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Deoksugung Palace in South Korea

Deoksugung Palace
Location: 99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
How to get there: Exit 2, City Hall Station, Subway Line 1 or 2.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Closed on Mondays) 1,000 won

Deoksugung Palace (Korean: 덕수궁) was originally the residence of Wolsan Dae-kun (1454-1488), the elder brother of Joseon Seongjong (1469-1494). After Gwanghaejun (1575-1641) ascended the throne, it was renamed Jingyun Palace, thus giving it the appearance of a royal palace. It was later renamed Deoksugung Palace.

Historical overview

Deoksugung Palace was originally built in the 14th century as the residence of King Wolsan, the brother of King Seongjong of Li Chao. When King Gwanghae ascended the throne, it was called Jingyun Palace as the main palace. Later, it was rebuilt and changed into Qingyun Palace. After many times of moving the palace, it was finally used as the main palace again during the reign of Emperor Gojong in 1897. In the same year, Gojong once again announced the establishment of the Korean Empire and ascended the throne as the emperor, ending the Joseon Dynasty.

After Gojong ascended the throne, he built a lot of construction in Deoksugung Palace, and built new buildings such as Jingguanxuan and Shizuodian in the popular Western architectural style of the year. At the same time, it also retains the traditional architecture, making Deoksugung Palace an ancient palace where the Korean and foreign construction industries coexist. Deoksugung Palace is not the original palace.

The Imjin-Japanese Rebellion (Japanese war of aggression in 1592) caused serious damage to the palaces of Joseon. The Palace of the Kings (the palace where the king lived and dealt with government affairs) – Gyeongbokgung was completely burned down, and other palaces were also damaged to varying degrees. King Seonjo (the 14th king of Joseon) who took refuge in Beijing at that time had no residence. Therefore, the large-scale and not severely damaged palace was designated as a palace, which is the prototype of today’s Deoksugung Palace.

Gwanghae-kun (the 15th king of Joseon) named it Gyeongungung for the first time, and the palace began to appear. After that, many kings regarded it as a palace. In 1897, King Gojong (the 26th king of Joseon) further expanded the scale during his residence, introduced modern architectural styles, and built buildings such as stone palaces. In 1907, it was renamed Deoksugung Palace.

Main building

Deoksugung Palace is the No. 124 protection unit of the Korean Historic Site. It is located near Seoul Plaza, Exit 2 of Subway (City Hall Station) Line 1/Exit 12 of Line 2. There is a passage in the description of Deoksugung Palace: All the palaces in Seoul were burnt down during the Japanese-Japanese turmoil, so in 1593, the Xuan group used the former residence of Chengzong’s elder brother Wolsan Daejun as a temporary palace. Deoksugung Palace has been used as a different palace in history. Because it is located in the center of Seoul, it is currently an important place for Seoul citizens to relax on weekends.

There are 13 scenic spots in Deoksugung Palace. As a palace, there are 13 existing buildings, including various gates and bridges, which are relatively small and equivalent to a street garden. , Dehong Hall, Xianning Hall, Jingguan Xuan, Mi Hall, Junyu Hall, Shizuo Hall, Guangmingmen. Dahanmen is the main entrance of Deokshou Palace now. It was originally called Daanmen. The characters on the plaque were written by Nan Tingzhe, the then-governor of Seoul (current mayor of Seoul).

Across the street from Dahanmen is the plazahotel. The stone building is a Western-style building made of stone as the office and reception room of the high school emperor. Construction started in 1900 and completed in 1909, with three floors. Now the National Museum of Modern Art. The basic architectural style of Deoksugung Palace is mainly Chinese-style hall style, and there are also a few very abrupt Western buildings. The former royal hall was the place where the kings of the past dynasties met and mourned the Xuan group.

The current building was rebuilt after the fire in 1904. It was not painted with danqing lacquer, perhaps because of a bit of melancholy temperament. It should be the most beautiful building in Deoksugung Palace. Guangmingmen, originally the main entrance of Xianning Hall, was moved to the southwest in 1938 and became a place to display Xingtian Death Fan Bell and Changqing Palace’s Baolu Pavilion. The Baolu Pavilion was originally located in Changgyeonggung, and it was an automatic water clock that was the national standard clock in the Joseon Dynasty. Every time the zodiac signs come out to tell the time. It is a Korean National Treasure (No. 229).

The most famous of Deoksugung Palace should be the path outside the palace wall. The legendary break-up road is very beautiful and romantic. It used to be the main place for young Koreans to fall in love, but now they have moved to Cheonggyecheon and Han River, so they were left out in the cold. Go this way.

Royal Guard Changing Ceremony

During the Joseon Empire, the royal guards were responsible for opening and closing the palace doors. while watching people enter and leave the palace and when the time comes The guards on duty will change their turns with the new regiment. The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony will also be held. The ceremony will be simulated at Daehamun Gate in Deoksugung Palace. (Exhibit every day except Mondays at 11:00, 14:00 and 15:30) and at Gyeongbokgung Palace Gwanghwamun Gate is held every day except Tuesdays at 10:00 and 2:00 PM.