamun: a star map carved in stone in 1395, the south gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Hangul alphabet and the Korean flag. You won’t just listen. You’ll find the bird of the south hidden on the gate’s ceiling and write your own name in Korean using the same code. Once you see the pattern, you’ll start noticing it all over Korea. Small groups of up to 10, led by an English-speaking guide.

Language Offered

English-GUIDE

Itinerary

1. National Palace Museum of Korea

National Palace Museum of Korea Step inside the National Palace Museum to stand before the Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido, a star map carved in stone in 1395, just three years after the Joseon Dynasty was founded. It is the world’s second-oldest surviving stone star chart, and it maps 1,467 stars. It was made to show that the new kingdom ruled by the mandate of heaven. This is where we find the first clue to the Korean Code.

Duration: 60 mins

2. Gwanghwamun Gate

Gwanghwamun is the south gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and in old Korea the four directions were never just directions. Each had a guardian: a blue dragon in the east, a white tiger in the west, a black turtle-snake in the north and a red bird in the south. The palace’s four gates stand on exactly those four points, which turns the palace into a star map laid out on the ground. Step under the gate and look up. Painted on the ceiling, the bird of the south is waiting for you. It is the same code we found in the stars, now written in stone and timber.

Duration: 30 mins

3. The Story of King Sejong & The Story of Admiral Yi Sunshin

Beneath Gwanghwamun Square, right under the statue of King Sejong, this exhibition hall tells the story of the alphabet he created in the 15th century. Hangul is one of the very few writing systems whose creator, date and design principles are all on record. Its design hides our code in plain sight: every vowel is built from three marks that stand for heaven (·), earth (ㅡ) and human (ㅣ). Here you will write the first letter of your own name in Korean, placing heaven, earth and a human on paper with the same code that carved the stars.

Duration: 60 mins

4. Gwanghwamun Square

We finish in Gwanghwamun Square, the broad avenue in front of the palace gate. The royal ministries of Joseon once lined this street, and Koreans still gather here today. This is where we decode the last object: the Korean flag, the Taegeukgi. You will hear how it was born in 1882, the year Korea signed its first treaty with a Western nation, and what its red-and-blue circle and four black trigrams for heaven, earth, water and fire really mean. It turns out to carry the same code we have followed all day, and the story of how that happened is the biggest surprise of the tour.

Duration: 60 mins

Inclusion

English speaking guide

Exclusion

Drinks

Cancellation Policy

Refundable tickets

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

100% refund if cancelled 1+ days before the start date
0% refund if cancelled less than 1 day(s) before the start date

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Supplied by OnedayKorea

Reviews

5.0

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Based on 3 reviews

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Korea History Tour: Korea Begins Discount Tickets

Select your ticket

Overview

Language Offered

Itinerary

1. National Palace Museum of Korea

2. Gwanghwamun Gate

3. The Story of King Sejong & The Story of Admiral Yi Sunshin

4. Gwanghwamun Square

Inclusion

Exclusion

Cancellation Policy

Additional Info

Reviews

5.0

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