If you want to see the modern and traditional aspects of Seoul collide, you should head on over to Deoksu Palace (Deoksugung). It is located near City Hall Station, Exit 2. I happened to go on a special day. Instead of me paying W3,000 to enter, I got in free and I was able to see a royal guard procession. I picked the right day!
Some people think to themselves, "If you've seen one palace, you've seen them all. Therefore here's a little background information that will make your trip there more special. I got this information from the brochure they give out to tourists:
"Deoksugung served as the king's residence twice during the Joseon Dynasty. The site was originally the home of Prince Wolsan and his descendants. King Seonjo ( resided between 1567-1608) lived here temporarily after returning to the capital (when Seoul was called Hanyang) following the withdrawal of Japanese forces in 1593. King Seonjo resided here because all the main palace compounds had been destroyed during the war. His successor, Prince Gwanghae (resided between 1608-1623) renamed it Gyeongunggung Palace after making the newly rebuilt Changdeokgung Palace his main residence.
Gyeongungung Palace was used as a royal residence again in the late Joseon Dynasty when Gojong (resided between 1863-1907) moved it to its current location in 1897. The Joseon Dynasty state was proclaimed as an "empire" and the ruler began offering rituals at the Hwanggudan Altar (where Chosun Hotel now stands). The palace halls were rebuilt and the compound was expanded to some three times its present size.
However, Gojong was forced to hand the throne over to his son who became Emperor Sunjong in 1907. Emperor Sunjong moved into Changdeokgung Palace and bestowed the title of Deoksu (virtue and long life) on his father, wishing him a long life. The compound became known as Deoksugung Palace and the former emperor remained here until his death in 1919. The palace compound at that time was three times larger than it is today, encompassing the whole area around the present day city hall, Seoul Plaza, and Jeong-dong area."
As you walk in, here's the view to your right. You'll see the architecture of the wall that has Deokhongjeon Hall and Hamnyeong Hall behind it. It's in great contrast the modern buildings in the background. You can see it here:
To the left you'll notice the famous stone wall of Deoksugung, which many people take pictures of. Most people take pictures of it from the outside, but I was lucky to get some fall leaves together with the wall for a beautiful combination from the inside:
As you keep walking straight, you'll see Jeukjodang Hall on your right. This along with Seogeodang Hall (behind it), were used as council halls after Jeonghwajeon Hall was completed. Their history dates back to King Seonjo. You can see Jeukjodang Hall in this picture:
Here's a closer look of it here:
As we move on to the next picture, Seokjojeon Hall is a Western-style stone building that was completed in 1910, which consists of three floors. The kitchen and storage on the ground were used by servants. The first floor was the official workplace and holds an audience chamber and a dining room. The second floor of the building was intended to be the private living quarters of the royal family such as bedrooms for the emperor and empress. There have been several changes in the use of Seokjojeon Hall since it was constructed. It was opened as the Daehan Empire History Museum in 2014 following restoration that started in 2009.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go inside because you need to make a reservation ahead of time. You can call or do it online. Here's a picture of it:
The next picture is Seogeodang Hall, which was mentioned briefly earlier. It's the only extant two-storied building at Deoksugung Palace. It burned down in 1904, and was rebuilt the same year. Unlike other buildings, it was two wooden plaques and the one on the first floor was hand written by Emperor Gojong. Next to it is Jeukjodang Hall.
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| Seogeodang Hall (right) and Jeukjodang Hall (left) |
Next is the gate that leads to Hamnyeongjeon Hall (which served as Gojong's residence and office) and Deokhongjeon Hall (a replacement for Gyeonghojeon Hall that was burned down in 1904 where the spirit tablet of the deceased empress was enshrined.
You can really see the difference between the old Seoul and the new Seoul in this picture:
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| Deokhongjeon Hall (right) and Hamyeongjeon Hall (left) |
Finally, feel free to check out the Deoksugung Art Museum. It always houses exhibits and you'll have to check which one is being held before you make your trip over to the palace. I happened to see modern art by Yoo, Youngkuk. I'm not a big fan of modern art, but it was interesting nonetheless.
Scott Worden (LA/Seoul Guy)
Instagram: l.a.seoulguy
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