151209

Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul, South Korea

Changgyeong Palace (Korean: 창경궁), also known as Dongque because it is located in the east of Seoul (formerly known as Seoul), South Korea, is also one of the five major palaces in Seoul. Changdeokgung Palace was built later and was one of the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty.

The difference between Joseon and other palaces is that Changgyeonggung did not take the form of facing south, but facing east, because it could not open the door to the Jongmyo in the south. In the sixteenth year of Yongle (1418), after King Sejong of Joseon ascended the throne, Sukang Palace was built to support King Taejong of Joseon who abdicated. This is the prototype of Changgyeonggung Palace.

In the eighteenth year of Chenghwa (1482), Seongjong of Joseon established the Mingjeongjeon, Moonjeongjeon and Tongmyeongjeon in order to support Queen Jeonghee, the queen of King Sejong, Queen Sohye of Dekjong, and Queen Ansun of King Ruizong, and named Chang. Qing Palace. It was burned down by the rioters during the Imjin Japanese Rebellion, and was rebuilt in the 44th year of Wanli (1616).

Gyeonggung Palace was downgraded to Changgyeongwon by the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and was used as a zoo. In order to remove the remnants of Japanese rule, with the joint efforts of the Koreans, it was restored to its original appearance in 1987. In Changqing Palace, there are Honghua Gate, Mingzheng Hall, Tongming Hall, Yanghe Hall, Chuntang Pond, etc. You can also enter and exit the ancestral temple through the sky bridge.

History Introduction

The royal family of the Joseon Dynasty built Changgyeonggung Palace on the basis of the existing Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace in order to live a more comfortable life. The location where Changgyeonggung is located was once the site of Shoukanggung, and it became the current Changgyeonggong after extensive repairs and renovations.

It is said that during the Joseon Dynasty (early 20th century), it was set up as a zoo and a botanical garden. In 1984, the government started work on the restoration of Changgyeonggung Palace, which was not completed until June 1986. The zoo, botanical garden and various entertainment facilities have been moved to Seoul Grand Park. In 1909, there were two lotus ponds of more than 1,700 square meters and more than 200 square meters, forming a unique landscape with the surrounding spring ponds and flowers and trees.

Today, Changgyeonggung Palace has been designated as “Historic Site No. 123” by the Korean government. There are 29 buildings in the palace, covering an area of ​​more than 200,000 square meters, and many laws and codes are preserved. Mainly, there are also a large number of national-level protected cultural relics such as the Promenade of Mingzheng Hall (Treasure No. 395), Fengqi Terrace (Treasure No. 846), and Guantian Terrace (Treasure No. 851). In addition, many activities such as imperial driving parade and imperial examinations are held here every October.

The main hall of Changgyeonggung Palace is Myongjeongjeon, which is different from other Joseon era main halls, which faces east rather than south. This is because the ancestral temple where the late king is buried is on the south side, and according to the customs of Confucianism, it is not possible to open the door to the ancestral temple. Tongming Hall is the largest inner hall in Changqing Palace. It was the residence of the concubine at the beginning of its establishment. In this place that holds the power of the noble ladies in the palace, as the center of the power struggle in the inner palace, there have been many historical events and legends.

After passing through Honghua Gate, the main gate of Changqing Palace, it is Yucheon Bridge. Palaces in North Korea have a small river behind the main gate. There is always an arch bridge on the river, and Yucheon Bridge is no exception. The palace here is the king’s office. Among the main halls of the Li Dynasty’s palaces, the most ancient main halls of the Li Dynasty faced south, while the Mingzheng Hall faced east because the ancestral temple where the previous king was buried is on the south side.

Passing through the Tongming Hall, and then going up the rock of the Yanghe Hall, is the Ciqing Hall. There is a wind platform in the southeast of the hall. A pole is inserted on the top of the platform, and a piece of cloth is attached to the pole. This is used to measure the wind direction. There is also a large pond called Chuntang Pond in the north of the tool for wind speed. It is said that half of the pond was originally a paddy field. The king was farming here to understand the farming conditions. However, during the Japanese Emperor, the paddy fields were built into ponds and became a place for boating and water. Above the pond It was a botanical garden built at that time.

Changgyeonggung Palace was downgraded to Changgyeongwon during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) and became an amusement park with zoos, botanical gardens and amusement parks. Now the zoo, botanical garden and various entertainment facilities have moved to Seoul Grand Park. After several restorations, the original appearance of Changgyeonggung was restored in 1983.