Gyeongbokgung Palace, aka the Northern Palace, is the largest of five palaces in Seoul, South Korea. It was built in 1395 and was almost destroyed by fire in the 1590s, however, it was restored in 1850 to the beautiful palace we see today. It is a major tourist attraction with visitors dressing up in hanboks and prancing around in their own k-drama fantasy.
In February 2017 we went to @gung_nadri for a $50 all-day-rental hanbok. This was a great experience because the store owners helped us picked out each element of the outfit, gave us styling and historical tips on colour, textures and garments, and re-styled our hairs. They were very friendly and really tried to get to know us. Their hanboks were high-quality and delicate. Highly recommend this place!! The above photos are from 2017 (LINK).
Today my family and I went to ABC hanbok for a $30 4-hour-rental hanbok and well, we got what we paid for 😑. The service was shit. The staff were rude and rushed us (a group of 7) to pick our colours within 5 minutes. They didn’t greet or explain the procedure. Due to their hurry to maximise their profits, they would pull too hard on the corsets, throw our belongings around and tug at our hair. The quality of the items was mediocre from being worn so much. I doubt they wash their stuff properly. This store probably gets so many customers due to their location of being right outside the entrance of the palace. Do not go here, unless desperate.
The following photos were taken on this rainy day so I apologise for the lack of variety.
Today my family and I went to ABC hanbok for a $30 4-hour-rental hanbok and well, we got what we paid for 😑. The service was shit. The staff were rude and rushed us (a group of 7) to pick our colours within 5 minutes. They didn’t greet or explain the procedure. Due to their hurry to maximise their profits, they would pull too hard on the corsets, throw our belongings around and tug at our hair. The quality of the items was mediocre from being worn so much. I doubt they wash their stuff properly. This store probably gets so many customers due to their location of being right outside the entrance of the palace. Do not go here, unless desperate.
The following photos were taken on this rainy day so I apologise for the lack of variety.
Bukchon Hanok Village is a Korean traditional village preserved to showcase a 600-year-old urban environment. It is located on the top of a hill between Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeok Palace and Jongmyo Royal Shrine. It was about a 15-minute walk to this village. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay long to take photos because it had started to rain harder and we wanted to return our hanboks.
Thanks for reading! Definitely dress up in a hanbok if you plan to visit Seoul. You will feel like royalty 🎎
Thanks for reading! Definitely dress up in a hanbok if you plan to visit Seoul. You will feel like royalty 🎎
