Seoul doesn't have many parks or much green space. To its credit you don't notice right away because there's so much else appealing going on. There are also the mountains that loom in the sky that provide a kind of floating greenery. They also have palaces, whose grounds are protected from building. They also have the added bonus of historically significant buildings. Deoksugung is the site of a former Joseon era palace that became the residence of the former king Gojong in 1907 after he relinquished the throne. It is now as smack-dab in the city as you can get. This pond with its floating water lilies calls to mind Monet. But raise your eyes slightly and through the trees you can see evidence of the country's economic miracle quietly imposing itself.