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South Korea

June and July 2023. A month in Seoul, a day at the DMZ and a night at a temple on Ganghwa Island. 29 photos, in the order I took them.

Seoul and the DMZ

June 2023 and July 2023 · 13 photos

Plate of glossy sauce-glazed Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds, served with shredded cabbage
Korean fried chicken
Mango bingsu shaved ice topped with fresh mango, cheesecake cubes and ice cream
Mango bingsu
Hand holding a banana milk carton on a Seoul side street
Banana milk on a Seoul side street
The royal throne inside Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul
The throne, Gyeongbokgung
Hyangwonjeong Pavilion on its pond at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul
Hyangwonjeong Pavilion
Old palace gate beside a modern office tower in Seoul
Old palace gate beside a modern tower
Bronze statue of a Joseon-era general on a stone plinth in Seoul
Bronze statue of a Joseon-era general
Orchestra on stage in a vineyard-style concert hall in Seoul
Symphony night, Seoul
Symphony orchestra seen from the upper seats of a Seoul concert hall
Symphony orchestra seen from the upper seats
The colorful Seoul sign in the plaza outside Seoul City Hall
The Seoul sign outside City Hall
Matcha roll cake, iced matcha latte, matcha soft-serve and a matcha frappe on an Osulloc tray in South Korea
Osulloc
Grilled mackerel with rice, doenjang soup and banchan side dishes
Grilled mackerel set
Colorful DMZ letters at a tour stop near the North Korean border
The DMZ

Ganghwa Island

July 2023 · 16 photos

Sunrise over a forested hillside beside a traditional Korean temple building
Sunrise at the temple
Tiled roofs of a Korean mountain temple overlooking distant hills at dusk
Temple at dusk
Buddhist temple with painted eaves, a spreading tree and blooming hydrangeas
Temple grounds
Hilltop view over green rice paddies and villages toward a hazy sea with islands
West coast
Green forested hills below Jeondeungsa temple on Ganghwa Island, South Korea
Green hills below the temple on Ganghwa Island
Temple meal of rice, kimchi, vegetables and soup at Jeondeungsa
Temple meal of rice, kimchi and soup
Main hall of Jeondeungsa temple at dusk, Ganghwa Island
Jeondeungsa at dusk
Stacked stone tower in the grounds of Jeondeungsa temple
Stacked stones at Jeondeungsa
Temple roofs among pines at Jeondeungsa, Ganghwa Island
Temple roofs among pines at Jeondeungsa
Wooden corridor along a painted temple building at Jeondeungsa
Wooden corridor of a temple building
Cat sitting on the wooden path at Jeondeungsa temple
The temple cat
Ganghwa Island farmland and towns from the ridge trail above Jeondeungsa
Ganghwa Island farmland from the ridge trail above the temple
Pine ridge with the sea and farmland behind on Ganghwa Island
Pine ridge with the sea and farmland behind
Trail along the old fortress ridge with a view over Ganghwa Island
Fortress ridge, Ganghwa
Monks chanting inside a temple hall at Jeondeungsa
Morning chanting
Ceiling covered in paper lanterns over a temple altar at Jeondeungsa
Lantern-covered ceiling over a temple altar

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