덕수궁 DeokSuGung: Korean Royalty with a Neo-Classical Twist

Sarah's log: Day 2, Wednesday, 28 January. My friend had fallen sick so I couldn't go out with her. After a galbi soup brunch at Sinchon and a failed trip to Homilpat, I took a lonely ride towards Hongdae, but ended up with a detour to Deoksugung after seeing a post on Facebook about the palace. And WHAT JOY greeted me when I arrived at the palace gate. Deoksugung celebrates Culture Day every last Wednesday of the month, and Culture Day means free admission into the palace for the whole day until 6pm. YAY FREE ENTRY.

And here I was all ready to see buildings when the change of royal guards parade starts. YAY PARADE. After the change of parade, you get to take pictures with any guard.

First, let me take a selfie

Now for a real trip into the palace grounds. Deoksugung is one of the 5 big palaces in Seoul and was heavily damaged during the Japanese occupation. Now, only 1/3 of the original structures remain standing. The palace has two sections: the Eastern and the Western grounds. The Eastern grounds hold the palace halls built with Korean traditional architecture. It has the usual halls for the political affairs and residence, although the halls are of a much smaller scale than Gyeongbokgung.

JungHwaMun (중화문)

GwangGaeMun 광개문 - A royal bell

JungHwaJeon (중화전) - Audience Hall

JeokJoDang (적조당) - Gojung's audience hall before JungHwaJeon was built

The Western grounds were built after Emperor Gojung returned to this palace to live during the Russian legislation. It is believed that he had erected the buildings as part of the modernization policies that took place during the Korean Empire. The Western grounds hold buildings such as Jeonggwanheon (the first cafe in Korea) and Seokjojeon (the royal quarters for Emperor Gojung).

Jeonggwanheon was built with Korean and Western architecture. The pillars outside were made of wood like Korean architecture while the pillars inside were made with stone like Western architecture. The veranda is a Western feature decorate with Korean artistic style. Emperor gouging frequently visited the hall with his diplomats to enjoy coffee, making this hall possibly the first cafe in Korea.

Seokjojeon was built for Emperor Gojung to reside and rule in. The building was completed during his reign. The emperor and the empress have separate living quarters as per palace traditions, although the empress passed away shortly before the completion of the building and the emperor had signed the Japan-Korea annexation treaty in which Korea conceded defeat to Japan. The living quarters were left unoccupied unless the Crown PrinceYeongchin visited Korea during the Japanese colonization. The building follows Neoclassical architecture, with all the furnishing designed in pairs to show symmetry and order like the Palace of Versaille. The building has a symmetrical fountain outside to complete its European aesthetics. It also has a secret tunnel leading to the Russian emissary.

Seokjojeon (석조전)

Reception Room

Foyer

Audience Hall

Emperor Gojung

Emperor's Quarters

Empress's Quarters

Private Dining Hall

Grand Dining Hall

Now, the building remains as the Daehan Empire Historical Museum that showcases the modernization of the Korean Empire. With guided tours every hour, visitors can enter and view the architecture that has been reconstructed based on catalogues and old photos. Foreigners are allowed in the tour with a total of 5 spots open without prior reservation. It is a first come first serve basis per tour. The tour is conducted in Korean, but other languages are available via headphones.

The basement, previously the servants' quarters, has been converted into a small museum that exhibits the modernization of Korean during the Russian legislation.

First tram that ran from Seodaemun to Dongdaemun (1899)

Introduction of Western medical practices

Blueprint of SeokJoJeon

Personal thoughts:

A caucasian lady near me had exclaimed loudly to a flustered Korean lady, "So this is the monstrosity that the emperor built". I wouldn't disagree. Although I love European architecture, he could have just built it on an empty lot instead of having right next to the traditional palace. It seemed a little mocking towards the history of Korea. But I enjoyed myself with the free tours and admission. 

Please note that maps are not available on Culture Days because of the free admission.

Directions:

From Line 1 and 2 City Hall Station exit 2, turn left and walk until you see the palace gate.