Gyeongbokgung
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:CS1 config Template:Infobox building Gyeongbokgung (Template:Korean/auto) is a former royal palace in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1395, it was the first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and is now one of the most significant tourist attractions in the country.
The palace was among the first landmarks to be established in Seoul. It flourished under the 1418–1450 reign of Sejong the Great. With assistance from part of the Hall of Worthies, Sejong invented the native Korean script Hangul at the palace. In 1592, amidst the Imjin War, the palace was completely burned down. Plans to repair the palace fell through amidst funding shortages after the war. It would not be restored until the late 19th century, during the reign of the penultimate monarch Gojong.
In 1910, Japan colonized Korea. As the palace was a symbol of the Korean monarchy's authority, Japan systematically demolished and altered it. Almost all of its around 500 structures were sold off and shipped elsewhere; by the 1945 liberation of Korea, only 40 pre-colonial buildings remained. In their place, modern-style colonial buildings like the Government-General of Chōsen Building were established.
After decades of political turmoil and poor economic conditions, significant efforts to restore the palace to its pre-colonial state began in the 1980s. Since then, the 1990–2010 First Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan and 2008–2045 Second Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan have resulted in the recreations of dozens of buildings in the palace, with dozens more scheduled for the future.
The palace hosts a changing of the guard ceremony twice per day. It contains the National Folk Museum of Korea and the National Palace Museum of Korea. Gyeongbokgung is accessible by the subway station Gyeongbokgung Station. For part of the year, it is open at night. Entrance is free for visitors wearing hanbok (traditional Korean clothing).
Name
Gyeongbokgung means Template:Gloss. The palace and many of its main structures were named by the Korean official Chŏng Tojŏn around the time of the palace's establishment.Template:Sfnm Chŏng named the palace in the 10th month of 1395 after the final two characters of a poem from the Classic of Poetry: "already drunk on alcohol, already full of virtue, gentlemen will long enjoy your great blessings" (Template:Lang).Template:Sfnm
The palace has also been called Bukgwol (Template:Korean/auto); this term was used in relation to the other palaces in the city.Template:Sfnm
History
Establishment
Template:See also After establishing Joseon in 1392 (Korean calendar), the founding king Taejo (Template:Reign) began work in establishing a new capital for his state.Template:Sfn In the 8th month of 1394, it was decided that Hanyang (now "Seoul") would be the capital.Template:Sfn
The location of the palace was finalized by the 1st day, 9th month of 1394.Template:Sfnm Construction began on it in the 12th month.Template:Sfnm The first phase of the palace's construction was completed on the 25th day, 9th month of 1395.Template:Sfn The palace's original scale, while smaller and less developed than its later form,Template:Sfnm is difficult to precisely determine; varying estimates have been provided,Template:Sfn such as it had 390 rooms (Template:Korean/auto)Template:Sfnm or 755 rooms.Template:Sfn On the 28th day, 12th month, Taejo moved into the palace.Template:Sfnm In 1398, amidst political turmoil, Joseon's capital was changed to Kaegyŏng (now Kaesong), then back to Hanyang in 1405.Template:Sfnm The palace was abandoned for about ten years.Template:Sfn
In 1404, King Taejong (Template:Reign) ordered that the palace Changdeokgung be established in Hanyang.Template:Sfn Upon his return to the city in 1405, he began to reside in that palace. In 1406, he began efforts to repair Gyeongbokgung.Template:Sfnm Although he repaired and expanded Gyeongbokgung, Taejong functionally avoided it, possibly because he associated it with unpleasant memories of political turmoil. He primarily resided in Changdeokgung instead.Template:Sfn Until the Imjin War, Taejong and his successors had Gyeongbokgung as their official palace (Template:Korean/auto), but had secondary palaces (Template:Korean/auto) that they often resided in more or moved between.Template:Sfnm
Before the Imjin War
In 1421, Sejong the Great (Template:Reign) made Gyeongbokgung his primary palace. By 1427, he officially moved out of Changdeokgung and into Gyeongbokgung.Template:Sfn Sejong greatly renovated and expanded the palace.Template:Sfn It was during Sejong's reign that Gyeongbokgung became fully-fledged and functional.Template:Sfnm Under Sejong, the palace hosted a number of scientific devices, including the water clock Borugak Jagyeongnu, a facility for producing movable type,Template:Sfn and the astronomical observatory Template:Ill.Template:Sfnm The palace was then host to the Hall of Worthies and Template:Ill, which assisted Sejong in developing Hangul.Template:Sfnm The palace remained in much the same form from Sejong's reign for around a hundred years.Template:Sfn
