Changdeok Palace invites in spring breeze with windows, doors wide open
Doors along the "changho," or corridors of Korean traditional buildings, are open for ventilation at Changdeok Palace during the heritage site's springtime tour program, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin
Spring is around the corner and Changdeok Palace, arguably the most beautiful royal palace in Seoul, has its windows and doors flung open to welcome the springtime breeze and natural light into the historic building after it remained shut throughout winter.
From Tuesday to Saturday, the Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center’s Changdeok Palace management office is revealing to visitors its interior conservation measures that keep the palace alive and sharing a rare peek into the ancient building where royals and their attendants used to reside.
Cornelian cherries start to blossom after rainfall while visitors dressed in Hanbok tour around Changdeok Palace in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
“People used to live here in the palace and actually used the building — opening and closing the door, bringing light and air in and out. Now, that time has passed and we (staff) look over the space for maintenance, but buildings remain alive only when there are people living in them. Leaving the doors closed for too long could create distortions and make condensation,” an official from the palace complex’s management team told The Korea Times, Tuesday.
Thus, the team occasionally opens doors and windows of “changho,” or corridors of Korean traditional buildings with layers portals that connect the inside and outside, to encourage air and light circulation.
Changho contributes to the building’s long lifespan by facilitating conservation and adds beauty to its landscape. It was in 2022 that the office developed a seasonal tour program.
Doors along the "changho," or corridors of Korean traditional buildings, are open for ventilation at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin
“We knew that the palace offers somewhat different and exceptional scenery through the frames of portals. So we decided to share with visitors these new viewpoints to look at this beautiful palace, just for a while as the spring nears,” the official said.
If the doors and windows are left open for too long, the buildings could be damaged and wild animals could enter, he explained.
Windows and doors are open for ventilation at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin
Visitors may look inside the palace’s major buildings — Huijeongdang, Daejojeon and Nakseonjae halls — with doors wide open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The changho opening program may be canceled under strong winds or heavy rain. No reservation is required for entry.
Most beloved palace of Joseon kings
A roof of a hanok building is seen through an open window at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin
Constructed in the 15th century during the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, the Changdeok Palace complex occupies a site in northern Seoul at the foot of Mount Baegak, the main geomantic guardian mountain.
Its name, Changdeok, means prosperity and virtue, conveying a message that only when the king pursues a virtuous life, will the prosperity of the kingdom follow.
The complex was originally built as a secondary palace to the main Gyeongbok Palace to its west, in case of war, disasters or important state events when the royal family members needed another place to stay.
It served as the center of state affairs and functioned as the main palace while Gyeongbok Palace was being rebuilt centuries after Japanese invasion during the reign of King Gojong (1864-1907).
Notably, Changdeok Palace is considered the aesthetic pinnacle among the five royal palaces in Seoul for demonstrating the essence of Korean traditional architecture — harmonization of the architectural layout with the neighboring natural setting. In December 1997, the royal complex was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for such outstanding universal value.
Visitors are seen through the open doors at Changdeok Palace during a springtime tour program, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin
Unlike nearby Gyeongbok Palace, which has a more direct and straight architectural layout, Changdeok Palace offers dynamic and detailed channels of movement, inducing turn after turn around the buildings.
Changdeok Palace was the most beloved and preferred royal residence by many Joseon kings and also where the Korean Empire ended. The palace’s Heungbokheon held the last Cabinet meeting on Aug. 29, 1910, the day that the Korean Empire lost its sovereignty to imperial Japan.
The hidden gem of the palace is the Secret Garden that stretches over 60 percent of its territory in the back.
The garden area, which boasts exceptional harmony with nature, served as a place for royal family members to relax and hold outdoor activities. It features a series of pavilions and lotus ponds, as well as a royal farmland, where the king tried planting grains to encourage farmers.
The palace offers guided tours of the palace buildings and the Secret Garden in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese.