The palace was originally constructed in 1394 by King Taejo. Gyeongbokgung was continuously expanded during the reign of King Taejong and King Sejong the Great, but part of the palace was burnt down during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598).

During the regency of Daewon-gun in 1867, the buildings were reconstructed and formed a massive 330-building complex with 5,792 rooms. Standing on 4,414,000 square feet (410,000 square meters) of land, it was a symbol of majesty for the Korean people and the home of the royal family. In 1895, after the assassination of Empress Myeongseong by Japanese agents, her husband, Emperor Gojong left the palace and the imperial family would never return.

In 1911, the government of Japan demolished all but 10 buildings during the period of Japanese occupation, constructing the Japanese General Government Building for the Governor-General of Korea in front of the throne hall. Oddly, the Japanese took many pictures of poverty in Korea, but did not take a single photo of this historic site.

At the end of the Second World War, major buildings on the site included Geunjeongjeon, the Imperial throne room (national treasure number 223), and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion (national treasure number 224), which stands in an artificial lotus lake, resting on 48 granite pillars. The pavilion is depicted on the 10,000 won Korean banknotes.

Today the palace is open to the public, and houses the National Folk Museum of Korea.

Many Koreans still hope to reconstruct part of the original palace. Archeological work has brought 330 building foundations to light. However, the original magnificence of the palace may never be fully restored. Fortunately, the main gate to the palace, called Gwanghwamun, is now being restored to its original state, to be completed in 2009.

Palace_Entrance

Gyeongbokbung_Palace

Outdoor_Hall

Old_and_New

Rooster

Pagoda

Korean_Drum

Temple_Artwork

The other day when I was in Seoul, Korea we walked smack bang into a demonstration. The airport bus could go no further and we had to get off and walk the last few blocks. The demonstration had been going for 40 straight days! That's dedication. I was able to get in nice and close and take some photographs of the police and the crowd. At one stage it looked like the scene was going to turn ugly and lots of police came rushing in and formed up. A demonstration official called for calm heads and the situation was defused. You see lots of this type of action on TV and and to actually be there and witness it was very exciting. The police use these really old buses all wired and meshed up as a barricade and also as a place of protection should the demonstration turn nasty.

Resting_Police

Mingling

Front_Line

Demonstrators

Lee_Sum_Sin

Riot_Buses

 

I was in Seoul Korea over the weekend and photographed a man in a local park feeding the birds. He had them eating out of his hands and he just made a fantastic subject to photograph. Birdman_1

Birdman_2

Birdman_3

Pelican, oh  Pelican, He's beak holds more than his belly can!! Pelican 

Hartley, at the base of the hill, was a town designated by early settlers and the government as a future regional centre. Unfortunately, particularly for the residents of Hartley, it was by-passed by the railway and, over a period, fell into disuse. Today we are left with a remarkable remnant of a town largely unchanged since the mid-nineteenth century. It is no more than a couple of dozen buildings but all have been beautifully preserved. Hartley is located 133 kilometres from Sydney and 700 metres above sea level.  By 1840 a town, with sixteen streets laid out in a grid system, had been surveyed. Most of this town was never completed. By 1846 there were 62 residents and 12 houses. By 1856, as a result of the gold rushes, the town had doubled in size. It was one of the major stopping points on the route from Sydney to the Turon goldfields and as a result it had butchers, blacksmiths, and hotels to serve the weary diggers and bullock drivers. Kerosene shale was discovered in the area in the 1860s. This enabled the production, within Australia,of paraffin oil and kerosene, which was quite a boon as most families, in those pre-electricity days, were reliant upon lighting from the cooking fire or, at best, candles. The discovery brought miners and their families and there were soon over 2000 people living in the area with shops, schools, farms and orchards in the area. The future of the town came to an abrupt end in 1869 when the railway line across the mountains was routed through Lithgow.  

Shamrock Inn - The Shamrock Inn, the last building in the main street, was built in 1856 and enjoyed enthusiastic patronage from the miners who passed through Hartley on their way to the goldfields. It is notable for its large number of chimneys and the prominent sagging of the roof.

St Bernard's Church and Presbytery - Over the road is St Bernard's Presbytery, built in the late 1850s, which has been well preserved. Once a home for the priests who held mass at St Bernard's Church (1848), it is now a private residence. The church has a distinctive French influence which, it is believed, was the result of an enthusiasm for French religious architecture by one of the early priests. The sandstone altar was hand-tooled to look like marble.