Destruction and disuse
In 1592, during the 1592–1598 Imjin War, Gyeongbokgung and the other two palaces in the city were completely burned down.Template:Sfnm It is debated who burned down the palaces. Various contemporary Korean texts, including the Template:Ill, report hearsay that it was Korean commoners who burned down the palace to destroy palace records. However, the palace was still intact when the Japanese invaders entered the city on the 2nd day, 5th month of that year. Japanese discipline in the city was reportedly initially high, but when they began suffering defeats, they took their frustrations out on the city and locals, burning buildings.Template:Sfn
King Seonjo (Template:Reign) had fled the city before the Japanese had entered it. After he returned to Hanyang, he ordered that plans for the Gyeongbokgung's reconstruction be drawn up.Template:Sfn However, Joseon's economy was still recovering from the devastating war and finances were tight; Gyeongbokgung's reconstruction was indefinitely postponed and the state's resources were mostly focused on rebuilding Changdeokgung.Template:Sfnm
For around 270 years afterwards, Gyeongbokgung went mostly unused and undeveloped.Template:Sfnm Over time, various kings expressed interest in rebuilding the palace, but did not act on this, due to financial constraints and the other palaces in the city being sufficient.Template:Sfn
Reconstruction
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On the 2nd day, 4th month of 1865, Queen Sinjeong, regent of the penultimate Korean monarch King Gojong (Template:Reign), ordered that the palace be reconstructed.Template:Sfnm Construction began on the 13th day of that month.Template:Sfnm Gojong and the royal family moved into the palace on the 2nd day, 7th month of 1868.Template:Sfnm Construction continued until 1873.Template:Sfn
The palace experienced a major fire on the 10th day, 12th month of 1873.Template:Sfnm After delays due to financial restraints, reconstruction began on the 27th day, 3rd month of 1875.Template:Sfn Gojong returned to Gyeongbokgung on the 27th day, 5th month of that year,Template:Sfnm and repairs concluded on the 3rd day, 6th month.Template:Sfn However, on the 4th day, 11th month of 1876, another major fire broke out.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn It caused more than twice as much damage as its predecessor.Template:Sfnm Gojong was exasperated by the fires, and relocated to Changdeokgung.Template:Sfn Reconstruction on Gyeongbokgung began in 1881.Template:Sfn Gojong did not return to Gyeongbokgung until 1884, after the Kapsin Coup.Template:Sfn In 1887, the first electric light in Korea was turned on in Gyeongbokgung.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfnm Reconstruction was finally completed in 1888.Template:Sfn
Meanwhile, the palace and Korea experienced significant political turmoil.Template:Sfn In 1895, the Korean Queen Min was assassinated by Japanese agents at Template:Ill in the palace.Template:Sfn Afterwards, Gojong fled to the Russian legation for protection in 1896.Template:Sfn
Korean Empire period
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Rather than return to Gyeongbokgung, where Min had been assassinated, Gojong chose to make Gyeongungung (later called "Deoksugung") his primary residence for its proximity to various foreign legations, which he believed could help protect him from Japan.Template:Sfnm He then declared the establishment of the Korean Empire.Template:Sfn Thereafter, Gyeongbokgung was not significantly used by Gojong.Template:Sfn In 1905, Japan began indirectly ruling Korea,Template:Sfn and in 1907, Gojong was forced to abdicate in lieu of his son, Sunjong. Sunjong began to use Changdeokgung as his main palace.Template:Sfn
In 1907, even before annexing Korea, Japan made Gyeongbokgung into a public park. Under pressure from Japan, the government began auctioning off the palace's property to the public in 1910, just before Korea was annexed.Template:Sfn Mostly Japanese people bought the buildings and had them sent elsewhere.Template:Sfn
Colonial period
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Gyeongbokgung, as a symbol of the Korean monarchy's authority, was systematically dismantled by the Japanese colonial government.Template:Sfnm It is estimated that the palace had around 500 buildings in 1888;Template:Sfn by the end of the colonial period, only 40 of those buildings remained.Template:Sfn The palace was rapidly modified in anticipation of the 1915 Chōsen Industrial Exhibition; dozens of buildings were sold off and demolished.Template:Sfnm One such building, Jaseondang, was reassembled in the private home of Japanese businessman Ōkura Kihachirō in Tokyo.Template:Sfnm More exhibitions continued to be held at the palace afterward, including the 1929 Chōsen Exhibition.Template:Sfn
