South Korea Day 4 at Seoul Palaces (Part 1)

Day 4 (30th March 2017) – Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung Palace

Tips before you go to Changdeokgung & Gyeongbokgung Palace:

Wear a Hanbok so you can enter Changdeokgung & Gyeongbokgung Palace for FREE. There’s a lot of Hanbok rental shops to choose from.Don’t bring too much things or if you want to do shopping, do it after you visited the Palaces. These two Palace is really huge.Make sure you’ll grab a guided tour map before entering the Palace.Don’t miss the Changing of Guards ceremony in Gyeongbokgung Palace. It’s a MUST!Wear your most comfortable outfit (of course, depends on the season).

How to Get There:

Anguk Station (Subway Line 3), Exit 3. Walk straight along the main road for about 5 mins and you will see the palace on your right.

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1st Destination: Changdeokgung Palace

Wonder about how to get the tickets? No worries. You can simply just purchase the entrance ticket on the day itself.

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Unfortunately, we didn’t had the chance to avail the Secret Garden because we came late for the  English tour guide so we just visit the Palace instead. KRW 3,000 for the Palace entrance while the Secret Garden Tour cost KRW 5,000. (Secret Garden comes as guided tour and has a specific timing for it.)

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Changdeokgung Palace was the second royal villa built following the construction of Gyeongbukgung Palace in 1405. It was the principal palace for many of the Joseon kings and is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal Joseon palaces. The palace grounds are consisted of a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the rear garden. Known as a place of rest for the kings, the rear garden boasts a gigantic tree that is over 300 years old, a small pond, and a pavilion.

The palace gained in importance starting from the time of 9th king of Joseon, Seongjong, when a number of kings began using it as a place of residence. Unfortunately, the palace was burned down by angry citizens in 1592 when the royal family fled their abode during the Japanese Invasion of Korea. Thanks to Gwanghaegun, the palace was restored in 1611 and hence been treasured by Koreans since then. Finally in 1997, Changdeokgung Palace had been listed in UNESCO list as one of the world heritage site. (cr: KTO site) [read more HERE]

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On the left is the beautiful main palace building, Injeongjeon. It sits in harmony with the paved courtyard, the open corridors and the trees behind it. The royal walkway and courtyard, dating back to 1609, can be seen in front of the hall. On this walkway are stone markers inscribed with ranks of court officials. Court officials are supposed to stand behind their designated stone marker when meeting with the king. Higher ranked officials will be the one standing closest to the king while lower ranked officials would naturally stand furthest from the king.

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There are two huge iron pots outside the main palace building, on the far end of each side. These are actually bronze censers . It was said that whenever the king sat on the throne for official functions, incense sticks were burned in these censers.

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On this walkway are stone markers inscribed with ranks of court officials. Court officials are supposed to stand behind their designated stone marker when meeting with the king. Higher ranked officials will be the one standing closest to the king while lower ranked officials would naturally stand furthest from the king.

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Nakseonjae Hall is a one-storey structure built in ikgong style (bird wing-shaped eaves placed on top of the pillars) with a hip tiled and gable roof. It was said to be built by King Heonjeong, the 24th king of Joseon for his beloved concubine in 1846…

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Of course the palace wouldn’t be more beautiful if without these colorful trees.

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What I loved about Changdeokgung was how preserved everything was. It was as if I stepped back in time. We visited in the morning and it was peaceful and calm, even if we was around this group of children who were on a trip. There were no crowds and we could take our time checking out the pavilions without having to battle it out with other visitors. We’re actually planning to return next time in a Hanbok, soon!

2nd Destination: Gyeongbokgung Palace

If you have seen one of the other palaces already in Seoul, you may wonder if Gyeongbokgung Palace worth a visit. The answer is… YES, it is! While it may look too similar to some of the other ones, like Changdeokgung, with the main throne building, there are some differences. Like the pavilion in the lake, and the mountain in the background. Plus this one is more bigger and grander than the other ones, and has the Changing of the Guard ceremony throughout the day.

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Only KRW 6,000 for the admission ticket per person.

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First thing to do in Gyeongbokgung Palace is to see the ceremony of opening of the palace gate and guard changing procession and remember to grab a map before heading to the palace as it is really huge.

Performance Timings:

Sumunjang (Royal Guard) Changing Ceremony – 10:00, 14:00 / 20 minutes per ceremony Gwanghwamun Gate Guard-on-Duty Performance – 11:00, 13:00 / 10 minutes per ceremony Sumungun (Gatekeeper) Military Training (outside Hyeopsaengmun Gate) – 09:30, 13:30 / 15 minutes per ceremony

We arrived at 14:47 so we’re a bit late but still we didn’t missed it.

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After we watched the ceremony, we had the chance to wear the Traditional Royal Guard costumes for rent for 10-15 minutes and It’s totally free to try so it will definitely be brimming with tourists like you and me, just write your name on their list and wait for your turn.

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This is Geunjeongjeon, also known as Geunjeongjeon Hall, is the throne hall where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon dynasty. The building was designated as Korea’s National Treasure No. 223 on January 8, 1985. And it was constructed mainly of wood, Geunjeongjeon sits on the center of a large rectangular courtyard, on top of a two-tiered stone platform; balustrades and is decorated with numerous sculptures depicting imaginary and real animals, such as dragons and phoenixes. The stone-paved courtyard is lined with two rows of rank stones, called pumgyeseoks, indicating where the court officials are to stand according to their ranks.

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This is Kyeonghoe-ru, the largest pavilion in South Korea and has been designated National Treasure #224. Supported by 48 stone pillars and set in a lotus pond, the pavilion was a favored place for the King to entertain visiting dignitaries. Kyeonghoe means “joyous meeting”.

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Together with raf, this is Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, is a small, two-story hexagonal pavilion built around 1873 by the order of King Gojong when Geoncheonggung residence was built to the north within Gyeongbokgung. The bridge Chwihyanggyo was originally located on the north side of the island and was the longest bridge constructed purely of wood during the Joseon dynasty; however, it was destroyed during the Korean War. The bridge was reconstructed in its present form on the south side of the island in 1953.

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Blooming flowers. So gorgeous and lovely. <3

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We passed by on this two cute asian kids wearing a Hanbok and good thing is they’re not shy for taking photo with a stranger like me. They look so adorable!

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After we finished the two most visited Palaces in Seoul, our next destination is the N Seoul Tower! =)

Hope this post helps you while you’re traveling or planning to go in South Korea. Please do share your stories on my blog if you’d been here or if you have any questions, I will make sure to reply as soon as possible. Xiao!