Distant View of Seoul

This photograph represents an overview of Seoul, looking from southeast to northwest. Although a few thatched houses appear in the foreground, at the viewer's right, most of the buildings have tiled roofs. A few large, European-style buildings appear in the distance, before the mountains that rise in the background. The Gyeong-bok [Kyŏng-pok] Palace complex stands just to the right of the photograph's center, behind the flagpole. Gyeong-hoe-ru [Kyŏng-hoe-ru] Pavilion is visible at the left side of the Gyeong-bok Palace complex. Other royal palaces are also visible; in fact, the group of official buildings to the left of center perhaps represents Deok-su-gung [Tŏk-su-kung] Palace. The city wall and its imposing gates apparently do not appear in the photograph. The photograph perhaps was taken from Namsan (South Mountain).