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On June 25, 1916, the colonial government began symbolically constructing their new headquarters in the palace: the Government-General of Chōsen Building. Construction would last for around 10 years, until October 1, 1926.Template:Sfnm The various construction projects in the palace drew from an eclectic mix of modern Western architectural styles. This has been evaluated as attempting to portray Japan as modernizing and open, and Korea as backward and closed.Template:Sfnm
On November 10, 1917, a major fire at Changdeokgung destroyed much of that palace. The colonial government ordered that many of Gyeongbokgung's buildings be moved to Changdeokgung.Template:Sfnm In 1938, the final pre-colonial building west and south of Geunjeongjeon, an office building for the Template:Ill, was demolished.Template:Sfnm
Liberation to First Republic
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Soon after the August 1945 liberation of Korea, the palace continued to be used much as it had been during the colonial period.Template:Sfnm Voices advocated for the restoration and maintenance of the palace, but these went largely unheeded amidst the chaos of the liberation and division of Korea, as well as the establishment of the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK).Template:Sfn In September 1945, the USAMGIK headquartered itself in the Government-General of Chōsen Building (which began to be called the "Central Government Building"; CGB; Template:KoreanTemplate:Sfnm) in the palace.Template:Sfn That building continued to be used for important functions through the rest of the 1940s, including for a ceremony for the establishment of South Korea.Template:Sfn
During the 1950–1953 Korean War, the palace was heavily damaged and even looted. It was only on December 19, 1952, that the Ministry of Culture and Education established a committee to assess and repair the country's historic assets. Even then, maintenance of historical assets was considered a lesser priority compared to restoring the country's basic social services like primary education. After some repairs to the palace, it was reopened to the public in January 1953.Template:Sfn
Park Chung Hee era
Template:See also Amidst the May 16 coup of 1961, Park Chung Hee seized power in the country. Part of the Template:Ill became stationed in the northwest of the palace that year. On January 21, 1963, the palace was made a Historic Site of South Korea.Template:Sfn The budget for restoration and maintenance of the palace was tight, so such efforts were often small in scale.Template:Sfnm Structures like the gates Gwanghwamun and Yeongchumun were recreated, albeit controversially using reinforced concrete and not in their original spots.Template:Sfn From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, a building that now houses the National Folk Museum of Korea was constructed.Template:Sfn
Recent restoration efforts
The 1980s saw the beginnings of more and higher quality work on preserving South Korean cultural heritage sites.Template:Sfnm On May 22, 1984, a comprehensive management plan for the palaces was approved that historian Shin Hye-won evaluated as being the first significant post-liberation effort to restore the pre-colonial dignity of the palaces.Template:Sfn
In 1990, the First Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan (Template:Korean) began. The aim was to begin restoring the palace to its Gojong-era state in 1888 (which had around 500 buildings).Template:Sfnm<ref name=":102">Template:Cite news</ref> The plan was to be carried out in five overlapping stages from 1990 to 2009.Template:Sfn
From 1995 to 1996,Template:Sfn the CGB was finally demolished after much public debate.Template:Sfnm Once it was removed, work began to restore the buildings that formerly occupied its spot.Template:Sfn In 1995, the former Government-General of Chōsen Art Museum building was demolishedTemplate:Sfnm and the remains of Gyeongbokgung's former building Jaseondang (which had been sold and moved to Japan) were returned to Korea.Template:Sfn In 1996, the Capital Defense Command buildings were removed.Template:Sfnm The reenactment of the changing of the guard ceremony began in 2002.Template:Sfn
The First Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan was completed in 2010. It resulted in the restoration of 89 buildings. At that point, the palace had around 25% of its original buildings.<ref name=":102"/> The Second Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan (Template:Korean) began in 2010.<ref name=":102"/> It is currently set to run until 2045 and to result in the recreation of 90 buildings.Template:Sfn
