Changdeokgung
While Gyeongbokgung plays to the crowd, its smaller neighbour Changdeokgung (창덕궁) is the choice of palace connoisseurs. Completed in 1412 and home to royalty as recently as 1910, this is the best-preserved palace in Seoul, and has been put on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites. Entry here is regulated to a far greater degree than the other palaces, and for most of the week you’ll have no option but to join a tour. Though the information is interesting, you really can’t beat the freedom of exploring the palace by yourself; to do this you will need to come on a Thursday from April to October, and pay more.
The suitably impressive throne room is without doubt the most regal-looking of any Seoul palace – light from outside is filtered through paper doors and windows, bathing in a dim glow the elaborate wooden beam structure, as well as the throne and its folding-screen backdrop. From here you’ll be led past a number of buildings pertaining to the various kings that used the palace, some of which still have the original furniture inside. One building even contains vehicles used by King Sunjong, the Daimler and Cadillac looking more than a little incongruous in their palatial setting. Sunjong was the last ruler of the Joseon dynasty, and held the throne from 1907 until his country’s annexation by the Japanese in 1910; his lineage still continues today, though claims are contested, and the “royals” have no regal rights, claims or titles. Further on you’ll come to Nakseondae. Built during the reign of King Heonjong (ruled 1834–49), the building’s Qing-style latticed doors and arched pavilion reveal Heonjong’s taste for foreign cultures; without the paint and decoration typical of Korean palace buildings, the colours of the bare wood are ignited during sunset. Look out for the circular sliding door inside – Star Trek in a Korean palace.
Huwon
Changdeokgung’s highlight is Huwon (후원), the “Secret Garden”. Approached on a suitably mysterious path, the garden is concealed by an arch of leaves. In the centre of the garden is a lotus pond, one of Seoul’s most-photographed sights, and alive with colourful flowers in late June or early July. A small building overlooking the pond served as a library and study room, and the tiny gates blocking the entrance path were used as an interesting checking mechanism by the king – needing to crouch to pass through, he’d be reminded of his duty to be humble. This is the last stop on the tour, and most visitors take the opportunity to relax here awhile before exiting the complex.
Changgyeonggung
Separated from Changdeokgung to the west by a perimeter wall, Changgyeonggung (창경궁) tends to split visitors into two camps – those who marvel at its history and the relatively natural beauty of its interior, which is far greener than Seoul’s other palaces, and those who feel that there’s a little less to see.
King Sejong built Changgyeonggung in 1418 as a resting place for his father, the recently abdicated King Taejong. At its peak the palace had a far greater number of buildings than are visible today, but these were to suffer badly from fires and during the Japanese invasions. Almost the whole of the complex burned down in the Japanese attacks of 1592, and then again during a devastating inferno in 1830, two events that sandwiched the murder of a crown prince by his father. When the Japanese returned in 1907, they turned much of the palace into Korea’s first amusement park, and included a botanical garden, kindergarten and zoo, as well as a museum – the red brick exterior and pointed steel roof were very much in keeping with the Japanese style of the time, and pictures of this can still be seen around the palace entrance. The building and zoo themselves were tolerated for nearly a century before finally being ripped down in 1983, whereas the botanical garden still remains today.
Considering its turbulent history, the palace is a markedly relaxed place to wander around. The buildings themselves are nowhere near as polished as those in the Gyeongbok or Changdeok palaces, which helps accentuate their validity; the history of each structure is chronicled on information boards. Be sure to look for Myeongjeongjeon, the oldest main hall of any of Seoul’s palaces – it was built in 1616, and somehow escaped the fires that followed. From here, a number of paths wind their way to a pond at the north of the complex, many of which are highly beautiful, with some full of scent from herbs planted along the way. Near the pond are a couple of herb gardens, while also visible are the white-painted lattices of the Japanese-built botanical garden. If you still have energy left you can head to the far southwest of the complex, where a footbridge crosses over to Jongmyo shrine.
The murder of Crown Prince Sado
In 1762, a sinister event occurred in the grounds of Changgyeonggung, one whose story is, for some reason, omitted from the information boards that dot the palace grounds – a royal murder. A young prince named Sado was heir to the throne of King Yeongjo, but had been born mentally ill, with a rather unfortunate habit of killing people unnecessarily. Fearing dire consequences if the nation’s power were placed into his son’s hands, Yeongjo escorted Sado to Seonninmun, a gate on the eastern side of the palace, and ordered him to climb into a rice casket; his son obeyed, was locked in, and starved to death. Sado’s wife, Hyegyong, held the secret until after Yeongjo’s death in 1776, at which point she spilled the beans in a book, Hanjungnok (published in English as The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong). Sado’s son Jeongjo became king on the death of Yeongjo, and built Hwaseong fortress in Suwon to house his father’s remains. Jeongjo went on to become one of Korea’s most respected rulers.
Gyeongbokgung
The glorious palace of Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) is, with good reason, the most popular tourist sight in the city, and a focal point of the country as a whole. The place is absorbing, and the chance to stroll the dusty paths between its delicate tile-roofed buildings is one of the most enjoyable experiences Seoul has to offer. Gyeongbokgung was ground zero for Seoul’s emergence as a place of power, having been built to house the royal family of the embryonic Joseon dynasty, shortly after they transferred their capital here in 1392. The complex has witnessed fires, repeated destruction and even a royal assassination, but careful reconstruction means that the regal atmosphere of old is still palpable, aided no end by the suitably majestic crags of Bugaksan to the north. A large historical complex with excellent on-site museums, it can easily eat up the best part of a day.
Try to time your visit to coincide with the colourful changing of the guard ceremony, which takes place outside the main entrance at 11am, 2pm and 3.30pm daily except Monday. There are free English-language tours of the grounds at 11am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm, although the complex has information boards all over the place, and most visitors choose to go it alone.
The Palace
Most visitors will start their tour at Gwanghwamun (광화문), the palace’s southern gate. Entering through the first courtyard you’ll see Geunjeongjeon (근정전), the palace’s former throne room, looming ahead. Despite being the largest wooden structure in the country, this two-level construction remains surprisingly graceful, the corners of its gently sloping roof home to lines of tiny guardian figurines. The central path leading up to the building was once used only by the king, but the best views of its interior are actually from the sides – from here you’ll see the golden dragons on the hall ceiling, as well as the throne itself, backed by its traditional folding screen.
After Geunjeongjeon you can take one of a number of routes around the complex. To the east of the throne room are the buildings that once housed crown princes, deliberately placed here to give these regal pups the day’s first light, while behind is Gangnyeongjeon (강녕전), the former living quarters of the king and queen, furnished with replica furniture. Also worth seeking out is Jagyeongjeon (자경전), a building backed by a beautiful stone wall, and chimneys decorated with animal figures. West of the throne room is Gyeonghoeru (경회루), a colossal pavilion looking out over a tranquil lotus pond that was a favourite with artists in regal times, and remains so today. The pond was used both for leisure and as a ready source of water for the fires that regularly broke out around the palace (an unfortunate by-product of heating buildings with burning wood or charcoal under the floor), while the pavilion itself was once a place for banquets and civil service examinations. North of the throne room, and right at the back of the complex, are a few buildings constructed in 1888 during the rule of King Gojong to house books and works of art. These structures were designed in the Chinese style that was the height of fashion at the time, and are markedly different from any other structures around the palace.