Category: City Hall
Structure : Ho Chi Minh City Hall
Structure (Post#1) : Ho Chi Minh City Hall
As part of our backpacking adventure was to walk around Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon). And while walking we never expected to see the building of City Hall of Ho Chi Minh. The statue at the front is Ho Chi Minh itself who was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader who become a prime minister and president in Vietnam. We were not able to come inside this beautiful city hall as it was not open for public nor for tourist. Photo captured last March 2011.
Seoul And Beyond – Random Moments
On this post, I am not really going to tell a story but just to show some photos that I randomly took while walking in some areas of Seoul and other places while doing nothing or just looking for something. And this will be the last standard post that I had with the topic about South Korea unless I come back again to this country that I fall in love with. For single photo or image post, South Korea may still appear in random pictures which I usually published everyday.
Within Seoul
1. Incheon International Airport
After we got off the plane and walked to the arrival area of the airport, there were few people around since we arrived past 8PM in the evening.
2. Nonhyeon Bus Stop
I captured this photo because we were trying to see if we were able to use the bus instead of train to go somewhere until we realized we never understand what’s the information in front of us.
3. Jeonggak Station Exit
When we were on our way to Insadong, we got off at this exit as we understand its somewhat the nearest exit in Jong-ro to the market until we found Tapgol Park along the road.
4. City Hall Station Exit
I had this photo after coming from Insadong market and we planned to go to City Hall Station to buy a discounted ticket to Everland at Hotel President. All of us were fascinated with the hanging umbrellas displayed at the exit stair we took after getting off the station. We also found a modern style of entrance/exit transportation card reader.
We had some time to walk around the area where we saw City Hall itself. We saw one of the main gate of Deoksugung (no photo captured), a palace that we haven’t had a chance to see though we have ticket for it.
5. Seoul Metropolitan Library
6. Hotel President
This was the place where we bought our discounted ticket and memory of the Philippine Tourism center near City Hall area.
7. Taepyeongno 2(i)-ga
This was the street that we passed through while we were on our way to Sungnyemun Gate. I enjoyed the short walk in this street because both lanes has Korean restaurants. After walking at the side of Sejong-daero, we saw Namdaemun Market.
8. Gyeongbokgung Station Exit
During our first day adventure in Seoul, the photos captured while we were on our way to Gyeongbokgung Palace after getting off the train.
9. Sejong-daero
I captured the photo above after we came from Gyeongbokgung Palace on our way to Sejong Center.
8. Sungnyemun Gate
We saw this gate while walking along Sejong-daero after we came from Hotel President where we bought our Everland discounted ticket. This gate is said to be one of the eight gate that surround Fortress Wall of Seoul which surrounded the city in the Joseon dynasty.
10. Seoul Station and Surrounding Area
Photos taken after we came from DMZ Tour, got off at Seoul Station, walked a little until we found Concos The Galleria where we had our lunch before returning to our hotel to pick-up our luggage for our flight the night of that same day.
11. Seoul City Tower
One of the building around the area of Seoul Station, captured this photo when we returned from an activity we attended in Seoul.
12. Gangnam-daero
I captured this while walking along Gangnam-daero after our Everland adventure. To be honest, we stayed in a hotel which in Gangnam area but unfortunately we never really had time to explore it. The only chance we had after we came from Everland, we walked along the road and discovered we stayed in one of the busiest district in Seoul.
Beyond Seoul
13. AK Plaza – Suwon Exit Station Mall
Snapshot captured while we were trying to figure out how to go to Hwaseong Fortress. It is one of the noticeable building as the location is both foot and automobile traffic area.
Few Moments With Seoul City Hall
It was our third day in Seoul and we planned to visit Bukchon Village since we don’t have so much choices. We learned that most tourist destination are close and most of the tour are not running every Monday. The details of the story regarding Bukchon Village tour were elaborated from previous post.
When we ended our walking tour in Bukchon, we walked again along Gahoe-ro to reach Angguk station again. At the train station we decided to buy ticket to Everland in a cheaper price and we can buy the ticket at Hotel President near at City Hall station. We took Line 3 from Angguk station and then we transferred to Line 1 at Jongno 3 and got off at City Hall station.
When we are outside the station, we saw a noticeable building and at first we did not know what building it is, until we walked few more meters on its garden. We realized that the beautiful building is the City Hall of Seoul. I never thought that a city hall will look so fabulous and modern building. It was an awe reaction (I haven’t really search Seoul City Hall building and I am not really aware). I was glad that we decided to buy things nearby and accidentally and not intentionally, we saw this modern government building of Seoul. I was really fascinated of what I’d seen.
The look of the building is like a business office building. I can say that Seoul City Hall is trying live on what’s Seoul mean. Seoul is one of the expensive city in the world. I was never disappointed on what I saw. I admired their building. I wish there is City Hall Tour available so we as tourist can appreciate more the design of the government structure.
Passing Kota Kinabalu City
As the main reason why we went to Kota Kinabalu was for Mount Kinabalu Climb, we never really had enough time to see much the city as all of us in the group just had four days and in that four days includes the return flight and mountain climbing.
In our first day in the city, we arrived in Kota Kinabalu airport in the evening of that day. As far as I remember, we look for a place to sleep for the night and we found one in the city center. We slept in a dorm type accommodation. The whole group woke-up early for the climb. On our way to Mount Kinabalu, we spotted Masjid Bandar Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu City Mosque).
Masjid Bandar Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu City Mosque).
And when we were on our way back to the airport after the climb, we passed Jalan Pantai and had a quick peek of the Malaysian Monument (Tugu Peringatan Malaysia) which seems a historical monument. Then we saw Kota Kinabalu City Hall (Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu) and we sighted another mosque in the city named Masjid Negeri Sabah.
Egret Replicas (Photo Courtesy – SMB Mountaineering Group Member)
Malaysian Monument or Tugu Peringatan Malaysia (Photo Courtesy – SMB Mountaineering Group Member)
Kota Kinabalu City Hall or Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (Photo Courtesy – SMB Mountaineering Group Member)
Sabah State Mosque or Masjid Negeri Sabah (Photo courtesy of Jimmar)
That’s how we briefly traveled the city. I knew there are other places to see but we’re running out of time. Next thing we knew we were waiting at the airport for our flight back to Manila.
Sabah State Flag (Photo Courtesy – SMB Mountaineering Group Member)
Kota Kinabalu City Gate (Photo Courtesy – SMB Mountaineering Group Member)
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