Hello, my name is Mingwan, and I will talk about the stream and surroundings in Gyeongbokgung Palace.
The stream in the palace is called Geumcheon(금천). It comes from a valley between Bukaksan(북악산) and Inwangsan(인왕산). It goes into Hyangwonjeong(향원정) and the Geongheouru(경회루). Then, the stream goes east and goes out of the palace. This stream, Geumcheon was believed to separate the normal people’s world and the King’s holy place. The connection between them is a bridge over the stream called Yeongjegeo(영제교). Also, there are 4 statues of imaginary animals called Cheonrok(천록). Cheonrok is an imaginary animal that looks like a tiger with scales. However, they are found sticking their tongue out. The reason remains a mystery, but some Korean archaeologists say that it was made to show Korea’s traditional ‘humor senses’.
I think the reason why Cheonrok(천록) looks funny is a real mystery to solve. It is very interesting, and I want to solve it one day.