Design and architecture
Before the Imjin War
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The placement of both Gyeongbokgung and Hanyang considered both practicality and various philosophical traditions.Template:Sfnm The capital needed to have good access to water transportation, adequate spaces for roads to the rest of Korea, and adequate space for farming.Template:Sfn For philosophical traditions, one factor used from the Chinese text Rites of Zhou was placing the Template:Ill. Accordingly, Jongmyo is to the left of the palace and Sajikdan to the right.Template:Sfnm Another factor from the Rites was placing government offices to the front of the palace and markets to the rear; only the offices were able to be placed like so, as there wasn't enough room behind the palace for markets.Template:Sfnm Feng shui was also considered. The flow of Korea's mountains and watersheds was analyzed, with one goal being to have the palace Template:Ill. This corresponds to Bugaksan, Cheonggyecheon, and the Han River.Template:Sfnm The presence of four surrounding major mountains (Bugaksan, Naksan, Inwangsan, and NamsanTemplate:Efn) in Hanyang was seen as auspicious and protecting the city. Hanyang also had an outer ring of surrounding mountains (Bukhansan, Achasan, Gwanaksan, and DeogyangsanTemplate:Efn), adding to its auspiciousness.Template:Sfn Contemporary Korean Buddhist monks then considered the convergence point of three mountains and two rivers to be auspicious sites: Hanyang had Samgaksan, Yongmunsan, and Gwanaksan and the confluence of the rivers Bukhan and Namhan.Template:Sfn
The palace's main features are mostly placed symmetrically and along a north–south axis.Template:Sfn The palace's initial layout was designed to follow a principle from the Chinese work Kaogongji, part of the Rites of Zhou. That text advocated for palaces to have three gates and three courtyards (Template:Korean/auto) that are to be accessed in sequential order.Template:Sfnm These were the front gate of the palace Gwanghwamun and first courtyard (Template:Korean/auto; used for government offices), Geunjeongmun and second courtyard (Template:Korean/auto; used for conducting politics between the king and his subjects), and Hyangomun and third courtyard (Template:Korean/auto; where the king and his family resided).Template:Sfnm
Chŏng named the palace's main buildings with inspiration from the Book of Documents. The buildings are symbolically named to reflect Neo-Confucian principles. This was in contrast to Goryeo-era ideals and building names, which reflected both Confucian and Buddhist ideals.Template:Sfn Furthermore, Chŏng's arguments for the location of the palace, which were primarily based on Neo-Confucianism, were prioritized over the Buddhist arguments of the monk Muhak.Template:Sfn These decisions reflected Joseon's prioritization of Confucianism over Buddhism on a state-level.Template:Sfnm
The reasons why Joseon kings often did not primarily reside in Gyeongbokgung have been analyzed. Im theorized that Changdeokgung was preferred by many kings over Gyeongbokgung because of its more central location in the city, larger area, and less rigid and dense design.Template:Sfn
Gojong-era reconstruction
The rebuilt palace was designed to reflect various concepts in the I Ching and Template:Ill, such as yin and yang, the bagua, and the hexagram.Template:Sfn New buildings were named by the Yŏnggŏndogam.Template:Sfn The palace was densely packed with buildings.Template:Sfn Attempts were made to give some of the buildings' roofs blue tiles, like was done in the original palace, but the Goryeo ware techniques needed to create these had been lost during the Imjin War, when the ceramics industry collapsed and many Korean artisans were enslaved and taken to Japan. Ultimately, such tiles were not used in the recreation.Template:Sfn Dragon-shaped water spout statues around the palace are likely, in part, symbolic wardens to protect the palace from fire.Template:Sfn
There are differing opinions as to the faithfulness of this reconstruction of the pre-war palace. Documents that may have helped recreate the palace had been lost during the Japanese invasions.Template:Sfn Several scholars have argued that while the palace's overall layout and major structures were not significantly different from their predecessors, several buildings were original or used differently.Template:Sfnm Michael Kim evaluated the reconstruction as significantly different.Template:Sfn
Post-colonial state
A 2020 report stated that the palace had 9,499 trees of 135 species.Template:Sfn
