Changdeokgung (창덕궁)

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풍수지리 (pung-su ji-ri) means “Study of the patterns of winds and water”.
Changdeokgung was built to embrace the surrounding topography using the principals of pungsu-jiri.

Fun Facts

The Chinese Juniper Tree located on the palace grounds is believed to be over 750 years old.
The most well-preserved of the five Joseon Palaces.
Designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1997.
Geumcheongyo Bridge is one of the oldest stone bridges in Seoul.
Featured in the Kdrama, Jewel in the Palace.

Built by King Taejong in 1405 and reconstructed in the 1600s after being destroyed during the Japanese occupation, Changdeokgung served as a secondary royal palace to Gyeongbokgung and the main royal seat for over 270 years during the Joseon Dynasty. King Taejong claimed to have built this palace due to the topography of Gyeongbokgung being not auspicious enough, though many believe the real reason was his involvement in his brothers’ assassinations at the main palace, leaving him with a desire to avoid ruling from the same area. Regardless of the motives, the palace structures embrace the surrounding natural landscape and defy conventional palace architecture. The terraced garden directly behind the throne hall channels energy from the nearby guardian mountain into the palace while the extensive Huwon Secret Garden harmonizes perfectly with its beautiful surroundings.

Travel Tips

Visit during the fall to see the autumn foliage.
Join a tour of the Secret Garden while you’re here.

Address

English: 99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Hangeul: 서울특별시 종로구 율곡로 99

If Gyeongbokgung is the largest of the palaces then Changdoekgung just to the east might be considered the prettiest. The natural setting for this secondary and smaller palace is within a large park and the buildings and walkways seem to flow and move freely among the topography. It is a green space in the heart of a busy city with a beautiful, garden-like feel. On our first visit we combined our visit to the palace with a late afternoon tour of the “Secret Garden.” Since the tour was completed at the end of the day we were able to walk back through the palace grounds when there were very few visitors. This gave us an opportunity to get great pictures of the colorful buildings! On our second visit we allowed more time to explore the palace. It is beautiful! I highly recommend visiting Changdoekgung.

During our first visit, we arrived at Changdeokgung in the late afternoon after returning from a tour to the DMZ. We were able to purchase tickets for the last English tour of the Secret Garden, so we rushed through the palace and waited at the entrance to the Garden. When the tour was over, we found that the palace was almost completely empty. It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves, and we were able to linger and take lots of photos without other people in them. We went back on our second trip and were able to spend a lot more time exploring the palace grounds, opting to skip the Secret Garden tour on our second trip. While it’s possible to experience both the Palace and the Gardens separately, if you wish to do them both together make sure to leave plenty of time to see everything.