Керейқымның сарайы: Кёнбоккун тарихы

Joseon era palace in Seoul, South Korea

Gyeongbokgung (hangul=경복궁), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the home of the royal family and the seat of government. Gyeongbokgung continued to serve as the main palace of the Joseon dynasty until the premises were destroyed by fire during the Imjin War (1592–1598) and abandoned for two centuries. However, in the 19th century, all of the palace's 7,700 rooms were restored under the leadership of Prince Regent Heungseon during the reign of King Gojong. Some 500 buildings were restored on a site of over 40 hectares. The architectural principles of ancient Korea were incorporated into the tradition and appearance of the Joseon royal court. In the early 20th century, much of the palace was systematically destroyed by Imperial Japan during its occupation of Korea. On January 21, 1963, it was designated as a cultural property. Since the 1990s, the walled palace complex is gradually being restored to its original form. It also houses the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum within the premises of the complex.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in north of Gwanghwamun Square, was built three years after the Joseon dynasty was founded and it served as its main palace. With the mountain Bugaksan behind it and the Street of Six Ministries (today's Sejongno) outside Gwanghwamun Gate, the main entrance to the palace, Gyeongbokgung was situated in the heart of the Korean capital city. It was steadily expanded before being reduced to ashes during the Japanese invasion of 1592. For the next 273 years the palace grounds were left derelict until being rebuilt in 1867 under the leadership of Regent Heungseon Daewongun. The restoration was completed on a grand scale, with 330 buildings crowded together in a labyrinthine configuration. Within the palace walls were the Outer Court (oejeon), offices for the king and state officials, and the Inner Court (naejeon), which included living quarters for the royal family as well as gardens for leisure. Within its extensive precincts were other palaces, large and small, including Junggung (the Queen's residence) and Donggung (the Crown Prince's residence). Due to its status as the symbol of national sovereignty, Gyeongbokgung was extensively damaged during the Japanese occupation of the early 20th century. In 1911, ownership of land at the palace was transferred to the Japanese Governor General. In 1915, on the pretext of holding an exhibition, more than 90% of the buildings were torn down. Following the exhibition, the Japanese leveled whatever still remained and built their colonial headquarters, the Government General Building (1916–26), on the site. Only a handful of iconic structures survived, including the Throne Hall and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. Restoration efforts have been ongoing since 1990. The Government General Building was removed in 1996 and Heungnyemun Gate (2001) and Gwanghwamun Gate (2006 2010) were reconstructed in their original locations and forms. Reconstructions of the Inner Court and Crown Prince's residence have also been completed. The current total area is .

Gyeongbokgung was originally constructed in 1394 by King Taejo, the first king and the founder of the Joseon dynasty, and its name was conceived by an influential government minister named Jeong Do jeon. Afterwards, the palace was continuously expanded during the reign of King Taejong and King Sejong the Great. It was severely damaged by fire in 1553, and its costly restoration, ordered by King Myeongjong, was completed in the following year. However, four decades later, Gyeongbokgung Palace was burnt to the ground during the Japanese invasions of Korea of 1592–1598 when Koreans angry at the court of King Seonjo for evacuating Seoul torched the royal residence. The royal court was moved to the Changdeokgung Palace. The Gyeongbokgung palace site was left in ruins for the next three centuries.

In 1989, the South Korean government started a 40 year initiative to rebuild the hundreds of structures that were destroyed by the colonial government of the Empire of Japan, during the period of occupied Colonial Korea (1910–1945). In 1995, the Japanese General Government Building, after many controversial debates about its fate, was demolished in order to reconstruct Heungnyemun Gate and its cloisters. The National Museum of Korea, then located on the palace grounds, was relocated to Yongsan gu in 2005. By the end of 2009, it was estimated that approximately 40 percent of the structures that were standing before the Japanese occupation of Korea were restored or reconstructed. As a part of phase 5 of the Gyeongbokgung restoration initiative, Gwanghwamun, the main gate to the palace, was restored to its original design. Another 20 year restoration project is planned by the South Korean government to restore Gyeongbokgung to its former status.

Gwanghwamun (hangul=광화문) is the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Geunjeongjeon (hangul=근정전), also known as Geunjeongjeon Hall, is the throne hall where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon dynasty. The building was designated as Korea's National Treasure No. 223 on January 8, 1985. Geunjeongmun (hangul=근정문), aligned and located directly to the south of Geunjeongjeon, is the main gate to the courtyard and to Geunjeongjeon. The gate is divided into three separate aisles, and only the king was allowed to walk through the center. Geunjeongjeon was originally constructed in 1395 during the reign of King Taejo, but was burned down in 1592 when the Japanese invaded Korea. The present building was built in 1867 when Gyeongbokgung was being reconstructed. The name Geunjeongjeon, created by the minister Jeong Do jeon, means "diligent governance hall". Destroyed during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, the building was rebuilt when Gyeongbokgung was reconstructed in 1867, but it was again burned down by a major fire in November 1876 and had to be restored in 1888 following the orders of King Gojong. However, when Huijeongdang of Changdeokgung Palace was burned down by a fire in 1917, the Japanese government dismembered the building and used its construction materials to restore Huijeongdang in 1920. King Sejong, who was noted to have a frail health later in his reign, decided to carry out his executive duties in Gangnyeongjeon, where his bed chamber is located, instead of Sajeongjeon. Since this decision meant many government officials routinely needed to visit and intrude Gangnyeongjeon, King Sejong had Gyotaejeon built in consideration of his wife the queen's privacy. The current building was reconstructed in 1994 according to its original design and specifications. The building, like Gangnyeongjeon, does not have a top roof ridge called yongmaru. Amisan (hangul=아미산), a famous garden created from an artificial mound, is located behind Gyotaejeon. Four hexagonal chimneys, constructed around 1869 in orange bricks and decorative roof tiles, adorn Amisan without showing their utilitarian function and are notable examples of formative art created during the Joseon Dynasty. The chimneys were registered as Korea's Treasure No. 811 on January 8, 1985.