The historical authenticity of the various recreated buildings has been a source of recurring controversy and debate. Authentic recreations are difficult to achieve for a number of reasons. Korean architecture of the Joseon period did not rely on modern-style blueprints, and records of how specific buildings were constructed are often sparse. The styles of such buildings also varied depending on individual craftsmen. Furthermore, some have argued that materials used for construction should be sourced from within Korea itself.Template:Sfn
The palace is in a key location in modern Seoul. It is surrounded by numerous important buildings used by the government, military, business, and tourist industry. To its north is the presidential residence the Blue House. To its south are Gwanghwamun Square, the Government Complex, Sejong Center, the Embassy of the United States, and the Embassy of Japan. In addition, various stone monuments around the palace indicate the former sites of historic buildings or events associated with those spots.Template:Sfn
Major landmarks
The palace has had a varying number of features and landmarks over time. After the significant alterations and demolitions of the colonial period, efforts are currently ongoing to restore the palace to its pre-colonial state in 1888; around that time the palace had around 500 buildings.Template:Sfn<ref name=":102"/>
| Image | Structure |
|---|---|
| File:Gwanghwamun Gate Moonbaedo Painting 02.jpg | Gwanghwamun (Template:Korean/auto)
The main and south gate. It was completed in the 9th month of 1395.Template:Sfnm It was named by Sejong in 1426.Template:Sfnm After being destroyed in 1592 during the Imjin War, it was rebuilt in the 10th month of 1865.Template:Sfn In 1923, its wŏltae was destroyed to make way for tram tracks.<ref name="woltae2">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn In 1927, it was relocated north of Geonchunmun,Template:Sfnm near what is now the National Folk Museum.Template:Sfn During the Korean War, its wooden portion completely burned down.Template:Sfnm In 1968, it was controversially reconstructed using modern materials northwest of its original spot;Template:Sfnm it then served as the main entrance to the CGB.Template:Sfn From 2006 to 2010, it was restored to its pre-colonial state.Template:Sfn Its wŏltae was restored in 2023.<ref name="woltae2" /> |
| File:경복궁 흥례문 (2013).jpg | Heungnyemun (Template:Korean/auto)
Heungnyemun is a gate just to the north of Gwanghwamun.Template:Sfn It was demolished in July 1914,Template:Sfnm and the Government-General of Chōsen Building was built in its place. After that building was demolished, Heungnyemun was reconstructed between 1997 and 2001.Template:Sfn |
| File:경복궁 흥례문 영제교 전경(궁능유적본부)-min.jpg | Yeongjegyo (Template:Korean/auto)
A kŭmch'ŏn'gyo (bridge over a kŭmch'ŏn) to the north of Gwanghwamun. It passes over the stream Myeongdangsu and is made of stone.Template:Sfn Passing the bridge was seen as ceremonially entering the inner sanctum of the palace.Template:Sfn It was likely completed in 1395.Template:Sfn It was named in 1426.Template:Sfnm In 1916, during the construction of the Government-General of Chōsen Building,Template:Sfn Yeongjegyo was disassembled and its remains moved to the west of the Government-General Museum of Chōsen. In the 1950s, it was installed in front of Sujeongjeon. It was again moved to the west of Geonchunmun in the 1970s.Template:Sfn It was restored to its original location in 1996,Template:Sfn 1997,Template:Sfn or 2001.Template:Sfn It is around Template:Convert wide and Template:Convert long.Template:Sfn |
| File:경복궁 근정문 및 행각 근정문 전경.jpg | Geunjeongmun (Template:Korean/autoTemplate:Sfn)
The third gate of the three gate system, entrance to the ch'ijo and main hall,Template:SfnTemplate:Efn and a designated Treasure.Template:Sfn It was built in 1395.Template:Sfn After being destroyed in 1592, it was rebuilt in 1867.Template:Sfn The gate has survived in this state to the present.Template:Sfn It is flanked by two smaller gates, Ilhwamun (Template:Korean/auto) and Wolhwamun (Template:Korean/auto), which were named in 1426.Template:Sfnm It has two stories and a staircase between Ilhwamun and Geunjeongmun.Template:Sfn |
| File:Front view of the Imperial Throne Hall Geunjeongjeon at Gyeongbokgung Palace with blue sky in Seoul.jpg | Geunjeongjeon (Template:Korean/autoTemplate:Sfn)
The main hallTemplate:Efn of the palaceTemplate:Sfn and a designated National Treasure.Template:Sfn It was used for major events like ceremonies and the issuing of edicts.Template:Sfn It was completed in 1395.Template:Sfnm Five kings were coronated here, including Sejong in 1418.Template:Sfn It was destroyed in 1592 and reconstructed in 1867. It has remained in much the same form to the present.Template:Sfn It is the largest main hall of all Joseon palaces and is regarded as exemplary of late-Joseon architecture. Like other Joseon main halls, it has a wŏltae in front used for ceremonies.Template:Sfn |
