Well, here we are again with yet another post about my spring trip to Seoul, and this time, it's all about the palaces. We visited three palaces, namely the Gyeongbokgung, the Changgyeonggung and the Changdeokgung palaces.
Join me as I take you around the grounds, the various buildings inside the palace grounds, and of course, I'll try to provide some basic information about the pictures I share. Ready? Let's go!
That's Gyeongbokgung palace in the distance as seen from Gwanghamun Square. Gyeongbokgung was the first and largest of the royal palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty. The mountain behind it is Mount Bugaksan.
This is Gwanghamun gate, the main gate of Gyeongbukgung. The original gate was destroyed by the Japanese, and the present one was built in 1968.
During the Joseon Dynasty, the royal guards were responsible for guarding and patrolling the gates of the capital and the royal palaces.
The royal palace guards, who were known as the 'Wanggung Sumunjang', were in charge of protecting the king by guarding the entrance gates of the palace where the king resided.
They were in charge of opening and closing the palace gates, inspecting all visitors, and maintaining a close surveillance of the palace. They were divided into day and night shifts, hence the need for the ceremony of the changing of the palace guards.
After doing extensive research, the ceremony of the changing of the palace guards was first reenacted in 1996. From then on, it has become one of the must-see attractions ever since, and we made sure to go and witness it first hand when we were there.
The changing of the guards happens twice everyday, in the morning at 10 AM an din the afternoon at 2 PM. If you go, make sure to arrive a few minutes early to have a good vantage point for picture and video taking.
The colorful uniforms and flags and the way they march and execute the ceremony is really a sight to behold. It must have been a very cool thing to see during the Joseon Dynasty too!
After the parade, visitors are allowed to take pictures with the guards, and of course we took pictures! Wouldn't miss the opportunity at all! Ha ha ha!
The whole ceremony takes about twenty minutes, and any one can enjoy just watching, before going into the palace and enjoying the buildings inside.
The name Gyeongbokgung means 'palace greatly blessed by heaven', and is one of the most iconic sights in all of Korea thanks to its long and storied history.
Expanded over time, Gyeongbokgung became the center of power during the Joseon Dynasty period until the Japanese invaded Korea in 1592-1598. During this time, the palace was destroyed by fire, hence, the painful past.
The palace was left desolate for 270 years, then was reconstructed in 1867, making it once again an icon of Seoul. Several more destructions and wars happened.
Restoration works started in 1989, and is still going on until all of the buildings are restored to their former glory. This is Gwanghamun Gate. It is the first gate going into Gyeongbokgung.
This is the Gwanghamun gate on the inside.
This is the Heungnyemun gate, and is the second gate into Gyeongbokgung. It is located just past the Gwanghamun gate.
Just the gate without me in the background. Imagine how many years it took them to build these gates and palaces. Just makes you wonder, isn't it?
This is Geunjeongmun gate, the third inner gate of Gyeongbokgung. It is the main gate to the courtyard, and is divided into three aisles. Only the king is allowed to walk through the center aisle back in those days.
A look at the massive courtyard of the palace. Just imagine the army of the kingdom assembling for war, or festivities of any kind.
To go to Gyeongbokgung Palace, you can either take the Subway Line 3 and get off at Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 5, or, take the Subway Line 5 to Gwanghamun Station Exit 2 and just walk.
The other palace we visited was the Changdeokgung Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When Gyeongbokgung, which was the primary palace then, was destroyed by the Japanese, the Changdeokgung Palace became the primary palace.
This is the Donwhamun gate, which is the main gate at the entrance of Changdeokgung. It was originally built during the twelfth year of King Taejong, who was the third Joseon Dynasty king.
We were in a historical place but we just couldn't resist being mischievous. Poor brother-in-law. He was the subject of our mischief! Ha ha!
Changdeokgung Palace is also known as Donggwol, the Eastern Palace, because of its location to the east of Gyeongbokgung. The palace is the longest-serving royal residential palace.Compared to other palaces, Changdeokgung is well-preserved and still has many of its original features, and because of this, it is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
This is the throne room of the Changdeokgung palace. The king would sit on that elaborate chair on top, looking down on his subjects when there is an assembly. Notice the ornate details of all the furnishings.