Hyangwonjeong (hangul=향원정), or Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, is a small, two story hexagonal pavilion built around 1873 by the order of King Gojong when Geoncheonggung residence was built to the north within Gyeongbokgung. The pavilion was constructed on an artificial island of a lake named Hyangwonji (hangul=향원지), and a bridge named Chwihyanggyo (hangul=취향교) connects it to the palace grounds. The name Hyangwonjeong is loosely translated as "Pavilion of Far Reaching Fragrance", while Chwihyanggyo is "Bridge Intoxicated with Fragrance". The protruding southeast part of Jagyeongjeon, named Cheongyeollu (hangul=청연루), is designed to provide a cooler space during the summer, while the northwest part of Jagyeongjeon, named Bogandang (hangul=복안당), is designed for the winter months. The eastern part of Jagyeogjeon, named Hyeopgyeongdang (hangul=협경당) and distinguished by the building's lower height, was used by the late queen's assistants. The building and the decorative walls were registered as Korea's Treasure No. 809 on January 8, 1985.

Jibokjae (hangul=집옥재), located next to Geoncheonggung Residence, is a two story private library used by King Gojong. In 1876, a major fire occurred in Gyeongbokgung Palace, and King Gojong, for a brief period, moved and resided in Changdeokgung Palace. He eventually moved back to Gyeongbokgung in 1888, but he had the pre existing Jibokjae building disassembled and moved from Changdeokgung to the present location in 1891. Its name, Jibokjae, translates loosely in English as the "Hall of Collecting Jade". The building uniquely shows heavy influence of Chinese architecture instead of traditional Korean palace architecture. Its side walls were entirely constructed in brick, a method commonly employed by the contemporary Chinese, and its roof formations, interior screens, and columns also show Chinese influences. Its architecture possibly was meant to give it an exotic appearance. Jibokjae is flanked by Parujeong (hangul=팔우정), an octagonal two story pavilion, to the left and Hyeopgildang (hangul=협길당) to the right. Parujeong was constructed to store books, while Hyeopgildang served as a part of Jibokjae. Both of the buildings are internally connected to Jibokjae. In 2020, the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (hereinafter RPTC) of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) announced its plans to restore the Donggung area to its original layout. The restoration work of the remaining buildings began in March 2020 and was planned to be completed in late Jan. 2023

Geoncheonggung (hangul=건청궁), also known as Geoncheonggung Residence, was a private royal residence built by King Gojong within the palace grounds in 1873. As of April 2024, It is open from 9 am to 5 pm in January, February, November, and December, from 10 am to 6 pm in March, April, May, September, and October, and from 9 am to 6:30 pm in June, July, and August.

In a poll of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2011, stated that watching the changing of the guards at the main gate Gwanghwamun is their third favorite activity in Seoul. The royal changing of the guard ceremony is held in front of the main gate every hour from 10:00 to 15:00. There are many tourists wearing hanbok while visiting Gyeongbokgung and there are also a number of rental shops nearby selling hanbok and other traditional Korean clothing. At Gyeongbokgung Palace, in a program called “Suragan Tasting Sympathy”, visitors can experience royal food and watch traditional performances. On selected days from April to October, Gyeongbokgung offers special 'nighttime viewing' sessions from 7PM to 10PM. 4,500 tickets are offered each session which could be reserved online or purchased on site (ID required). However, on site tickets are available only for foreigners and senior citizens age 65 and over, for which 500 and 50 tickets are allocated respectively. In 2019, Gyeongbokgung held 71 nighttime viewing sessions. From September 1, 2022 to November 6, 2022, Gyeongbokgung offers special 'nighttime viewing' sessions from 7PM to 9:30PM The admission fee is 3,000 won. Online reservations and on site reservations are available, and up to two tickets are available per person.

During the Joseon Dynasty, royal guards were in charge of guarding and patrolling the gates of the capital and royal palaces. They played roles by dividing the day and night shifts. Each shift in working hours took place. Today, the changing ceremony of the royal guard in front of Gwanghwamun is recreated just like the Joseon Dynasty. It takes place twice a day.

Today, the Gyeongbokgung Palace is open to the public and houses the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Palace Museum of Korea, and traditional Korean gardens.

Gyeongbokgung entry is located 22 Sajik ro, Jongno gu. The nearest subway station is
Gyeongbokgung Station (Station #327 on Line 3). There has been off and on talk to extending the Shinbundang Line near the palace including during a March 2012 campaign promise by Hong Sa duk to expand the line near Gyeongbok Palace.