A Taste of Palace Life in Seoul
There are not one, not two, but five royal palaces in Seoul to explore. Built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1910), these palaces remain some of Seoul’s most stunning historical sites. Unfortunately, we only managed to hit three during our visit (see the ones with *’s beside them), but in some ways, that’s okay because otherwise this post would’ve become much longer.
Gyeongbokgung * - the largest palace where the changing of the guards occurs
Changdeokgung * - the secondary palace, also where the Secret Garden is located
Changgyeonggung * - palace for the king’s father
Deoksugung - the first main royal palace
Gyeonghuigung - another secondary palac
Gyeongbokgung
The largest palace and usually the one recommend to go to if they can only see one palace, Gyeonbokgung is a stunning wander through history.
We timed our arrival perfectly to watch the changing of the guards which occurs at 10am and 4pm by the main gate Gwanghwamun.
Entry is free to all the palaces if you’re wearing traditional hanbok. There are many rental places within a few block radius, but some do require a timed appointment or have some nice extras like fancy hair accessories so a little research before popping into one is a good idea.
However, dressing up in habok isn’t the only way to get in to the palaces for free. The last Wednesday of each month is a Cultural Heritage day, and that means that entry to all palaces is free. We took advantage of this option for the last two palaces we saw.
Gyeongbokgung was originally built in 1395 by King Taejo, founder of the Joseon dynasty, this palace served as the main palace, much of this (and the other palaces) was destroyed or repurposed by the Japanese Invasion in 1592.
This place could house over 3,000 people, but after the Japanese Invasion, this palace sat abandoned for over 200 years before being re-built in 1867.
Even today, the careful attention can be seen in the restoration details for even the most simplest things like locks to small side doors.
Deeper into the palace grounds, we found this little serene getaway from Palace life, Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, the pond, and the little island that the pavilion sits on was added in 1873 by King Gojong
Jibokjae Hall was originally in Changdeokgung Palace, but was moved (along with two other halls next to it) by King Gojong in 1891 and was used as a library.
Peeking into Geoncheonggung Palace where the king's and queen's living quarters used to be.
Gyeonghoeru Pavilion is situated right on a pond and was used for feasts, banquets, and other events to impress, There are 48 stone pillars on the first level, but it was on the second level where the people ate and took in the views.
Changgyeonggung
A palace originally built for King Taejo’s father and perhaps also three dowager queens and concubines. It’s a smaller palace with some beautiful gardens in the back area.
This small area contains displays of various tea sets. Usually, palace rooms are empty.
The highlight of this palace is the green space in the back with gardens and a large pond area (complete with some lively fish).
Past the pond, is the Daeonsil which seems to translate into “Grand Greenhouse”. A more modern addition (built in the early 1900’s by the Japanese are part of a zoo) and is the first of this Western style greenhouse in all of Korea. It is currently home to a beautiful collection of local plants.
Changdoekgung
We started with Changgeonggung, but ended up doing this palace as well because they are literally connected to each other. Although this palace is a secondary palace, it is known for being the most beautiful out of all of them with a the secret garden which visitors can take a guided tour to see for an extra fee (we didn’t get a chance to do that).
Even though we missed the timed tour for the secret garden (sigh…next time!), this palace has the most unique architecture of the three that we visited with a curved driveway, a two story main palace area, and the nearest warren of buildings to get lost in.
This is the only palace we’ve seen where the main gate does not lead directly into the main courtyard. Instead, it is perpendicular through another gate. Here, the outside photo of the main hall, Injeongjeon, doesn’t really show the scale of how tall it is.
However, once we took a peek at the inside, the grand scale was revealed.
The magistrate area houses former government buildings, and has its own little moat and is full of little alleys and small meeting rooms to wander through.
You never know where the next little gate (even I had to bend down for some) will lead to.
One final interesting area of this palace is the Nakseonjae Complex. A more recent addition, built by King Heonjong in the mid-1800’s, which goes for a more subdued natural wood and white feel instead of the usual palace red.
A simple courtyard that shows the more modest approach was taken when constructing the new buildings. These were the primary royal residences where the royal family resided in until the late 1980’s.