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Gyeongbok Palace (1394, rebuilt 1865 onward) - 경복궁 (景福宮)

For nearly 500 years, the capital of Korea's Goryeo dynasty stood at Gaeseong, a city about 50 kilometers northwest of modern-day Seoul. When General Yi-Songgye marched into Gaeseong in 1388, he overthrew the tottering Goryeo dynasty and established a new regime that would soon be known as the Joseon dynasty. Although General Yi held his coronation in Gaeseong in 1392, becoming King Taejo, he did not wish for Gaeseong to remain the capital. It was widely believed at the time that Gaeseong was no longer suitable as a capital because it had exhausted its share of the metaphysical energy of the land. According to the requirements of pungsu (Chinese: feng-shui), a new site for the capital would have to be found, preferably on a spot teeming with energy.

At Taejo's behest, master geomancers (practitioners of pungsu) fanned out across the land, searching for the ideal spot to build a fitting capital city. One such site was discovered near modern-day Daejeon at the foot of Mt. Gye-ryeong. With Taejo's blessing, work began quickly on the site and soon foundation stones were readied in the ground. However, work abruptly ceased when Taejo became convinced that Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) would make a better site. Taejo was persuaded by the prophecies of Doseon, a 10th-century priest and master geomancer who aided the founder of the previous dynasty in the selection of a capital. Doseon had correctly prophesied the founding of Goryeo, and had made a prediction that the next dynasty would base itself at Hanyang and rule for 500 years.

Taejo decided to heed the ancient priest and moved the capital to Hanyang, fulfilling the prophecy. What he could not have known was that his dynasty was indeed to last about 500 years as Doseon predicted, surviving until 1910 when Joseon was annexed by the Japanese Empire.

Taejo's geomancers found at Hanyang the potential for an ideal capital. Using pungsu, they selected four sites for royal residences where the topography of the land heralded good fortune for the dynasty. The most auspicious of all sites was the northernmost one, and it was there that they decided to build the main royal palace and major government buildings of the young Joseon dynasty.

Construction of the palace began in December 1394 under the joint supervision of Cheong Dojeon, a merit subject, and his associate Sim Deokpu. Cheong himself named the palace Gyeongbokgung, the "Palace of Shining Blessings", after a phrase found several times in the the Chinese Book of Odes. The first phase of construction was completed in less than 10 months, including the two main halls of Geunjeongjeon and Sajeongjeon in the central courtyard. To protect the palace and the growing capital a wall was built in a loop that ran about 16 kilometers (10 miles) along the ridges of mountains whenever possible. Nine gates provided access through the walls.

King Taejo was satisfied with the palace, but his son and successor King Jeongjong temporarily abandoned it and moved back to Gaeseong. The third monarch, King Taejong, moved the capital back to Seoul for the final time and built Changdeok palace as the royal residence. Subsequently, Gyeongbokgung lay vacant as Kings preferred to live in the other palaces of Seoul. In 1592 the empty halls of the palace were razed by the Japanese during the Hideyoshi invasions of 1592-98. With only its foundation stones remaining, the ruined palace sat neglected for nearly 300 years until the regent Daewon-gun ordered it repaired in 1865. At great cost, the palace was fully restored by 1867.

The restored palace faired badly as the Japanese Empire encroached upon Korea's sovereignty. First it was the scene of the murder of Queen Min and the capture of King Gojong when Japanese soldiers in disguise ransacked the palace in 1895. After Korea's annexation by Japan in 1910 most of the restored buildings were torn down, except for a few of the larger buildings including the graceful Gyeonghoe-ru banquet hall and the Geunjeong-jeon hall of state. The remaining parts of the palace suffered further indignity when the Japanese erected the huge Capital Building in front of the palace in 1923 and moved one of the major remaining gates. The gate was restored to its original position in 1968 with a signboard written in Korean script by Park Chung-hee, President of the Republic of Korea. The Japanese Capital Building was destroyed in 1995 in fulfillment of a campaign pledge by President Kim Yon-sam. With this building out of the way, the government began to restore portions of Gyeongbok palace, rebuilding many halls, corridors, gardens, and pavilions. Construction continues even today, although the palace will never regain the grandeur it twice possessed over its 600-years of existence.

Address: 서울 종로구 세종로 1-1.

Location

The approximate location of Gyeongbuk Palace is 37.578137' N, 126.977019' E (WGS 84 map datum).

Click on any of the red arrows to view that location.
Map copyright 1983 Kim Won and Limb Eung-Sik. Adapted from Korean Architecture II: Gyeongbokgung Palace.

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