Changdeokgung Palace

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Changdeokgung Palace Complex (1997) · Seoul, Seoul

Changdeokgung, the Palace of Prospering Virtue, was built in 1405 by King Taejong as a secondary palace east of Gyeongbokgung. After all of Seoul's palaces were burned during the Japanese invasions of 1592, it was the first to be rebuilt and served as the main royal residence of the Joseon kings for much of the next 270 years. UNESCO listed it in 1997 because, unlike the strict axial Gyeongbokgung, its halls follow the folds of the hills, set into the landscape rather than imposed on it. You enter by Donhwamun, the oldest surviving main palace gate in Seoul, cross the old Geumcheongyo stone bridge and reach Injeongjeon, the throne hall, then the blue-tiled Seonjeongjeon and the royal living quarters, including the unpainted Nakseonjae, where the last members of the royal family lived. Behind them lies the Secret Garden, Huwon, a wooded valley of ponds and pavilions visited only on timed guided tours. It is closed on Mondays, and entry is free for visitors wearing hanbok. Bukchon Hanok Village and Anguk station are a short walk away.

99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Seoul, 03072, South Korea

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the palace opens at 9 am and closes roughly 5:30 pm in winter, 6 pm in spring and autumn and 6:30 pm in summer, with last entry about an hour before closing; the Secret Garden runs timed guided tours through the day, with the last tour well before closing. It is closed on Mondays, and the moonlight tour runs only on set spring and autumn nights. The traps that ruin a day are arriving on a Monday, turning up without a Secret Garden ticket in autumn, and confusing its closing day with Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo, which close on Tuesdays. Confirm current times before relying on them.

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