Palace sights in Asia
-
A
Gyeonghuigung
This detached palace was completed in 1623 and used to consist of a warren of courtyards, buildings, walls and gates spread over a large area. But it was destroyed during the Japanese annexation and a Japanese school was established here. Only the main audience hall, Sungjeongjeon, and the smaller official hall behind it along with a few paved courtyards, walls and corridors, have been restored. The entrance gate, Heunghwamun, has toured around Seoul, including a stint outside the Hotel Shilla, but was moved to its present site in 1988. Recently, outdoor performances of Daejanggeum, a musical based on the popular TV series about a royal cook, have been held in the palace…
reviewed
-
B
Royal Palace Group
This group of buildings dates from the reign of Parakramabahu I. Parakramabahu's Royal Palace was a magnificent structure measuring 31m by 13m, and is said to have had seven storeys. The 3m-thick walls have holes to receive the floor beams for two higher floors, but if there were another four levels, these must have been made of wood. The roof in this main hall, which had 50 rooms in all, was supported by 30 columns.
Parakramabahu's Audience Hall is notable for the frieze of elephants, each of which is in a different position. There are fine lions at the top of the steps.
In the southeast corner of the palace grounds, the Bathing Pool (Kumara Pokuna) still has two of its…
reviewed
-
Bokor Palace
The highlight of a visit to the hills station is the shell of the Bokor Palace , which has been stripped of everything of value. You can explore all four levels and the rooftop terrace, from which there's a magnificent view over dense jungles that stretch almost to the sea.
It's possible to wander up and down the corridors, around the kitchens and through the ballroom to the suites above, past variegated ceramic floors, tiled bathrooms and a giant fireplace where cocksure colonial French and wealthy Khmers could warm up on a nippy night.On cold, foggy days it can get pretty creepy up here as mists drop visibility to nothing and the wind howls through the building.
reviewed
-
C
Maimoon Palace
Having recently received a much-needed lick of paint, the Maimoon Palace stands as grand as ever. Built by the sultan of Deli in 1888, the 30-room palace features Malay, Mogul and Italian influences. Only the main room is open to the public; it features the lavish inauguration throne. The back wing of the palace is occupied by members of the sultan’s family. The current sultan, Aria Mahmud Lamanjiji, was only eight years old when he was installed as the 14th Sultan of Deli in 2005, replacing his father, who died in a plane crash. He is the youngest sultan in Deli history. He currently resides in Sulawesi, and his role is purely ceremonial.
reviewed
-
D
Hanuman Dhoka
The inner palace complex of the Hanuman Dhoka was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD) but, as it stands today, most of it was constructed by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century. The royal palace has been renovated many times over the years. The oldest parts are the smaller Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk at the northern part of the palace (both closed). The complex originally housed 35 courtyards and spread as far as New Rd, but the 1934 earthquake reduced the palace to today’s 10 chowks (courtyards). Cameras are allowed only in the courtyards, not inside the buildings of the complex.
reviewed
-
E
Royal Palace of Patan
Forming the whole eastern side of the Durbar Sq is the Royal Palace of Patan . Parts of the palace were built in the 14th century, but the main construction was during the 17th and 18th centuries by Siddhinarsingh Malla, Srinivasa Malla and Vishnu Malla. The Patan palace predates the palaces of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.
It was severely damaged during the conquest of the valley by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768 and also by the great earthquake of 1934, but it remains one of the architectural highlights of the valley, with a series of connecting courtyards and three temples dedicated to the valley's main deity, the goddess Taleju.
reviewed
-
Mir's Palace
The Mir's Palace is under restoration. Until the early '70s the mir of Hunza lived here for three months of the year, presiding over local durbars (councils). A cluster of houses to the left of the palace is the original village. The tallest of these is said to be Gulmit's oldest, possibly 200 years old; before the palace was built the mir stayed in it on his Gulmit sojourns.
To its left are the carved lintels of an old Shiite mosque from the early 19th century, before Gojalis converted to Ismailism. You can also see local women dyeing and weaving traditional cloth in the old building next to the palace.
reviewed
-
F
Ugyen Pelri Thang
The secluded wooded compound of the Ugyen Pelri Palace was built by the Paro penlop, Tshering Penjor, in the early 1900s and is now a residence of the queen mother, thus closed to the public. It is designed after Guru Rinpoche's celestial paradise, Zangto Pelri, and is a beautiful example of Bhutanese architecture. For views from the palace from above, head to the dzong.
