[Lifehacks] Seoul's royal palaces offer the perfect day — or night — out

K-campus

Published: 12 Apr. 2022, 18:25 Updated: 03 Mar. 2023, 17:35

[Lifehacks] Seoul's royal palaces offer the perfect day — or night — out

Gyeongbok Palace [KIM HEE-WON]

If your spring vacation plans were ruined by the Omicron variant, worry not. Staycations are all the rage and there’s plenty to see in Seoul at this time of year.

Korean palaces are always open for you to enjoy, offering history, culture and some very impressive scenery. They offer an attractive break from busy city life all year around, but especially in the spring and fall, when they are open to the public at night.

Palaces are a great place for the amateur photographer and often appear in Korean dramas. If that’s what you’re interested in, don’t forget to pick up a hanbok, or Korean traditional dress, before you head in.

All four palaces charge admission fees, but visitors wearing hanbok can enter free of charge. There are shops near the palaces where people can rent hanbok.

Information is available at all four palaces in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese.

Gyeongbok Palace

Gyeongbok Palace was a royal residence in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Gyeongbok Palace [KIM HEE-WON]

The palace was built in 1395, three years after the dynasty was founded. It was burned down during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and rebuilt in 1867. Most of the buildings in the palace were destroyed during the Japanese colonial era, but have been restored since liberation.

The central buildings — Gwanghwa Gate, Heungnye Gate, Geunjeong Gate, Sajeong Hall, Gangnyeong Hall and Gyotae Hall — were geometrically constructed, while all other buildings are asymmetrically arranged.

Gyeongbok Palace, in the center of Seoul, offers many events for night visitors. The palace is open to the public from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with the last entrance at 8:30 p.m.

People who wish to visit the palace at night must purchase their tickets in advance online. Tickets can be purchased on e-commerce website 11st.

Reservations will open from 10 a.m. on April 22, and people can choose a date between May 1 and May 29, although the palace will be closed at night from May 11 to May 15 and every Monday and Tuesday. Tickets sell out very quickly, so prospective visitors should be ready to book as soon as they go on sale.

For those who are not comfortable with 11st, a total of 100 tickets a day will be exclusively sold for foreigners at the palace on a first-come-first-served basis.

Gyeongbok Palace also offers a program called Starlight Night Tour, which allows visitors to experience events such as food tasting and traditional music performances. The tour is usually available in spring and fall, though a schedule for this year has not been announced yet.

Pre-booking is mandatory for the tour. The tour runs twice a day, from 6:40 pm to 8:30 p.m. and from 7:40 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul | TEL (02) 3700-3900
https://www.royalpalace.go.kr/

Changdeok Palace

Built in 1405, Changdeok Palace was a secondary palace of the Joseon Dynasty, playing host to the king when Gyeongbok Palace was not available.

Changdeok Palace [KIM HEE-WON]

Changdeok Palace is often seen as the jewel of the Joseon palace crown. The secret garden inside the palace is a royal garden that is well harmonized with nature. Only a limited number of people can enter the garden, so reservation is required on the palace website.

Changdeok Palace also offers a tour called Moonlight Tour, which allows visitors to see the night view of the palace. It includes a variety of performances, including using daegeum, or bamboo flutes, and geomungo, a six-stringed zither. Pansori, or traditional Korean narrative singing, performances are also held.

Visitors can also enjoy jujube tea and Korean snacks while watching the shows. The tour is available in spring and fall, though the schedule for this year has not been announced.

99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul | TEL (02) 3668-2300
http://www.cdg.go.kr/

Changgyeong Palace

Changgyeong Palace is located next to Changdeok Palace. It was built as a residence for King Sejong’s father due to a lack of living space at Changdeok Palace. The original name of Changgyeong Palace was Sugang Palace.

Changgyeong Palace [KIM HEE-WON]

In 1909, the palace was damaged and operated as a zoo and a botanical garden during the Japanese occupation of Korea. At this time, the name was also downgraded from palace to garden. After Korean independence in 1945, the zoo was moved to Seoul Grand Park in 1983 and the palace was once again recognized as Changgyeong Palace.

Although the palace has returned to its palatial roots, Korea's first western-style greenhouse, which was built for the botanical garden, is still visible today. Rather than the rare plants that used to be part of the botanical garden, the greenhouse today contains examples of indigenous Korean plants.

Changgyeong Palace is open every night, which means advance reservation is not required. The viewing time and admission deadline regulations are the same as Deoksu Palace. Inside the palace, there is a pond called Chundangji, which is known for its beauty at night.

185 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul | TEL (02) 762-4868
https://cgg.cha.go.kr/

Deoksu Palace

Deoksu Palace was originally called Gyeongun Palace and was built as a temporary home for the queen.

Deoksu Palace [KIM HEE-WON]

During the reign of King Gojong, the palace was recognized as an imperial residence and became one of the most-used palaces at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, when Japan’s control of Korea started to grow.

Deoksu Palace is home to Seokjo Hall, which was the largest western-style building built in Korea when it was constructed. Currently, the building is managed as the Korean Empire History Museum, and the West Hall is operated as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Deoksu Palace also welcomes people every night, without separate reservations required. The palace is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., excluding Mondays and holidays.

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul | TEL (02) 771-9951
http://www.deoksugung.go.kr/

BY STUDENT REPORTER KIM HEE-WON [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]