Hey Hive!
If you missed the last few posts, I've been sharing about our first trip to Seoul back in Nov 2022! We were waiting post-covid for everyone to go on their holidays before taking a big one and we finally decided to go on our honeymoon! It's also our first time experiencing Fall so we were double excited!
Last week, we continued our final day in Seoul by exploring a new area called Insadong, known for various antique and handicraft stores within Ssamziegil Shopping Complex. We took a walk through a few galleries after visiting our favourite LINE Friends store!
16 Nov 2022. Wednesday.
After visiting Insadong, we took a walk down the main street enjoying our last day to admire more of the beautiful autumn foliage.
We came across this banner which I thought was quite funny while walking past a park.
The ironic thing was that this "park" was actually a part of a temple or political monument called Samilmun.
It seemed to be dedicated to some political history with this board talking about the March First Independence Movement in 1919.
I think that was done in Busan though so I think this area in Seoul was to honour that Movement.
Either way, it's a nice park with some statues of important people from that age.
There was also a very beautifully designed pavilion in the middle of the park that we were lucky was empty at the time so we could take some nice photos.
Turns out this is called Palgakjeong Pavilion in this park called Tapgol Park. This serene spot is not just a picturesque gathering place; it's where the call for Korean independence was boldly declared on March 1, 1919, during the turbulent Japanese Colonial Period. Established in the 1890s, Tapgol Park holds the distinction of being Seoul's first modern park, blending rich history with beautiful landscapes. Whether you're a history buff or a casual visitor, this site is a must-see when exploring the cultural heart of the city.
Just behind the Pavilion, you'll find the impressive ten-story stone pagoda of the Wongaksa Temple Site, a stunning testament to the architectural brilliance of its time. It was built in 1467 by King Sejo who decided to erect the Wongaksa temple after experiencing the wonder of sarira incarnation.
The pagoda's intricate carvings are inscribed with diverse patterns, each symbolizing key elements of Buddhism. Its unique structure and the craftsmanship on display make it a standout example of Joseon-era stone pagodas.
In the heart of Tapgol Park lies the Wongaksa Temple monument, a historical tribute established in 1471 to commemorate its storied foundations. The temple's pagoda, finished in 1467, saw a grand dedication ceremony presided over by King Sejo, accompanied by the vibrant Yeondeunghoe Lantern Festival.
To honor this occasion, subjects erected a unique stone monument, complete with a turtle-shaped base and intricately carved lotus leaves that cradle the body of the monument. This site beautifully melds history with artistry, making it a must-visit for travelers seeking to unravel Korea's rich cultural tapestry.
I thought the turtle looked pretty cute, and was amazed that it's so well maintained after all these years.
Our visit to Tapgol Park was a delightful escape from the city's hustle and bustle. This serene oasis offered a refreshing sense of tranquility, making it the perfect spot to unwind and soak in the calm amidst the vibrant energy of the city.
It was so cool to see how Seoul marries historical and modern architecture together. While some may view this juxtaposition as uneven, I see it as a testament to the city's commitment to honoring its rich history while boldly stepping into the future. This vibrant cityscape tells a story of preservation and progress that captivates every visitor.
Most of the city is occupied by tall office buildings now though, just like every other metropolis.
We'd walk quite a distance while visiting different religious and cultural places so it was time for a late lunch break! I was craving a burger and we found that there was a No Brand Burger shop not too far away on Google Maps so we decided to check it out!
Contrary to its name, No Brand is actually a brand and I discovered them from their butter cookies which are individually packaged into packs of 6 in a tub. They're really good and probably one of my favourite butter biscuit brands but it's only until our trip to Seoul that I discovered they have a lot more things including a burger shop!
We ordered from the digital kiosk and found they have quite a few different burgers with various fillings.
I like that this is their tagline, as if they're emphasising that you don't have to pay a lot for a good burger, which is true. But they also don't boast that they're the best burger, just that it's good enough and that's okay.
We ordered a burger each and made one of them a set so we could share the fries and drink.
I ordered the Mega Bite burger which I think is their standard beef burger but with an extra hash brown or croquette. It was really delicious and tasted just as good as any other fast food burger I've had. I think it's slightly cheaper than McDonalds too so they do live up to their motto of being good enough.
We also ordered a side of fried pork nuggets called Shanghai Finger Pork which we figured were pork nuggets of sorts. I don't think we've ever tried pork nuggets before so it was interesting, but they were really crispy and yummy!
We enjoyed a very satisfying meal and got to rest our feet for a while after all that walking. I think it was a very good meal choice and I can see a lot of office workers eating here. Thankfully it was after lunch hours so the place was mostly empty and we could take our time.
