Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, & The Secret Garden

In the middle of all the craziness that is Seoul lies the Gyeongbokgung Palace, a reminder of the dynasty that once ruled the entire Korean peninsula for five hundred years.

Gyeongbokgung

It was mid-March when we visited the palace and the weather was still pretty chilly, around 7 degrees or 6. The train ride took about 15-20 minutes from Myeongdong station to Gyeongbokgung and we arrived at the palace gates at 10am, just in time for the changing of the guards.

Gwanghwamun Gate from the inside

Changing of the guards

One of the most noted attractions in the palace is the changing of the royal guards ceremony, an exact reenactment of a 15th century tradition that happened whenever the guards took their shifts (day & night.)

Heungnyemun Gate

   
Built in 1395 by King Taejo -- the first king of the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the royal residence of Korean monarchs and the political center of the kingdom. The palace was heavily damaged and restored multiple times since its construction. However, it was completely razed to the ground by the Empire of Japan in the late 16th century which drove the royal court to move to the secondary palace in Changdeokgung. After three centuries, Gyeongbokgung was reconstructed again. And for a while it brought hope, but that hope soon faded when Queen Min was assassinated by the Japanese Imperial Army. This unfortunate event marked the end of the Joseon Kingdom and the birth of the Korean Empire (backed by the Japanese). The palace is massive and it took us about 2-3 hours to cover the entire place. Also, we didn't get a tour guide (which we deeply regret) so we relied on Google to read about each building's history. Since the palace has gone through multiple attacks, all that is left now are merely restorations of their original structure. Nonetheless, the palace still resonates the grandeur of traditional Korean architecture.

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion

 
 

Changdeokgung

Changdeokgung was the second palace to be built just a few years after the construction of Gyeongbokgung, thanks to the civil war between envoys and princes. Like the Gyeongbokgung, this palace has also gone through multiple attacks during the Japanese invasions of Korea and was actually burned down twice. The palace was built based on the natural topography of the land, unlike the imposed architectural principles of Gyeongbokgung, which makes this the royal favorite.
 

Huwon

Located in the palace grounds of Changdeokgung, lies a 32-hectare garden built for the royal family called Huwon. This temporary retreat is where the king held archery games, poem contests, and several ceremonies. The garden actually has many names. Its original name is Huwon (rear garden) but it has been caled Biwon (secret garden), Naewon, (inner garden), and Geumwon (forbidden garden) in the past. I prefer the last though since it sounds more dramatic and carries gravitas, haha! The best time to go here is during fall when the leaves have just started to fall, unfortunately we went during the awkward phase between winter and spring so not much could be seen in the garden except for dead trees. Since the garden is huge, this part of the palace requires joining a group tour. It would last about 40-50 minutes and will only cover a portion of the garden. Take note that only limited slots are available so if you're planning on going here, reserve your slot/s ahead (http://eng.cdg.go.kr/main/main.htm).
 




This was our very enthusiastic tour guide, I forgot her name though :( Throughout the tour, she also shared some stories in Korean history and I could feel the sadness in her voice (naks) when she started talking about the division of North and South (THANKS JAPAN HA, JK). It felt genuine coming from a local, and it was oddly beautiful as well.