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Our second outing in Seoul was one that many do – Hitting the palaces.  While many would start with Kyeongbokgung, the largest of the Korean palaces, Changdeokgung (창덕궁) was our first call.

We had a large group in tow, so our ambitious thoughts of getting through two palaces in a day were put to rest pretty early.  My wife had been researching prior to the trip, and Thursday was the only day that tourists are allowed into the palace on their own.  All other days require that you join a guided tour.  While the guided tour is substantially cheaper, I can’t imagine it’s anywhere near as pleasant as touring the palace at your own pace on a sunny day, as Changdeok palace’s main attraction is its organic surrounds, ponds and leafy strolls.  Biwon, the secret garden, is the centrepiece.

While the larger palace has some epic structures, Changdeok presents a more intimate environment.  At Gyeongbok, you imagine the country being run.  At Changdeok, while some of the palace seems quite functional, mostly you imagine a ruler doing very little other than enjoying his (frequently brief – Being King was a tough business -) time at the top of the tree.  Fortunately, it’s now possible for you to to enjoy it, and in some ways your experience will be less constrained than that of a ruler in Confucian society.

Before I leave the rest of this post to the gallery, one thing you might want to do if you are particularly interested in palaces is to track down a copy of Palaces of Seoul by Edward Adams.  I’ve browsed the local library copy, and it would have made a nice companion to my walks around Seoul’s palaces.  You won’t need this book.  The palace is well signed in multiple languages, and there are English-speakers at the main information centre.  You will get a lot of extra information though.

A sunny Thursday and a secret garden is a perfect mix.  Take a look!

Links:

Seoul’s palaces at Visit Korea

A stroll through Changdeokgung

Changdeokgung on Wikipedia