Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHTS
CHANGDEOKGUNG
A Unesco World Heritage property, as well as the most beautiful of Seoul's four main palaces, Changdeokgung
(meaning Palace of Illustrious Virtue) was originally built in the early 15th century as a secondary palace to
Gyeongbokgung. Following the destruction of both palaces during the Japanese invasion in the 1590s, Changdeok-
gung was rebuilt and became the primary royal residence until 1872. It remained in use by members of royal fam-
ily well into the 20th century.
Visiting the Palace
You must join a guided tour to see inside Changdeokgung. English tours run at 11.30am
and 2.30pm from March to December; if you don't care about the commentary then there
are Korean tours on the hour. If you wish to gain entry to the Huwon (Secret Garden) - and
you do - then you must join a special tour for an extra
₩
5000; these run at 10am, 1pm and
2pm and are restricted to 50 people at a time. Also well worth joining are the monthly
Moonlight Tours limited to 100 people and costing
₩
30,000. Tickets can be bought online
well in advance as it's very popular.
Palace Layout
Enter through the imposing gate Donhwamun, dating from 1608, turn right and cross over
the stone bridge (built in 1414) - note the guardian animals carved on its sides. On the left
mony with the paved courtyard, the open corridors and the trees behind it.
Next door are the government office buildings, including one with a blue-tiled roof. Fur-
ther on are the private living quarters of the royal family. Peering inside the partially fur-
nished rooms, you can feel what these Joseon palaces were like in their heyday - a bustling
beehive buzzing round the king, full of gossip, intrigue and whispering.
Round the back is a terraced garden with decorative
ondol
chimneys. Over on the right is
jong (r 1834-49) in an austere Confucian style using unpainted wood. Royal descendants
lived here until 1989.
The Secret Garden
