Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung was the first palace built after the Joseon dynasty moved its capital to Hanyang, today's Seoul, in 1395. Its name, taken from a line in the Chinese Classic of Poetry, means roughly "palace of great blessings", and the scholar-official Jeong Do-jeon named it and its main halls. Burned, rebuilt, largely demolished under colonial rule and still being restored today, it lets you read five centuries of Joseon history and Korea's 20th century in a single walk.

History: a palace that fell three times

The palace came into its own under King Sejong, who made it his main residence and set up the Hall of Worthies here. The scholars who helped him create the Korean alphabet, Hangul, worked inside these walls, and water clocks and astronomical instruments were installed in the grounds.

The site was chosen using both feng shui and Confucian ritual. Bugaksan mountain rises behind the palace and the Cheonggyecheon and Han River flow in front; the royal ancestral shrine of Jongmyo was placed to its east and the Sajikdan altar to the gods of soil and grain to its west. Inside, the palace follows the principle of "court in front, residence behind": halls for state business at the front, the royal quarters and garden at the back. A major fire in 1553 destroyed the living quarters, which were rebuilt the following year.

In 1592, during the Japanese invasions, the palace burned to the ground and, for lack of money, lay empty for about 270 years. Reconstruction began in 1865 on the order of Queen Sinjeong and was driven by the regent Heungseon Daewongun, and King Gojong moved back in 1868. In 1887 Korea's first electric light was switched on here, and in 1895 Queen Min was assassinated in the palace's Geoncheonggung residence.

Under Japanese colonial rule the palace's symbolism made it a target. Of roughly 500 buildings standing around 1888, most were sold off or demolished, leaving about 40 by 1945, and the Japanese Government-General Building was planted in front of the throne hall. In 1915 an industrial exhibition held inside the grounds led to dozens of halls being torn down, and bombing during the Korean War in 1950 destroyed more. That building came down in 1995–1996. The first restoration plan, launched in 1990, rebuilt 89 structures, and a second phase is planned to run until 2045.

What to see

• Gwanghwamun and Heungnyemun: the main gate was rebuilt in wood in 2010, replacing a 1968 concrete version, and in 2023 the raised terrace and haetae statues in front of it were restored. Look up at the vermilion bird painted on the ceiling of the central arch, once reserved for the king. The changing of the guard, revived in 2002, takes place twice a day.
• Geunjeongjeon: the throne hall used for coronations and state ceremonies. Look at the rough stone paving, the rank stones lined up for officials and Bugaksan mountain rising behind the roofs.
• Sajeongjeon, Gangnyeongjeon and Gyotaejeon: the king's office comes first, the royal living quarters behind it: state business at the front, private life at the back, a layout you can feel as you walk north.
• Gyeonghoeru: a two-storey banquet pavilion on stone pillars in a pond, used to receive foreign envoys. It appeared on the back of the 10,000-won note from 1983 to 2007.
• Hyangwonjeong: a hexagonal pavilion on an island in the northern pond, close to Geoncheonggung.
• Two museums: the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea are inside the grounds, handy on a rainy day.

Good to know

• Today's buildings amount to about a quarter of the palace at its late-19th-century peak. Restoration is ongoing, so new halls may appear between visits.
• Remains of Jaseondang, a hall that had been shipped to Japan, came back in 1995 and are kept in the palace.
• Geunjeongjeon was on the 10,000-won note from 1973 to 1983.
• Of Gwanghwamun's three arches, the middle one was for the king, the left for military officials and the right for civil officials. The left ceiling shows a turtle, the right a winged horse.
• The 1968 concrete Gwanghwamun was criticised for being out of line with the palace's central axis, so the 2010 rebuild moved it back to its original position.

Tripto tips

• Closed on Tuesdays. If a Tuesday is a public holiday, the palace opens and closes the next weekday instead.
• Opening hours: Jan–Feb and Nov–Dec 09:00–17:00, Mar–May and Sep–Oct 09:00–18:00, Jun–Aug 09:00–18:30; last entry one hour before closing.
• Tickets: KRW 3,000 for adults. Free for foreign visitors aged 18 or under or 65 and over, and for anyone wearing hanbok.
• Getting there: about 2 minutes on foot from Gyeongbokgung Station, exit 5 (Line 3), or 6 minutes from Gwanghwamun Station, exit 2 (Line 5).
• Time needed: about 90 minutes for the main halls, half a day with the pavilions and museums.
• When to go: April blossoms and October–November foliage bring the biggest crowds; go right after opening for easier photos.
• The guard ceremony can be cancelled in extreme heat, so check the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center website. Changdeokgung and Bukchon are within walking distance for a full day out.