After our lunch, we headed back towards the tall office buildings because we saw a logo on the front that was intriguing. It said LoL Park and initially we thought it was some other shop but after Googling we were pleasantly surprised to see that LoL did in fact stand for League of Legends.
We're not League players but I do play Valorant and have a history with Riot Games so we decided to head there and check it out.
The building it was housed in seemed like a high-end office building though and was right next to a business hotel as well.
It seemed like the LoL Park was in a shopping mall nestled in between all these office buildings.
We thought it looked a little out of place since most of the mall was small restaurants and cafes probably used for meetings until we got to the third floor.
The whole floor was decorated with decals of what I assume are League characters!
It looked really cool and I don't even know the characters, so for a League player this must be amazing.
After the end of the path was the entrance to the LoL Park with a mascot that looked like a cute cat! I think it's called Yuumi in League.
The first thing we saw was actually a LAN shop with so many PC setups and people playing different games.
We were surprised to see how packed it was on a random Wednesday afternoon but I guess gamers don't sleep. It was funny because we actually saw some people working on spreadsheets and powerpoint slides as well.
I could see a lot of them playing Valorant though, and they were even advertising the game at the reception desk. Of course, you had to pay to play on an hourly basis at the cafe but with Seoul being so high-tech we were wondering why people would bother coming here when they can game at home.
There was a big walkway dedicated to different esports athletes with snapshots of them from different competitions.
While wandering through the LoL Park, we stumbled upon an impressive display of esports jerseys from various teams. Although I didn’t recognize any of the names—being a casual observer in the esports realm—it was fascinating to see the vibrant colors and designs that represent each team. It highlighted just how passionate and diverse the gaming community is!
Just beside the jersey showcase area, there was a really cool wall art with Jinx which makes sense since I guess she's the poster character for League. I'm not sure what Zoetrope is though.
We also came across a physical Riot Store which was really cool because I've never seen Riot merchandise irl before.
95% of the store was merchandise from League but there were two big figures of the agents Jett and Phoenix from Valorant that I recognised.
They were really well-made though which partly explains the exorbitant price tags.
Most of the other figures were from League and I recognise a few from Arcane.
There were some merchandise from KDA as well, which is a virtual K-pop girl group consisting of four themed versions of League of Legends characters Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai'Sa.
The shop wasn't very big but I could tell they tried to include as much of their merchandise as possible.
I have quite a few League players in my community from Twitch so I tried to take as many photos as possible.
Here are some more figurines and I actually recognise Caitlyn from Arcane as well. I actually drew her for one of my viewers who redeemed a free drawing from me.
I thought the chibi figures were really cute as well, though I didn't recognise them.
Other than figures they also had some plushies and pillows with different characters on them which looked cute. The only thing is I don't think the pillows had covers on them. How would you clean them if they get dirty though?
They were pretty misleading calling it a Riot Store when most of the merchandise was from League. I know this was in the LoL Park but still, they should've called it the LoL store then. I guess they didn't have much space for Valorant products at the time.
It was still really cool to see it in person though, since we don't really see game merchandise that often.
Ahead of the Riot Store was also a line of food stalls I guess mainly for the staff here.
There was also a nice eating area where you could sit and enjoy your food. We thought it'd have some Riot-related designs as well but there wasn't, sadly.
Even though Sean doesn't play any Riot Games, I got him to take a photo with it since he works with some people from Riot and he was wearing an Esports shirt which was fitting.
We went to see what the LCK shop had to offer which stands for League of Legends Champions Korea, and I guess mostly sells their esports line of merchandise.
I think this is for fans of the various esports teams which Korea does have quite a few of, so it makes sense. They had a lot of apparel but also some stickers, keychains, pins and even masks.
There was a small broadcasting area at the end of the food aisle and I guess they display some esports matches here for people to watch?
There was also a really cool wooden figure of a scene with League characters that was very detailed.
There was an open area at the back where it looked like they put spare supplies and statues from previous exhibitions.
It was a little disorganised back here but we found a huge display of the company logo ironically arranged so that you could just see GAME but it works I guess.
Overall, it was a really cool experience exploring LoL Park and a pleasant surprise to even find it here since we didn't know this place existed. If you're a League fan I highly recommend checking it out here in Seoul!
But I think that's going to be it for today! Hope you enjoyed a look at a political park and a LoL Park! 😝
Thanks so much for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
Check out my previous post in this series!
TacoCat’s Travels #256 (Seoul): Finding Friends and Art in Insadong 🎨