What you need to know about Changgyeonggung Palace

BUILT by the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty King Sejong (1418 – 1450) for his retiring father King Taejong, Changgyeonggung Palace is one of South Korea’s handful of magnificent palaces.

Located in the heart of Seoul, Changgyeonggung Palace is also known as the palace that is “Overflowing with Filial Devotion”.

It was originally named Sunganggung until King Seongjong decided to renovate and enlarge it in 1483, at which time it received its current name.

The elegantly sized Changgyeonggung Palace was built near Changdeokgung Palace as King Seongjong had intended the palace to be a residence for his grandmother, mother, and other elders of the royal family.

Its proximity made it easy for the elders to travel between the two locations.

Changgyeonggung Palace has been used as a royal residence and and as a secondary palace for queens and the king’s father. Source: Shutterstock.

Like all Joseon Dynasty palaces, Changgyeonggung Palace has a pond with an arch, the Okcheongyo Bridge, over it. Located just past the entrance of the palace, it serves as a symbolic entry to the courtyard.

Crossing the bridge will lead you to Myeongjeongjeon, the oldest office of the king of the Joseon Dynasty palaces, where meetings with officials and royal banquets were held

“The houses face southwards, but Myeongjeongjeon faces east,” Korea Tourism Organization wrote.

“Because the ancestral shrine of the royal family is located to the south, the gate couldn’t face the south, as is required by Confucian custom.”

Changgyeonggung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace were together known as Donggwol, which means East Palace. They shared a rear garden. Source: Shutterstock.

Not too far away from Myeongjeongjeon is Munjeongjeon, a council hall where the king dealt with routine state affairs.

In 1762, the courtyard in front of Munjeongjeon witnessed the most tragic incident of the century, when King Yeongjo killed his own son.

It had been reported to King Yeongjo that Crown Prince Jangheon was mentally ill, randomly killing and raping people in the palace.

The king ordered his own son to be sealed alive in a large rice chest, where he died of starvation. Later, the king gave his son the posthumous title Sado, meaning “thinking of with great sorrow”.

A scene from 2015 South Korean historical period drama film “The Throne” which depicts the moment King Yeungjo locked Prince Sado inside a rice chest for eight days, leading to his tragic death. Source: “The Throne” still.

Because it had more living quarters than government sections, Changgyeonggung Palace has more stories of family issues (such as filial devotion and love-hate relationships) than political scandals to tell.

In the late 16th century, many original structures of the palace were destroyed by the Japanese as they tried to conquer Korea and invade China.

It was rebuilt by successive Joseon Kings only to be destroyed by the Japanese again in the early 20th century when they tore down the symbolic palace to build a zoo, a botanical garden, and a museum.

After the Korean War, the zoo and botanical garden were relocated to Seoul Grand Park and Changgyeonggung Palace was finally stored – but it is only a fraction of the grand structure it once was.

This September and October, South Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration will be organizing a tour program where visitors will be able to visit Changgyeonggung Palace and learn about its history via a special commentary.

The program will take place every Friday in September and October, for an hour at a time, starting at 2:30pm.

No additional fee will be charged but each tour is limited to 30 people and those wishing to participate are required to apply the website.

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Source: travelwireasia.com