| File:아름다운 경회루.jpg | Gyeonghoeru (Template:Korean/autoTemplate:Sfnm)
An elevated hall on an artificial island in an artificial pond. The hall was meant for hosting banquets for dignitaries.Template:Sfn It is a designated National Treasure.Template:Sfn It was first completed in the 4th month of 1412.Template:Sfnm The original form was smaller than the current.Template:Sfn It was destroyed in 1592 and rebuilt in 1867. This form has remained to the present.Template:Sfnm The building has 35 rooms that are supported by stone pillars. The building's features symbolize a number of concepts in numerology.Template:Sfnm |
| File:경복궁 수정전 전경(궁능유적본부)-min.jpg | Sujeongjeon (Template:Korean/autoTemplate:Sfn)
A building used by various government offices over time, and a designated Treasure.Template:Sfn It was a key facility involved in the invention of Hangul. It was destroyed in 1592 and rebuilt in 1867.Template:Sfn This form of the building has largely persisted to the present.Template:Sfn From 1966<ref name=":13">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> to 1975,Template:Sfn it was occupied by a predecessor to the National Folk Museum.<ref name=":13" /> Unusually for a side hall, it has a large wŏltae.Template:Sfnm It has rear chimneys, which likely allowed for the use of ondol heated floors.Template:Sfn |
| File:경복궁 교태전 아미산굴뚝 전경(궁능유적본부)-min.jpg | Amisan (Template:Korean/auto)
A garden constructed using soil excavated during the construction of Gyeonghoeru's pond.Template:Sfn Template:Ill are designated Treasures.Template:Sfn |
| File:경복궁 자경전 자경전 전경(궁능유적본부)-min.jpg | Template:Ill (Template:Korean/auto)
A designated Treasure.Template:Sfn It was in Jagyeongjeon that the 1873 fire began; the fire destroyed the building.Template:Sfnm It was again destroyed in the 1876 fire.Template:Sfnm During the colonial period, it was used as a museum office.Template:Sfn During the 1929 Chōsen Exhibition, it was surrounded by various exhibition buildings and a children's theme park.Template:Sfn Template:Ill is also a designated Treasure.Template:Sfn |
| File:경복궁 동궁 자선당 (2012).jpg | Jaseondang (Template:Korean/auto).
One of the main buildings used for the education of the crown prince.Template:Sfn It was first built in 1427. It was destroyed in 1592 and rebuilt in 1865.Template:Sfnm It was again destroyed in the 1867 fire, and was rebuilt by 1888.Template:Sfn In 1914, the building was sold and later reassembled in the private home of a Japanese businessman Ōkura Kihachirō in Tokyo.Template:Sfnm It was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.Template:Sfn Its remains were returned to Korea around 1996,Template:Sfnm and are now on display near Geoncheonggung.Template:Sfn In 2001, Jaseondang was rebuilt on its original spot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| File:Gyeongbokgung 20141015 02 (15524420256).jpg | Hyangwonjeong (Template:Korean/autoTemplate:Sfnm)
A pavilion on an island in the pond Hyangwonji (Template:Korean/auto).Template:Sfnm It was built sometime between 1867 and 1873.Template:Sfn The island's bridge, Chwihyanggyo (Template:Korean/auto), was completed in 1873.Template:Sfn It was the longest wooden bridge built over a pond during the Joseon period.Template:Sfn The bridge was initially located to the north of the pavilion,Template:Sfnm but after it was destroyed by a bombing during the 1950–1953 Korean War,Template:Sfn it was rebuilt to the south side in 1953. In 2021, the bridge was restored to its original location.Template:Sfn |
| File:Gonnyeonghap.jpg | Gonnyeonghap (Template:Korean/auto)
A building in the west side of the Template:Ill area of the palace.Template:Sfn This building was the location of the 1895 assassination of Empress Myeongseong.Template:Sfn |
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Other landmarks
The National Palace Museum of Korea is located in a modern three-story building on the southwestern part of the palace grounds. Its collection aggregates various artifacts from the former Korean royal family.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> The National Folk Museum of Korea is housed in a modern-style building in the eastern part of the palace. It has three floors above ground and one below.Template:Sfn This museum's building is set to be demolished in 2026 and the museum relocated to Sejong City. The pre-colonial buildings that used to occupy its spot will then be restored.Template:Sfn
Tourism
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The palace is considered among the most significant and representative tourist sites of South Korea,Template:Sfn and even a symbol of pre-modern Korea as a whole.Template:Sfn