The Farmer's Inn - The Farmer's Inn dates from the mid-1840s. Originally built as a house by the Finn family it became an inn to take advantage of the accommodation requirements of miners heading for the Turon goldfields. It has changed a number of times but at core it was built of sandstock bricks and shingles - both of which can still be seen.

Ivy Cottage - beyond the Farmer's Inn is Ivy Cottage. It was built in the 1850s by the Finn family and soon became the Police Magistrate’s  house. It is claimed that the magistrate, whose major job seemed to be dealing with drunks, hated the location between the Farmer's Inn and the Shamrock Inn.

Shamrock_Inn

St_Bernards_Church_1

St_Bernards_Church_2

St_Bernards_Presbyte

Farmers_Inn

Ivy_Cottage

Over the weekend I attended the 'Return of The Horse' show at the Sydney Olympic Equestrian Centre. The weekend served as a trials for budding hopefuls to the Australian Equestrian Team for the Beijing Olympic Games later this year. Many of Australia's Olympic and international team are based permanently overseas and this was a chance to show off some home based talent. I took my 14 yr old daughter out to the event (who is a horse lover and used to own her own horse). She loved the action - I saw it as an opportunity to take some photos.... On show was Australia's up and coming stars for show jumping and cross country. We watched the showjumping for a while and then made our way out to one of the water jumps on the cross country course for some different action. One young woman next to us was just about to embark on a wonderful trip to the United States to be based in Carolina for the next 6 months to further enhance her equestrian experience. She had plans to compete in all kinds of events around where she will be staying. Kentucky was mentioned alot so I gather thats where a lot of horse action is. I know of the Kentucky Derby, but that's a different kettle of fish!! Sounded very exciting! She was so pleased to have passed the interview for her work visa. I quite enjoyed the day. Judging by what I saw on the day we look strong for the equestrian events at Beijing. C'mon Aussie C'mon...Gold, Gold, Gold !!!!
X_Country_1 X_Country_2 X_Country_3 X_Country_4 X_Country_5 X_Country_6 Show_Jump

Part 2 (final of my Wiesbaden/Frankfurt post).
Wiesbaden -
The Neroberg is Wiesbaden´s local mountain attraction. At 245 metres above sea level it provides you with the most magnificent view ever of Wiesbaden. The whole of Wiesbaden is spread out at your feet, together with the River Rhine, on the far bank of which you can make out the silhouette of Mainz. Summer visitors can relax in the Opel swimming pool, named after its donator Wilhelm von Opel, and enjoy the view of Wiesbaden´s vineyards. The Neroberg attracts a great deal of attention as a festival and show ground. Every year, on the last Sunday in May, there is the "Nerobergfest" - an event offering a broad spectrum of sports and music. And you can enjoy a cappuccino under a sunshade at the Nerobergturm Café or dine à la carte at the restaurant of the Opel swimming pool. You can ascend the Neroberg by the water-powered funicular railway, the Nerobergbahn, whose technology has remained unchanged since its inauguration in 1888.
Neroberg_1 Neroberg_2

Luisenplatz - Despite containing one of those rearing copper statues of a horse that seem to be mass produced for small towns all over Germany, the Luisenplatz is actually quite pleasant. It's large, calm, quiet and surrounded on all sides by tall and elegant Classicist buildings, with the daunting twin spires of St. Bonifatius at the far end. In the middle of the square is the Waterloo Obelisk, erected as a memorial to those of the Nassau region, of which Wiesbaden was once the capital, who died in the war against Napoleon in 1815. Luisenplatz_1 Luisenplatz_2

The picture 'town hall' depicts the main town hall of Wiesbaden. Town_Hall

Frankfurt -
The Römer was partially destroyed in World War II and later rebuilt. It is located at the Römerberg (city hall square). Cafés and shops can be found at the square itself and in the vicinity. A definite tourist attraction. The name of the city hall means "Roman". In fact, nine houses were acquired by the city council in 1405 from a wealthy merchant family. The middle house became the town hall and was later connected with the neighbouring buildings. In the upper floor, there is the Kaisersaal ("Emperor's Hall") where the newly crowned emperors held their banquets.  
Romer_1 Romer_2

