| Changdeokgung | |
|---|---|
| [image] | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: | 창덕궁 |
| Hanja: | 昌德宮 |
| Revised Romanization: | Changdeokgung |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Ch'angdŏkkung |
io:Template:Koreanname
Changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace) is a palace located in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty.
Construction of Changdeok Palace began in 1405, and was completed in 1412 with the construction of the main gate Donwhamun. King Sejo expanded the palace grounds by about 500,000 square meters. The Palace was burnt to the ground during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and reconstructed in 1609 by King Sonjo and King Kwanghaegun. Next burning was 1623 because of Injo Political Revolt against Kwanghaegun. Changdeokgung was the site of the royal court and the seat of government until 1872, when the neighboring Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt. Korea's last king, King Sunjong lived here until his death in 1926.
Today there are 13 buildings remaining on the palace grounds and 28 pavilions in the gardens, occupying 110 acres (450,000 mē) in all. Buildings of note include Donhwa-mun (built in 1412, rebuilt in 1607, with a copper bell weighting 9 tons), Injeong-jeon (main hall), Seongjeong-jeon (auxiliary office in the main hall), Huijeong-dang (the king's private residence, later used as a conference hall), Daejo-jeon (living quaters), and Nakseon-jae (former residence of Korean imperial family including Princess Bangja.
Behind the palace lies the 78-acre Biwon (secret garden) which was originally constructed for the use of the royal family and palace women. The surroundings and the palace itself are well matched. Some of the trees behind the palace are now over 300 years old. Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997. Portions of the palace were used to film the hugely popular Korean Drama Dae Jang Geum in the 2000s.
| The "Five Grand Palaces" of Joseon-Dynasty Seoul |
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| Changdeokgung | Changgyeonggung | Deoksugung | Gyeongbokgung | Gyeonghuigung |