According to data from the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, from July 2005 to December 2024, the palace had a total of 56,030,499 visitors, more than any other tourist site in Seoul.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, it was the second-most visited tourist site in the country, after the amusement park Everland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A 2021 study on 24,008 non–Korean language reviews of South Korean tourist destinations on the travel website Tripadvisor concluded that foreign tourists visited Gyeongbokgung the most out of any tourist attraction in South Korea.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> According to statistics gathered by the government agency Korea Heritage Service, from 2002 to 2020 and 2022 to 2024, Gyeongbokgung was the most visited palace in Seoul.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2010, the palace began opening at night for a number of days each year for visitors. It began as a one-time event for the G-20 Seoul summit, but was made a reoccurring feature after its success. The night openings were highly popular for both foreign and domestic visitors of varying ages, whereas the palaces had mostly appealed to foreigners or elderly domestic visitors before.Template:Sfn From 2016 to 2024, at least 100,000 visitors per year attended a nighttime viewing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, admission began to be made free for visitors that wore hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). This led to a significant proliferation of hanbok rental businesses near the palace.Template:Sfn In 2024, 1.8 million visitors to Gyeongbokgung wore hanbok.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The palace has since offered a number of experiences for limited numbers of guests, such as dinners of Korean royal court cuisine and performances of traditional music.Template:Sfn
In art and media
There are not many surviving depictions of any Korean palaces from before the Imjin War. In both Korea and China around that time, depicting the extravagance of the palace was frowned upon; relishing luxury was seen as inviting the end of the dynasty. Drawings of palaces were often simple diagrams used for illustrative purposes, and not detailed architectural records or artistic depictions.Template:Sfn Fourteen simple diagrams of the palace's layout from before the war have survived to the present, although most are presumed to be later copies of earlier drawings.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn The first known detailed illustration of the palace was the 1506 Hanyang kunggwŏldo (Template:Korean),Template:Sfn but it was destroyed during the Imjin War, and copies of it are not known to exist.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The creator of that painting wrote that their painting was the first of its kind to their knowledge.Template:Sfn By the late Joseon period, when palaces were depicted artistically, they were often obscured by clouds or shadow, or drawn with little detail.Template:Sfn The situation began to change in the mid-18th century. Detailed architectural records began to be kept in texts like the Uigwe, and more artistic depictions of palaces emerged.Template:Sfn
There are three known extant paintings of Yeongjo holding events at the ruins of the palace in the 18th century.Template:Sfn
Template:Ill is a series of two landscape paintings by An Jung-sik of the palace produced in 1915, during the colonial period.Template:Sfn<ref name=":7">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> The paintings likely symbolically depict the palace before its colonial-era modifications as an expression of Korean independence activism.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":7" /> They are designated Template:Ill.<ref name=":7" />
The South Korean 10,000 won note featured an image of Geunjeongjeon on its reverse from 1973 to 1983. From 1983 to 2007, it featured an image of Gyeonghoeru.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
- Imperial City of Huế
- Forbidden City
- Tokyo Imperial Palace
- Kyoto Imperial Palace
- Potala Palace
- Manwŏltae
Notes
References
Sources
In Korean
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In English
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External links
Template:Subject bar Template:Five Grand Palaces (Joseon) Template:Seoul Template:Seoul landmarks Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- Palaces in Seoul
- Historic buildings and structures in Seoul
- Historic house museums in Asia
- History of Seoul
- Buildings and structures in Jongno District
- Downtown Seoul
- Museums in Seoul
- Rebuilt buildings and structures in South Korea
- Royal residences in South Korea
- Tourist attractions in Seoul
- World's fair sites in South Korea
- Gyeongbokgung
- National symbols of Korea
- Japanese imperialism and colonialism
- Korean gardens
- Historic Sites of South Korea
- Palaces of Joseon
- 1395 establishments in Asia
- Buildings and structures completed in 1395