Changdeok Palace invites in spring breeze with windows, doors wide open

Seoul’s most beloved palace offers rare glimpse inside for springtime visitors

Spring is around the corner and Changdeok Palace, arguably the most beautiful royal palace in Seoul, has its windows and doors flung open to welcome the springtime breeze and natural light into the historic building after it remained shut throughout winter.

From Tuesday to Saturday, the Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center’s Changdeok Palace management office is revealing to visitors its interior conservation measures that keep the palace alive and sharing a rare peek into the ancient building where royals and their attendants used to reside.

“People used to live here in the palace and actually used the building — opening and closing the door, bringing light and air in and out. Now, that time has passed and we (staff) look over the space for maintenance, but buildings remain alive only when there are people living in them. Leaving the doors closed for too long could create distortions and make condensation,” an official from the palace complex’s management team told The Korea Times, Tuesday.

Thus, the team occasionally opens doors and windows of “changho,” or corridors of Korean traditional buildings with layers portals that connect the inside and outside, to encourage air and light circulation.

Changho contributes to the building’s long lifespan by facilitating conservation and adds beauty to its landscape. It was in 2022 that the office developed a seasonal tour program.

“We knew that the palace offers somewhat different and exceptional scenery through the frames of portals. So we decided to share with visitors these new viewpoints to look at this beautiful palace, just for a while as the spring nears,” the official said.

If the doors and windows are left open for too long, the buildings could be damaged and wild animals could enter, he explained.

Visitors may look inside the palace’s major buildings — Huijeongdang, Daejojeon and Nakseonjae halls — with doors wide open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The changho opening program may be canceled under strong winds or heavy rain. No reservation is required for entry.

Most beloved palace

of Joseon kings

We decided to share with visitors these new viewpoints to look at this beautiful palace.

Constructed in the 15th century during the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, the Changdeok Palace complex occupies a site in northern Seoul at the foot of Mount Baegak, the main geomantic guardian mountain.

Its name, Changdeok, means prosperity and virtue, conveying a message that only when the king pursues a virtuous life, will the prosperity of the kingdom follow.

The complex was originally built as a secondary palace to the main Gyeongbok Palace to its west, in case of war, disasters or important state events when the royal family members needed another place to stay.

It served as the center of state affairs and functioned as the main palace while Gyeongbok Palace was being rebuilt centuries after Japanese invasion during the reign of King Gojong (1864-1907).

Notably, Changdeok Palace is considered the aesthetic pinnacle among the five royal palaces in Seoul for demonstrating the essence of Korean traditional architecture — harmonization of the architectural layout with the neighboring natural setting. In December 1997, the royal complex was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for such outstanding universal value.

Unlike nearby Gyeongbok Palace, which has a more direct and straight architectural layout, Changdeok Palace offers dynamic and detailed channels of movement, inducing turn after turn around the buildings.

Changdeok Palace was the most beloved and preferred royal residence by many Joseon kings and also where the Korean Empire ended. The palace’s Heungbokheon held the last Cabinet meeting on Aug. 29, 1910, the day that the Korean Empire lost its sovereignty to imperial Japan.

The hidden gem of the palace is the Secret Garden that stretches over 60 percent of its territory in the back.

The garden area, which boasts exceptional harmony with nature, served as a place for royal family members to relax and hold outdoor activities. It features a series of pavilions and lotus ponds, as well as a royal farmland, where the king tried planting grains to encourage farmers.

The palace offers guided tours of the palace buildings and the Secret Garden in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese.

Feste Romane KBS Hall March 28

In celebration of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy, the renowned soprano Sumi Jo and the KBS Symphony Orchestra, led by chief conductor Pietari Inkinen, will present six Italian classical operatic pieces. The program includes Respighi’s “Fontane di Roma, P. 106,” Bellini’s “Casta Diva” and Donizetti’s “Chacun le Sait.”

Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 120,000 won. Call (02) 6099-7400 for more information.

Daniil Trifonov Piano Recital: Decades

Lotte Concert Hall

April 1-2

Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov is returning to Korea with another solo recital, after a completely sold-out performance last year. Trifonov is well-known for his bold and unique musical interpretations in recitals; he has won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo and was named Musical America’s Artist of the Year in 2019, among numerous other achievements. For the upcoming show, the pianist will present iconic compositions written in the 20th century in a chronological order, beginning with Alban Berg’s “Piano Sonata Op. 1” and ending with John Corigliano’s “Fantasia on an Ostinato.”

Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 120,000 won. Call (02) 541-2512 for more information.

Ilya Rashkovsky: Rachmaninoff’s Three Piano Concertos

Gwangju Arts Center

April 11

Award-winning Russian pianist Ilya Rashkovsky is returning to Korea once again, this time, to perform Rachmaninoff’s three iconic piano concertos: “Piano Concerto No. 1 in F# Minor, Op. 1,” “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18,” and “Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30.” Joining the stage is the Millennium Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Choi Youngsun.

Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 110,000 won. Call (02) 6292-9370 for more information.

Violinist Kim Gye-hee & Pianist George Harliono Duo Recital Seoul Arts Center IBK Chamber Hall April 17

Korean violinist Kim Gye-hee and British pianist George Harliono, gold and silver winners of the 2023 International Tchaikovsky Competition in their respective categories, will join the stage at the Seoul Arts Center for their first duo recital. The two musicians are set to present compositions that include Beethoven’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 9 ‘Kreutzer’ in A Major, Op. 47” and Tchaikovsky’s “Valse-Scherzo for Violin and Piano in C Major, Op. 34.”

Tickets cost from 50,000 won to 70,000 won. Call (070) 8621-8925 for more information.

Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin Doors along the “changho,” or corridors of traditional buildings, are open for ventilation at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday.

Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin Doors along the “changho,” or corridors of Korean traditional buildings, are open for ventilation at Changdeok Palace during the heritage site’s springtime tour program, Tuesday.

Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin The roof of a hanok building is seen through an open window at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday.

Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin Windows and doors are open for ventilation at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday.

Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin Visitors are seen through the open doors at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday.

Courtesy of KBS Symphony Orchestra To commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy, the KBS Symphony Orchestra will perform various classical Italian operatic pieces.