Gyeongbok Palace to resume night tours

This year's night tours at Gyeongbok Palace, one of the royal palaces in Seoul, will begin late this month, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said Thursday.

The CHA first presented the "Gyeongbok Palace Starlight Tour" program on a trial basis in September and it gained huge popularity for offering stunning rare night views.

The CHA said the spring seasonal program set to run from March 20 to April 14 will include a modern reinterpretation of a 12-plate royal dinner and the night viewing of Mount Inwang on the Gyeonghoeru pavillion.

Gyeonghoeru is the most beautiful space in the palace and was used for royal banquets for foreign envoys during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

The guided tour starts with the supper offered alongside a traditional Korean music performance. Led by a tour guide in traditional costume, visitors will explore "Jipgyeongdang" and "Hamhwadang," the queen's two royal chambers.

The tour includes a stop by "Hwangwonjeong," a two-tier hexagonal pavilion built on the islet in the royal pond, and "Jibokjae," King Gojong's library also used as a meeting for foreign envoys.

Those pavilions are not open to the public at night but will open exclusively to participants of the night tours.

The program's highlight is the night view of Mount Inwang and the royal pond seen from the second floor of Gyeonghoeru.

The tour will run twice every day at 6:30 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. Each tour accommodates up to 60 visitors for 50,000 won ($44) per person.

Tickets can be purchased through the e-commerce website Auction (https://www.auction.co.kr) starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Senior visitors uncomfortable with online reservations can reach the ticket box office at 1566-1369. (Yonhap)