CHANGDEOKGUNG PALACE
JONGNO-GU, SEOUL
Alongside Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung, Changdeokgung is one of the Five Grand Palaces in Seoul. The most well-preserved palace of all the Joseon royal palaces today, it was originally built in 1405 by King Taejong as a secondary palace, but it was burnt down during the Japanese invasion in
1592. Afterwards, Changdeokgung was the first palace to be rebuilt in 1610 and it subsequently became the primary official royal palace for the next 270 years. To have a look around the palace, you will need to join a one-hour guided tour, which is available in English and Korean. Among the sights that you will see is Injeongjeon Hall, the throne hall of the palace and a designated National Treasure of Korea, which was used for ceremonial occasions such as the coronation ceremony and receiving foreign envoys at court. Other buildings at the Changdeokgung Palace include Seonjeongjeon Hall (the king’s daily office, which was built in 1647 and is the only remaining building in the palace complex with a blue-tiled roof), Huijeongdang Hall (the king’s bed-chamber) and the government offices in the Gwolnaegaksa Complex. There is also a tour available for the palace’s Secret Garden, where you can see various pavilions and fountains such as the 18th century Juhamnu Pavilion, which was used as a royal library, and the peaceful Aeryeonji Pond, which translates as ‘pond of the beloved lotus’.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm. Average adult ticket is 3,000 won for the palace and 8,000 won for the Secret Garden. cdg.go.kr/eng