Changdeokgung

Changdeokgung, the "Palace of Prospering Virtue", was meant to be the lesser of Seoul's royal residences, yet for much of the Joseon era it was the one the kings actually preferred. King Taejong ordered it in 1404 as a secondary palace, and the first buildings were ready in 1405. It was the second palace of the capital after Gyeongbokgung, but when every palace in Seoul burned in 1592 during the Imjin War, Changdeokgung was the one rebuilt first, completed again in 1610, and it served as the working seat of the court for most of the next two and a half centuries. It burned again in a coup of 1623 and was restored once more; the complex seen today is the product of these rebuildings, of losses under Japanese rule, including a great fire in 1917, and of careful restoration since.

The approach follows an old Chinese scheme of three gates and three courts, moving from public to private. Donhwamun, the main gate, first completed in 1412 and rebuilt after the Imjin War, is the oldest surviving gate of any Joseon palace. Just inside, the Geumcheongyo bridge of 1411, the oldest palace bridge of its kind, crosses a now-dry stream on two stone arches guarded by carved mythical beasts, a turtle-snake on one side and a xiezhi on each corner post. Beyond lie the throne hall, Injeongjeon, and the council hall Seonjeongjeon, the only surviving Joseon palace building roofed in blue glazed tiles, which were once a costly luxury. To the east, the Nakseonjae compound, built in 1847 in a deliberately plain style, remained a home for members of the royal family until the deaths of Princess Deokhye and Crown Princess Bangja in 1989.

Behind the palace spreads the rear garden, known as the Secret Garden, which the kings used for leisure, ceremonies, military drills and even state examinations. It is less a garden in the European sense than a wooded valley with ponds and pavilions placed into the landscape. The pond of Buyongji, dug in 1707, is overlooked by the two-storey Juhamnu of 1776, whose lower floor held the royal library. Further north, the little stream of Ongnyucheon, shaped in 1636, runs past a group of small pavilions that have long been counted among the most scenic spots in the garden. The garden has more than 160 species of trees, and over seventy of them are more than three centuries old. Changdeokgung was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Getting there

The palace is in the historic heart of Seoul, about 2 km from the city centre. The nearest subway station is Anguk on Line 3: from Exit 3 it is a walk of about 500 metres to the palace; Jongno 3-ga station is also within walking distance of Donhwamun. The nearest airport is Seoul Gimpo International Airport (GMP), about 18 km away.