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Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace) is a palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. It was the main and largest palace of the Joseon Dynasty and one of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty.
The palace was originally constructed in 1394, by Jeong Do-jeon, a Korean architect. It was burnt down during the Japanese invasion in 1592. After years of neglect, it was reconstructed ending up as a massive 330 building complex. Standing on 410,000 square meters of land, it was a symbol of majesty for the Korean people and the home of the royal family.
In 1911, the Japanese destroyed all but 10 buildings during its occupation of Korea, constructing the Japanese General Government Building for the Governor-General of Korea in front of the main gate, deliberately disrupting the geomancy of Seoul. Oddly, Japan took various pictures of poverty in Korea but did not take a single photograph of this historical site before 1911.
The major buildings on the site include Geunjeongjeon, the royal throne room (national treasure number 223), and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion (national treasure number 224), which stands in a lotus pond and rests on 48 granite pillars. The pavilion is depicted on the Korean 10,000 won banknote.
Today the palace is open to the public, and the National Folk Museum of Korea is located on the site. The National Museum of Korea was there too, until it was relocated to Yongsan-gu in 2005.
Many Koreans still hope to resurrect part of the original palace. Archeological work has brought 330 building foundations to light. However, the exact design, color, height, etc will never truly be determined.
The Blue House
(Main article: Cheong Wa Dae) The back garden of the Palace used to contain the main part of the Governror-General's residence during the Japanese era. With the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948, President Syngman Rhee used it as his office and residence. In 1993, after President Kim Young-sam's civilian administration was launched, the Japanese governor-general's residence in the Cheong Wa Dae compound was dismantled to remove a major symbol of the Japanese colonial occupation.
See also
External links
Korean culture | Museums in South Korea | Palaces in Korea | Buildings and structures in Seoul | Visitor attractions in Seoul
景福宮 | 경복궁 | Gyeongbokgung | 景福宮
"Gyeongbokgung"