UNESCO World Heritage - Changdeokgung Palace

The primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty was Gyeongbokgung palace. Overlooking Sejong-ro, Seoul’s main street, its grand, majestic features rightfully have become a symbol of the prestigious Joseon Dynasty. Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Gyeonghuigung palaces were all subsidiary palaces located inside the capital of the Joseon Dynasty. These palaces served as residences for the royal family in case Gyeongbokgung Palace was undergoing routine repairs or was damaged by fire. Unlike the main Gyeongbokgung palace, the simple, unimposing style of Changdeokgung Palace is neither majestic nor grandiose.

It may come as a surprise to learn that the monarchs of the Joseon Dynasty spent longer periods of time at Changdeokgung Palace than at Gyeongbokgung Palace. This is primarily because Gyeongbokgung and other palaces were burnt down during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. Changdeokgung Palace, rather than Gyeongbokgung, was rebuilt after the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. From then on, Changdeokgung served as the primary palace, replacing the destroyed Gyeongbokgung Palace. But ever before that disaster, the monarchs of the Joseon Dynasty preferred Changdeokgung Palace to Gyeongbokgung. Changdeokgung Palace was and is regarded as being constructed in the quintessential Korean style, part of the reason it was so highly favored by the Joseon kings. The palace is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for its historical significance, simplicity and subtleness. The UNESCO committee described the site as an outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design. The UNESCO committee also stated that the design of the palace was exceptional because the buildings exist in harmony with the natural environment.

Topography of Changdeokgung Palace

Changdeokgung Palace is situated along the slope of Mt Bukgaksan and the palace is special in that it does not overlook any of the major streets of the capital like other palaces do. Ironically, the less majestic placement of the Changdeokgung Palace adds to its aesthetic value.

While Changdeokgung is only one-third the size of Gyeongbokgung Palace, it is imbued with a great delicate, feminine beauty in comparison. Upon walking through Donhwamun, the main gate, everyone will notice such features. The grandeur of the throne hall can usually be observed immediately after walking through the main gate. However, Injeongjeon Hall, the throne hall of Changdeokgung Palace, is to the right of the palace down the main avenue and then, to the left. At a glance, the palace appears architecturally disorganized, but when thoroughly surveyed with a topographical perspective, the setting its setting is in complete harmony with the lines and flow of the terrain. According to the theory of Pungsoo (geomancy), the setting of the Injeongjeon Hall is comparable to the bud of a Japanese apricot, which is a flower that hangs from the boughs of the trees that grow on the Baekdudaegan, the biggest mountain range on the Korean Peninsula.

The placement of the building in the Changdeokgung flows in continuous harmony with the natural terrain. Instead of clearing away large hills, the architects continue the flow by building on the slopes and making sure paths and avenues detoured around hills. The pavilions in the secret huwon garden were built nestled in between the tree lines and gorges, to ensure there was no interference with the overall landscape. Jean Michel Willmote, a renowned architect who also designed the presidential chamber of the Elysee Palace of France, was amazed and charmed by the beauty of Changdeokgung Palace, the space that best represents the beauty of Korean architectural style.

The aesthetics of the royal garden

Changdeokgung Palace was once called the Biwon, or “Secret Garden”. In the early 20th century, under Japanese occupation of Korea, the Japanese called the palace the Biwon downplay the significance and integrity of the palace by emphasizing only the peripheral gardens. This only further illustrates the superb beauty of the garden itself, as a representative of the entire palace. Behind the palace lies the huwon garden, incorporating into its grounds pavilions, landscaped lawns, trees, and flowers. The garden was an extremely private space for the king and was known as the Naewon (Inner Garden) or Geumwon (Forbidden Garden). This garden represents the real value of the Changdeokgung Palace.

The Buyongji, or lotus pond, can be found after following the forest trail along the hillside to the back of the palace. The Buyongji Pond is located on the edge of two hillsides, and a pine tree stands in the middle of the island there. To the left is the splendid feature of Buyong-jong, a small pavilion standing to the side of the Buyongji. The Juhamnu Pavilion stands across from the Buyong-jong.

All these natural settings represent the real value of the secret huwon garden in Changdeokgung. At first glance, the huwon can be viewed as just a beautiful garden but the natural setting of the huwon was constructed in consideration of philosophical interpretations. The main gate of the Juhamnu Pavillion is called the Oesumun, which means the gate for fish and water. A fish-shaped cornerstone on the corner of the Buyongji portrays a scene of fish jumping out of a pond to reach Juhamnu, the royal research institute, through Oesumun Gate.

This implies the philosophical interpretation of this gate being a gateway to success for young scholars.


Changdeokgung Palace is awash in the essence of aesthetic configuration. Each and every pavilion and pond has a philosophical interpretation.



The beauty of the palace encompasses not only architectural considerations but also philosophical as well.

An ecologically-rich natural environment in the heart of Seoul

The forest at the back of the Buyongjong Hall is designated as an area of limited access. Public access to the forest was strictly limited for 25 years up until 2004. The first building appearing on the path of the forest is the Jondeokjong Pavilion, a small hexagonal pavilion with overlaid roof tops. The pavillion is decorated with very colorful wall paintings portraying brown and blue dragons playing with the Yeouijoo, a legendary wishing stone (cintamani stone). A wooden plate is inscribed with the following: All the streams embrace the moon while there is only one moon in the sky. The moon is me, myself, and you are the streams.

The author of this imposing lyric is King Jeongjo (1752-1800), who was upholding royal authority by suppressing a widespread fracture inside his cabinet. At this pavilion, King Jeongjo met to persuade not only those supporting his revolutionary reforms but those opposing them as well. Throughout history, the secret huwon garden was a place for secret politics.

The hill beyond the Jondeokjong is steep enough to be a small mountain. The Ongnyucheon Jade Stream is surrounded by small pavilions on the top of the hill. It has been said that tigers were once spotted in and around the area of the Ongnyucheon Streem. Changdeokgung Palace is a rich and ecologically sound environment with a forest consisting of 290,000 trees of 160 different types and 40 different kinds of birds, including three types of natural monument species, the spotted woodpecker, the Chinese scope owl, and the mandarin duck.

Visiting Changdeokgung Palace

Since May 2010, visitors have been able to tour Changdeokgung Palace at their leisure (with the exception of the Secret Garden (Huwon, 후원) during the palace’s regular operating hours. Despite the new independent touring, guide/commentator services are available for interested parties.
In order to preserve the historical integrity of the Secret Garden (Huwon, 후원), visitation to the Secret Garden is limited. Visitors to the garden must be accompanied by a palace tour guide and no more than 100 guests are permitted each tour. To visit the Secret Garden, each guest must purchase a separate ticket in addition to his or her Changdeokgung Palace entrance ticket. The two tickets cost 8,000 KRW for adults (ages 19~64) and 4,000 KRW for children & teens (ages 7~18). Entrance to the palace alone (without Secret Garden access) is 3,000 KRW for adults and 1,500 KRW for children & teens.


Those planning on visiting other palaces in the Seoul area should buy an “all-in-one palace ticket” for 10,000 KRW that grants the ticketholder access to Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung (including the Secret Garden), Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and the Jongmyo Shrine. Tickets expire one month after purchase.