This is Injeongjeon Hall, which is the throne hall of Changdeokgung Palace. It was used for major state affairs including coronation of a new king and receiving foreign envoys. Originally built in 1405, it was rebuilt in 1610 after being burned down during the Japanese invasion, and a third time in 1804 after being destroyed in a fire.
Gwolnaegaksa was the location of government offices, which handled royal family and political affairs.
Jinseonmun gate is the small inner and middle gate. To reach the main throne hall, you must pass under three gates, one of which is the gate above. The other two are Dowhamun and Injeongmun gates.
The stone markers in front of Injeongjeon Hall are the markers for court officials. They are marked with ranks and officials would stand behind their designated stone marker when meeting with the king.
Here are the markers on a closer look. The higher the position, the closer you get to stand near the king.
Seonwonjeon Hall was the location where portraits of former kings were enshrined and where ancestral rites were performed.
This is also part of Seonwonjeon Hall. This is the structure on the side. It is said that the motiff of Changdeokgung palace is the color green, to blend with its natural surroundings like Mt Bugaksan.
Huijeongdang Hall was used as a residence for women and later converted as a place of work and rest for the king. It was here that the king would meet with his officials.
To go to Changdeokgung palace, you can take Subway Lines 1, 3 or 5 to Jong-no 3-ga Station and take exit 6, or, take Subway Line 3 to Anguk Station and take exit 3.
The third palace we visited was the Changgyeonggung Palace below.
This is the Myeongjeongmun gate of Changgyeonggung palace. Changgyeonggung, along with Changdeokgung are both known as Donggwol, or the Eastern palace. Both share the same rear garden.
Compared to the other palaces, Changgyeonggung is compact and simple, an dit was built to take care of the wives of the preceding kings.
To go to Changgyeongung, take Subway Line 4 to Dongdaemun Station and take exit 4.
Now it's time for a confession. The next pictures that I'll be sharing, I cannot remember which palace I took them from. So they could be from any of the three we visited. So I'll just say, enjoy the pictures and hope you could also travel there and visit one of these days! And, as they say in Korean, hwaiting!
I'll just hazard a guess, since the building has green colors, it must be from Changdeokgung. :-)
Welcome to our palace! Ha ha! Come in and enjoy the views!
The structures are almost identical so there is no distinguishing which is which, hence the confusion.
You always see the intricate details of every building and structure though, and you just keep on taking picture after picture after picture.
Numerous walls and gates were built inside the palace complexes for added protection in case there is an invasion of the enemy. If one wall or gate is destroyed, there's still another gate to reckon with.
I just have to close my eyes and try to picture what life was like during that period, with all the pomp and regalia.
It must have been very hard for the people who were maintaining the cleanliness and order of the palace. Can you imagine how many people were employed just to maintain them?
How about the food? What a nightmare it must have been for the chef, to come up with a menu every single day!
Let your imagination run wild and think about living during that time. Imagine visiting the palace during one of the festivals, like maybe new year. :-)
How grand the decorations must have looked like! Lanterns, colorful banners hung everywhere, oh, the majesty.
Imagine being able to take a glimpse of the king, or the queen perhaps. Or even a handsome crown prince. Think Park Bo Gum in the drama Love in the Moonlight, ha ha ha!
My imagination is definitely running wild. :-) And I should stop before I go overboard. :-)
And whatever it is that you are imagining, it is amazing that the government of South Korea is doing a great job at restoring and maintaining their cultural heritage.
And that these places are so easily accessible is short of amazing. Entrance fees are not exorbitant as well. And, if you're Korean and you go in wearing a hanbok, which is their traditional costume, you get in free!
We just enjoyed taking pictures inside the palaces, so enjoy them too as I share.
We never got tired. We spent hours inside one palace and you do indeed need to take your time and explore to enjoy the place to the fullest.
Trees and flowering plants dot the palace grounds, and for more details on the gardens, please read my autumn article here.
This concludes the tour of the palaces, and the next post will be about the other places we visited. Anyeong!
Check on more travels here.
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