On the road beside Ugyen Pelri Palace are five square chortens that were built in memory of the first king of Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck.
reviewed
-
G
Hawa Mahal
Jaipur’s most distinctive landmark, the Hawa Mahal is a remarkable, five-storey, delicately honeycombed, pink sandstone structure. It was constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawaj Pratap Singh to enable ladies of the royal household to watch the life and processions of the city. It’s an amazing example of Rajput artistry, and remains a great place for people-watching from behind the small shutters. The top offers stunning views over the Jantar Mantar and the City Palace in one direction, and over Siredeori Bazaar in the other. Inside there’s a small museum evoking the royal past.
reviewed
-
H
Royal Palace
Built by Vijayabahu I in the 12th century after Anuradhapura’s fall as the Sinhalese capital, this palace is indicative of the attempts made to retain at least a foothold in the old capital.
Close to it are a deep and ancient well and the Mahapali refectory, notable for its immense trough (nearly 3m long and 2m wide) that the lay followers filled with rice for the monks.
In the Royal Palace area you can also find the Dalada Maligawa, a tooth-relic temple that may have been the first Temple of the Tooth. The sacred Buddha’s tooth originally came to Sri Lanka in AD 313.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
King Sihanouk's Palace
On top of the hill northwest of Kep Beach is a palace built by King Sihanouk in the early 1990s. Before his overthrow in 1970, Kep was one of his favourite spots and he used to entertain visiting foreign dignitaries on an outlying island nicknamed Île des Ambassadeurs. The king may have harboured thoughts of retirement here but his poor health and Cambodia's political instability meant that he never actually stayed at the palace, which remains unfurnished.
Access is from the east; it's usually possible to walk around the grounds - after tipping the guard, if necessary.
reviewed
-
Hat Tha Wang Palace
At the western end of the island (2km from the pier), you can visit Hat Tha Wang Palace. The carefully managed lawns are a prime picnic spot for visitors from Bangkok, who share the gardens with foraging white squirrels. The palace was once used by Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) over the summer months, but was abandoned when the French briefly occupied the island in 1893. The main throne hall – a magnificent golden teak structure known as Vimanmek Teak Mansion – was moved to Bangkok in 1910. The Fine Arts Department has since restored the remaining palace buildings.
reviewed
-
I
Mayura Water Palace
This palace was built in 1744, and was once part of the Balinese kingdom's royal court in Lombok. It's a pleasant retreat now, popular with fishermen and families, but in 1894 it was the site of bloody battles between the Dutch and Balinese. The complex contains a large artificial lake, with a modest replica of a bale kambang (floating pavilion) in its centre, connected to the shoreline by a raised footpath. The original pavilion was a court of justice.
You'll find that the entrance to the walled enclosure of the palace is on the western side, off Jl Selaparang.
reviewed
-
J
Thai Hoa Palace
Built in 1803, Thai Hoa Palace is a spacious hall with an ornate timber roof supported by 80 carved and lacquered columns. It was used for the emperor's official receptions and other important court ceremonies, such as anniversaries and coronations. During state occasions, the emperor sat on his elevated throne and his mandarins paid homage.
Nine stelae divide the two-level courtyard into separate areas for officials in each of the nine ranks of the mandarinate; administrative mandarins stood to one side while the military mandarins stood to the other.
reviewed
-
K
Hama Rikyū Onshi-Teien (Detached Palace Garden)
Once a shōgunal palace extending into the area now occupied by the fish market, this traditional Japanese garden is one of Tokyo's finest. The Detached Palace Garden features a large duck pond with an island that's home to a charming tea pavilion, as well as some wonderfully manicured trees (black pine, Japanese apricot, hydrangeas, camellias etc), some of which are hundreds of years old.
Besides visiting the park as a side trip from Ginza or Tsukiji, consider arriving by boat from Asakusa via the Sumida-gawa cruise aboard the Suijō Bus.
reviewed
-
Phra Nakhon Khiri
Phetburi lives in the shadow of Khao Wang, a looming hill topped by various components of King Mongkut’s 1860 palace, Phra Nakhon Khiri. You can make the strenuous upward climb or head to the west side of the hill and take a funicular straight up to the peak (return adult/child 70/40B). The views from here are fantastic, especially at sunset, and the entire hill teems with meandering monkeys looking for attention. The ticket office will sell you an information pamphlet (5B) that includes a map of the palace grounds.
reviewed
-
L
Brazen Palace
So called because it once had a bronze roof, the ruins of the Brazen Palace stand close to the Sri Maha Bodhi tree. The remains of 1600 columns are all that is left of this huge palace, said to have had nine storeys and accommodation for 1000 monks and attendants.
