Changdeokgung Palace | Seoul, South Korea

Welcome to Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea!

Changdeokgung is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, how cool is that?

This palace is the second palace built in Seoul, after the Gyeongbukgung Palace was built in 1405. It's also the most well preserved of the five royal villas.

Ethan and I visited Changdeokgung on a Sunday afternoon. It was not very busy at all, which is always nice.

The palace also features what is known as the "secret garden", also called Huwon. It's said that the garden has remained untouched by human hands with only the rare exception when interference is absolutely necessary. If you have the time, you can tour the garden for an extra fee. Details on that below.

We chose not to tour the garden since we visited the palace in late winter and there wasn't much foliage. I hope to return this spring or early summer to see Huwon for myself!

"Changdeokgung Palace was constructed in 1405, the fifth year of the 3rd King Taejon's reign. Secondary to Gyeongbokgung, the main palace, its completion gave balance to the capital city as Gyeongbokgung Palace was to the west and Changdeokgung Palace to the east. All of the palace buildings were destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion in 1592. Changdeokgung was restored in 1610 and served as the main palace for 270 years including the dynasty's last king, Sunjong. Since the palace was to the eat of Gyeongbokgung, it was referred to as the "East Palace" together with Changgyonggung Palace. In contrast to Gyeongbokgung, where major buildings are arranged in accordance with the main axis of the meridian, Changdeokgung is laid out in harmony with the area's topography; the palace architecture has a dissymmetric beauty that is unique to Korea. The layout of Changdeokgung is making perfect harmony with natural background by locating buildings alongside of mountain. It influenced the layout of other major palaces. The buildings of Changdeokgung Palace including Daejojeon, the queen's residence, were destroyed in 1917 by fire. To replace them, buildings at Gyeongbokgung Palace were dismantled and moved here. In the process, many structures were modified or damaged.

Full restoration work began in 1991 and is still under way. Despite all of the damage done to the palace in years past, Changdeokgung is relatively well preserved and is representative of Korea palace architecture. The garden of Changdeokgung is one of the most enchanting space in Korea. The Changdeokgung Palace complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1997 for its outstanding architecture and a design that is in harmony with the landscape."

The architecture is pretty amazing. This was one of my favorite styles.

The throne room

Check out those chandeliers; can you imagine having those in your sitting room?

"Changdokkung Palace was registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List under the provisions of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on December 6, 1997.

A World Heritage is defined as something which has distinctive and invaluable cultural properties and which needs special preservatory care so that its values can be shared by the people of the world.

The palace was constructed as a detached palace in 1405, the 5th year of the king Taejong of the Chosen Dynasty. With its unique palatial layout, its exquisite buildings, and the landscaping of its rear garden, it is known as the epitome of Korea architecture."

We walked around the grounds as our own pace, however there are tours available in Korean, English and Japanese. Check out this site for more information.

 The Details

• What: Changdeokgung Palace

• When: Feb-May, Sep-Oct 09:00-18:00, Jun-Aug 09:00-18:30, Nov-Jan 09:00-17:30

• Where: 99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 종로구 율곡로 99 (와룡동)

• Cost: Adults: 3000₩ palace entrance, 5000₩ for the secret garden | Children: 1500₩ palace entrance, 2500₩ for the secret garden