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| Changdeok-gung, the Heritage of the World |
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 The oldest gate of the palace, Donhwamun and the oldest stone bridge, Geumcheon-gyo are located in Changdeok-gung. Injeong-jeon was a court where the king and his retainers made laws; however, the king was not allowed to enter this court until he was officially announced as a king. Seonjeong-jeon, a place where kings did daily errands, has the only blue roof in Korea. Although there were many other buildings with blue roof, they were all burned down during the war with Japan. (The war is called, Im-jin-wae-ran) Daejo-jeon means "the place of great creation" and this was where the king slept in order to get sons, who would continue the dynasty.
Due to fire, parts of Changdeok-gung were burnt down, but they were completely restored in 1979; thus, you can still feel the souls of Joseon kings there. Changdeok-gung is the only palace that has a limited access to tourists, so it is recommended that you plan to visit ahead of time. English and Japanese guides are available and they begin the tours every one-hour from 9a.m. to 4p.m. The tours last one hour and twenty minutes and the total walking length of the tour is about 2.5km.
The Back Garden of Changdeok-gung, Where the Elegant Life of Joseon Royal Family Comes Alive
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 Changdeok-gung has a large, beautiful back garden, whose beauty consisted of arbors, ponds, walls, and bridges. This backyard was built by the third Joseon King, Tae-jong, and it provided spaces for the king and princes' study, hunting, and ceremonies. Even today, the buildings are in their original shapes, which are about 300 years old.
Also, you can see how much kings were interested in creating scenic views with combination of arbors and ponds. In the back garden, there is a pond covered with a stone lid, called "Eojeong", and this was to hold the purest water in Changdeok-gung. The most famous pond in the back garden, however, is "Buyong-ji", whose square-shape implies land, and the small round island in the middle of the pond symbolizes heaven.
Since the entrance to the back garden is limited by small number of people, you can easily feel the emptiness and traditions in this garden. Who knows, you might run into the king coming into the garden.
Tel 02-762-9513
Opening hours 9:00 ~ 18:00 (closed on Monday)
Admission fee Adult 2,200won, Youth (19 ~ 24 year old) 1,100won
How to get there Exit 3 of Anguk Station line number 3
Tour Schedule
Japanese 10:30, 12:30, 14:30, 16:30 (4 times a day)
English 11:30, 13:30, 15:30 (3 times a day)
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| 24-05-2002 |
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