Changgyeonggung Palace is one of the lesser known palaces in Korea, overshadowed by its more famous neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung and Kyeongbokgung. Changgyeonggung may not have the glam of the other two palaces but is still a fine place to visit. Changgyeonggung can only be visited as part of a tour of the Jongmyo Shrine. The shrine is entered from the bustling shopping district of Jongno in Seoul. From the shrine the palace is accessed by walking across a bridge to the north of the shrine that passes over a busy Korean thoroughfare. Once across the bridge the path immediately enters the grounds of the Changgyeonggung Palace which is located immediately adjacent to Changdeokgung Palace:

The palace is not as large as its famous neighbor Changdeokgung, but is still quite expansive in size:

Changgyeonggung was first constructed in 1104 as a summer palace for the Koryeo Dynasty kings. When the royal capitol was moved to Seoul from Kaesong in 1392, the Korean royal family lived at the summer palace of Changgyeonggung until the construction of the full time royal palace at Kyeongbokgung was complete. The palace was burned down in 1592 during the Japanese Hideyoshi invasion of Korea leaving no buildings left standing from its original 1104 construction date. However the palace was rebuilt after the invasion and the palace to this day keeps its unique charm.

One of the first buildings visitors see at the palace is the Haminjeong:

This building was constructed in 1833 and served as the location that those who passed the military and civil service examinations were received by the Korean King.

The next building is the Hwangyeongjeon, which was first built in 1484 and like most of Seoul’s historical buildings, it was burned down by the Japanese in 1592 during the Hideyoshi invasion of Korea:

Hwangyeongjeon remained in ruins until it was finally reconstructed in 1616. The current building dates from 1833 when it was rebuilt after an accidental fire claimed the building in 1830. Hwangyeongjeon is a building in the inner palace that was often used as a quarters for the Korean King. King Jungjong, the 11th King of Chosun actually passed away in this building.

Gyeongchunjeon is another inner palace building that was often used by the Korean royal family. It was first constructed in 1484 but was destroyed during the Hideyoshi invasion as well being burned down yet again during the 1830 fire that burned down much of the palace. The current building dates from 1833 and was the location for the births of King Jeongjo and King Heonjong. This building not only brought royal life to the world but was also the scene of the passing away of three Korean empresses to include Empress Heongyeong:

The inner palace building of Yanghwadang was originally built in 1484 as the residence for the Korean queen. During the Manchu invasion of the Korean peninsula in 1636 the Korean royal family fled to the fortress of Namhansanseong just south of Seoul. A year later after the invasion ended the Korean King Injo made Yanghwadang his royal residence since it was one of the few buildings that survived the invasion:

The below building named Yeongchuncheon served as the royal residence of King Jeongjo until he passed away in this building in 1800. Like much of the palace this building also burned down in the 1830 fire and was reconstructed in 1833:

Here is a view from a small hill behind the palace complex that provides a nice backdrop of the ultra modern cityscape of Seoul with contrasts greatly with the traditional Korean royal architecture:

On top of the hill lies this historical wind streamer:

This wind streamer dates from the early 18th century and is classified as Cultural Property Number 846. This pillar has holes drilled in it that were used to place various flagpoles in order for early Korean meteorologists to record the direction and speed of winds. Determine direction of the wind was easy by looking at the flag but the recording wind speed was depended on a subjective analysis of the fluttering of the flag, which would be an inexact science to say the least.

Near the wind streamer there is also a sundial known in Korean as Angbuilgu:

The horizontal lines allow the astronomers to determine the seasons of the year while the vertical lines are used to tell the time of day. The sundial is marked with animals instead of letters in order to allow the common people to be able to view the dial without having to be able to read. The Angbuilgu was first invented in 1434, but this particular sundial dates from the 16th century.

From the Angbuilgu I began to walk back down the hill towards the main royal palace complex. Along the way I walked by this some what tall stone pagoda:

I could not find any information anywhere about this pagoda which I found to be strange because every other building and structure at the palace had its own plaque explaining its significance. For some reason this pagoda had absolutely nothing.

As reached the gate of the palace it provided some nice views looking both into the inner courtyard as well as along the palace’s long and elaborate outside walls:

Once in the inner courtyard I had a nice view of the main palace building named Myeongjeongjeon which served as the royal throne for various Korean kings. It was first built in 1484. Like the other buildings in the palace, it was burned down during the 1592 Hideyoshi Invasion and rebuilt in 1616:

Like other Korean royal palaces stumps were put in front of the throne room in order to organize the government when they assembled to meet with the king. Also along the front steps of Myeongjeongjeon is some beautiful rock carvings:

There was signs telling people not to walk on the rock carvings, but of course children were running around walking all over them with their parents oblivious to it. Inside the throne room sat the throne for the Korean king:

The artwork behind the throne is found behind only royal thrones because the five peaks represent the five holy mountains of Korea, which are watched over by the sun and moon. This artwork is supposed to represent the Korean nation.

Behind the royal throne room sits a building named Sungmundang which was where when King Seongjo was in power he would greet and test the top academics from the Korean Confucian academy:

Adjacent to the throne room is the royal council hall known as Munjeongjeon which is where the King would meet with his closes advisors as well as government officials in regards to matters of state. Since the building was where the King would sit, it to had the royal artwork set up behind the King’s chair:

The Changgyeonggung Palace is an even quieter place to visit then Jongno and is really pleasant way to walk around and appreciate Korean architecture while also reading all the plaques and learning how the old Chosun Dynasty government was organized and from which buildings the royal family lived and the King conducted state business from:

Probably only real Korea wonks will appreciate the historical significance of this palace, but even those who are not should at least be able to enjoy a day out with some nice fresh air in this beautifully landscaped and designed palace, which is a true hidden gem for people visiting or even living in Seoul to discover.

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