Rarely opened gate links 2 Seoul palaces for exclusive night tours
Visitor enjoy an evening media art event at Changgyeong Palace in Seoul, Oct. 7. Yonhap
Visitors will be able to walk between Changdeok Palace and Changgyeong Palace in central Seoul at night next month through a gate that is normally closed to the public, as part of a ticketed night tour, the Korea Heritage Service said Wednesday.
The tour, called “Donggwol Dongnak,” runs from Nov. 10-15. It is organized by the agency’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Heritage Agency. The two palaces were together known as Donggwol, or the “Eastern Palaces,” during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) because they stood east of Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace.
The 110-minute program combines a guided tour of both palaces with free time to explore their rear gardens. Guides playing court painters from Dohwaseo, the Joseon-era royal bureau of painting, will lead participants through major halls of Changgyeong Palace and the rear garden of Changdeok Palace. Short plays about historical figures linked to each site will be staged at four stops along the route.
During the free-viewing time, participants can pass through Yeongchunmun, a gate between the palaces’ rear gardens that is usually off-limits, and move freely between the two gardens. They can watch a traditional Korean music performance at Yeonghwadang Pavilion and take photos with actors recreating daily life at the royal court. Refreshments will be served, and each participant will receive a tumbler as a souvenir.
The tour runs four times a night, starting at 6 pm, 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost 40,000 won ($30) each. Tickets are limited to two per person.
For the first time, tickets will be allocated through a lottery to make bookings fairer. Applications open on Ticketlink at 2 p.m., Thursday, and close Oct. 28. Winners will be announced after 5 p.m. on Oct. 30. People aged 65 and older, people with disabilities and national merit recipients can also book by phone starting Nov. 5.
Changgyeong Palace’s regular night viewing will be suspended during the event period.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.