Changgyeonggung, Royal palace in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Changgyeonggung is a royal palace in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea, that covers more than 185,000 square meters. The complex includes several ceremonial halls, gates, and traditional Korean gardens with ponds and pavilions.
King Sejong commissioned the complex in 1483 during the Joseon Dynasty as a secondary residence for the dowager queens. During the Japanese occupation, the grounds were transformed into a zoo and botanical garden, with the Victorian greenhouse remaining to this day.
The Korean name means "Palace of Everlasting Celebration", and visitors today walk through royal garden layouts that come alive with cherry blossoms lining the pathways in spring. The architecture shows itself in warm red and green tones on the wooden elements, while the raised stone bases make the pavilions appear to float above the ground.
The complex opens daily except Mondays from 9 AM to 9 PM, and guided tours are offered in English, Chinese, and Japanese. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as the grounds are large and many paths cross gravel and uneven stone slabs.
The Victorian greenhouse from the Japanese occupation period still stands on the grounds today and appears like a foreign body among the traditional Korean structures. Visitors can see tropical plants inside that were once part of the colonial transformation.
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