현지학습2 - 독립기념관

Aug 15 is the Independence Day of Korea (광북절, 光復節). Unlike Singapore's National Day which is celebrated like a festival, the Independence Day here has a more sombre mood to it. Our trip to the Independence Hall came just one day before the Independence Day of Korea. It couldn't have happened at a more apt time than this.

When we arrived at the Independence Hall (독립기념관, 獨立記念館) we first had our lunch in the Biwon restaurant just outside the Independence Hall. After lunch, we were given 2 hours to roam the seven exhibition halls and the gardens in the Independence Hall. Though there are seven halls, we were told to start from Hall 3 onwards and the halls which I visited are:

Hall 3: The Hall of the Japanese Aggression
Hall 4: The Hall of the March First Independence Movement
Hall 5: The Hall of the Independence War
Hall 6: The Hall of the Social and Cultural Movement
Hall 7: The Hall of the Korean Provisional Government

Each hall is not very big and most of the explanations are in Korean so there weren't much text I could read. Two hours were more than enough to walk through all the halls and still have some time to spare to rest in the lush greenery that surrounds the Independence Hall. The end of our visit to the Independence Hall also marks the end of our field trip for our summer programme.

It will be 연휴 for us starting tomorrow since tomorrow is a Public Holiday and then weekend follows. Expect to have some good rest. Whee~

The Tower of the People - 겨레의 탑.

The White Lotus Pond - 백련못.

The Garden of Taegeukgi - 태극기 마당

A scale-downed replica of the Gate of Independence - 독림문.

Students rehearsing in The House of the People - 겨레의 집.

Mar 1, 1919 marked the largest anti-Japanese independence movement.

Lest we forget, thousands of Koreans were slain by Japanese.

Newspapers play an important role in social and cultural movement.

The Independence Hall is enveloped by lush greenery.

On my way to exit the Independence Hall.