Located in Frankfurt are the remains of an old wall. Old_Ruins  

I recently visited Wiesbaden in Germany, which is located about 40 kms outside of Frankfurt. Wiesbaden, a city in central Germany, is the capital of the state of Hesse. The city is on the right, northern, bank of the river Rhine. It lies opposite the city of Mainz on the other side of the river, and is near Frankfurt am Main. Wiesbaden has about 300,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 14,000 U.S. citizens (mostly associated with the American military). The city is also in the Rhein Metropolitan area with Frankfurt and Mainz put together with it, consisting of about 5.8 million people. Wiesbaden is famous for its thermal springs and spa. Use of the thermal springs is first documented by the Romans. The spring bathing business became important for Wiesbaden near the end of the Middle Ages. In 1370, sixteen bath houses were in operation. By 1800, there were 2,239 inhabitants and twenty-three bath houses. Some of the photos explained - State Theater Colonnade - The Bowling Green is a small square in front of the theater, with a pond and two fountains. The spa colonnade (1827) is 130 metres in length and is regarded as the longest columned hall in Europe. In the summer you can see people playing boules here, and in the winter they build an ice-skating rink in the center of the square going right across the pond. Kochbrunnen - The Kochbrunnen (hot fountain) is the meeting point of 15 different springs. Even in winter, the temperature is 66 degrees celcius. Lots of steam comes out, and it is set in a nice plaza, with many places to sit down. It is recommended you only drink 1 litre of thermal water per day due to it's high heavy metals count. Roman Ruins - If you are walking on Langgasse in the pedestrian zone, you'll notice an old looking wall and tower down a side street. This is called Heidenmauer (Heathen's Wall) and is the oldest structure in Wiesbaden. Only this small part is left from Roman times. The tower and wooden bridge, the Romertor (Roman Gateway) was built in 1902 to compliment the site.
Spire State_Theatre_Collan Russian_Church Kochbrunnen Drinking Wormer_Dam Heathens_Wall

Being married into an Irish family, I attended the Sydney St. Paddy's Day Parade and festival held in Hyde Park today. It was lovely warm day and thousands of people turned out for the fun and drink. These pics have no photographic quality - it's just the opportunity to share with you all a St. Paddy's Day from Sydney! Didn't get the pall bearers parade though? (see pic) Oh to be sure, to be sure!! Enjoy.  Aboriginal_Float Guiness Mounted_Police Old_Fire_Engine Pallbearers Parade_Float Patrician_Bros_ Sax_Player

These photos were taken in St. James Park and Hyde Park, London a few weeks ago. Horse_Guards Buckingham_Palace_1 St_James_Park Serpentine_Lake_1 Serpentine_Lake_2  

Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. Today it is the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke and Duchess of Kent; and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Until 1997, it was the official residence of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. In 1981 apartments 8 and 9 were combined to create the London residence of the newly-married Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana, and it remained the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales after her divorce until her death. Her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, went to local nursery and pre-preparatory schools in Notting Hill, which is a short drive away.KP_1 KP_2 KP_3 KP_4 KP_5 KP_6

The Royal Horse Guards (RHG) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. Founded in 1650 by Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of King Charles II. In 1750 the regiment became the Royal Horse Guards Blue and eventually, in 1877, the Royal Horse Guards (The Blues). The RHG was amalgamated with the Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) to form the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) in 1969.
Palace_Guard_1 Palace_Guard_2 Horse_Guard_1 Horse_Guard_2 Standing_Guard

The Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha who died of typhoid in 1861, and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. Opened in 1872, with the statue of Albert ceremonially "seated" in 1875, the memorial consists of an ornate canopy or pavilion containing a statue of Prince Albert facing south. This is surrounded by the elaborate sculptural Frieze of Parnassus, which depicts 169 individual composers, architects, poets, painters, and sculptors. There are two allegorical sculpture programs: four groups depicting Victorian industrial arts and sciences (agriculture, commerce, engineering and manufacturing), and four more groups representing Europe, Asia, Africa and The Americas at the four corners, each continent-group including several ethnographic figures and a large animal. (A camel for Africa, a buffalo for the Americas, an elephant for Asia and a bull for Europe.) The centrepiece of the Memorial is a seated figure of Prince Albert. Following restoration, this is now covered in gold leaf.Albert_1 Albert_2 Albert_3 Albert_4 Albert_5 Albert_6 Albert_7

The final photos to this storyline. Buckingham Palace, The Orangery (located behind Kensington Palace), former Naval Academy (now University of Greenwich) and a High Street, Kensington apartment complex. Buckingham_Palace The_Orangery Naval_Academy High_Street

Some various English window styles. I love the architecture in the UK and Europe. Windows_1 Windows_2 Windows_3 Windows_4 Windows_5