Gyeongbokgung Palace

In the centre of Seoul, close to the office towers of the CBD, is the Gyeongbokgung Palace, which dates back to the 14th century when the Joseon dynasty was founded and the capital transferred to what is now Seoul. We had an afternoon off at the end of our conference and could choose from a range of tours including the one to the palace I took. This was an inspired choice because the palace buildings and settings were beautiful. Due to damage in the Korean war, the current buildings are largely reconstructions, not the originals, though this barely detracted from the experience. The following images convey some of the palace's appeal. Indeed the original palace was destroyed by the Japanese invasion at the end of the 16th century and not rebuilt until 1873.

Hyangwon-Jeong: a leisure pavillion in the palace grounds surrounded by a reflecting pond.

Jagyeong-Jeong

Gyeonghoe-ru Pavillion - reserved for the royal family and high officials

Entrance to Geungjeong-jeon (throne room area)

Throne room exterior and interior

Do you see anything linking these photos? The answer is the mountain in the background, Mt Baegak, which frames the buildings and has some mystical meaning.

AS