It was originally built by Dutugemunu more than 2000 years ago, but through the ages was rebuilt many times, each time a little less grandiosely. The current stand of pillars (now fenced off) is all that remains from the last rebuild – that of Parakramabahu around the 12th century.
reviewed
-
M
Phayathai Palace
West of the Victory Monument roundabout, Phayathai Palace was built by Rama V in 1909 as a cottage for retreats into what was then the country. The surviving throne hall, encased in French glass doors and a fanciful tiered roof, is now part of a hospital complex and is open to the public. Note the limited hours; tours are conducted at 9.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday. The grounds are open at other times. There isn’t much in the way of tourist displays, but it’s worth a visit to survey the architecture of the buildings and escape the sightseeing masses.
reviewed
-
N
Tosh-hovli Palace
This palace, which means 'Stone House', contains Tosh-Hovli (Stone House), facing the caravanserai, contains Khiva's most sumptuous interior decoration, including ceramic tiles, carved stone and wood, and ghanch. Built by Alloquli Khan between 1832 and 1841 as a more splendid alternative to the Kuhna Ark, it's said to have over 150 rooms off nine courtyards, with high ceilings designed to catch any breeze. Alloquli was a man in a hurry - the Tosh-Hovli's first architect was executed for failing to complete the job in two years.
reviewed
-
Throne Room of the White Palace
As you arrive on the roof of the White Palace, head right for the private quarters of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas. The first room you come to is the Throne Room of the White Palace , where the Dalai Lamas would receive official guests. The large picture on the left of the throne is of the 13th Dalai Lama; the matching photo of the present Dalai Lama has been removed.
There are some fine murals here, including a depiction of Bodhgaya (where the Buddha achieved enlightenment) and the mythical paradise of Shambhala (by the entry).
reviewed
Advertisement
-
O
Ujjayanta Palace
Agartala's indisputable centrepiece is the striking, dome-capped Ujjayanta Palace. Flanked by two large reflecting ponds, the whitewashed 1901 edifice was built by Tripura's 182nd Maharaja. It looks particularly impressive floodlit at night, a spectacle that strollers can enjoy for just one hour daily, entering from the relatively grand south gate. To see the palace's comparatively unspectacular interior (now the Tripura state assembly chamber), sign in between 14:30 and 15:00, weekdays (admission free) then report to the caretaker.
reviewed
-
Summer Palace of the Panchen Lamas
Though it ranks far below Tashilhunpo, if you have extra time in Shigatse, pay a visit to the Summer Palace of the Panchen Lamas on the south end of town. Recent efforts at rehabilitating the straggly gardens are taking fruit, as is the restoration or reworking of wall murals. While the new paintings cannot compare to the masterly works of the past, they are still quite lovely and, covering every surface of the rooms as they do with vibrant colours and fantastic images, form a rather awesome whole.
reviewed
-
P
Isfandiyar Palace
Isfandiyar Palace on Mustaqillik was built between 1906 and 1912, and like the emir's Summer Palace in Bukhara displays some fascinatingly overdone decorations in a messy collision of East and West. The rooms are largely bare, allowing one to fully appreciate the gold-embroidered ceilings and lavish touches like 4m-high mirrors and a 50kg chandelier. The harem, in case you're wondering, was behind the huge wall to the west of the palace. It's undergoing renovation and may open some day.
reviewed
-
Q
Presidential Palace
After the Taiping took over Nánjīng, they built the Mansion of the Heavenly King (Tiānwáng Fǔ) on the foundations of a former Ming-dynasty palace. This magnificent palace did not survive the fall of the Taiping, but there is a reconstruction and a classical Ming garden, now known as the Presidential Palace. Other buildings on the site were used briefly as presidential offices by Sun Yatsen's government in 1912 and by the Kuomintang from 1927 to 1949. Bus Y1 travels here.
reviewed
-
R
Daikaku-ji
A 25-minute walk northeast of Nison-in you will find Daikaku-ji, one of Kyoto’s less-commonly visited temples. It was built in the 9th century as a palace for Emperor Saga, who then converted it into a temple. The present buildings date from the 16th century and are palatial in style; they also contain some impressive paintings. The large Osawa-no-ike pond was once used by the emperor for boating and is a popular spot for viewing the harvest moon.
reviewed