Deoksugung at Night

During our visit to Seoul in December 2014, it was extremely cold so it took great motivation to get me outside at night but the result was worth it!... more

by Joan Carroll

Title

Deoksugung at Night

Artist

Joan Carroll

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

During our visit to Seoul in December 2014, it was extremely cold so it took great motivation to get me outside at night but the result was worth it! This is at Deoksugung, the Palace of Virtuous Longevity, It is the only one of the grand palaces of Seoul that is open at night. It is a special experience to see the palaces lit up at night, revealing the gorgeous colors of the construction and bringing about a very special atmosphere. Within the palace grounds, this is Junghwajeon, the main hall of palace. It was used for major state affairs including the coronation of new kings, meetings with officials and receiving foreign envoys. Said to be the pinnacle of palace splendor, it is here that King Gojong (the 26th King of Joseon Dynasty, 1852 - 1919) held daily morning meetings with his top officials to discuss matters of national importance. Two dragons are engraved on the stone panel in the middle of the stairs leading to the hall. This is a unique feature of the hall and none of the other palaces in Korea have this element. Junghwajeon is listed as a National Treasure of Korea. Originally, Deoksugung Palace was not a palace. The Imjin War (the Japanese invasions in 1592) left all the palaces in Korea severely damaged. When King Seonjo (the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty) returned to Seoul from his evacuation, the primary palace Gyeongbokgung Palace had been burnt to the ground and other palaces were also heavily damaged. A temporary palace was chosen from among the houses of the royal family. This is the origin of Deoksugung Palace. King Gwanghaegun (the fifteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty) named the palace Gyeongungung, formalizing it as a royal palace. Since then it has been used as an auxiliary palace by many Joseon kings. In 1897, Emperor Gojong (the twenty-sixth king of the Joseon Dynasty) stayed here and expanded it. The modern buildings such as Seokjojeon (Hall) were constructed during this period. In 1907, the palace was renamed Deoksugung.

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December 10th, 2014

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