Changdeokgung Palace
("Palace of Prospering Virtue")
Historical Site No. 122
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In 1997 Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea was declared
a UNESCO National Heritage Site. The UNESCO "justification for
inscription" praised the palace compound's architecture and garden
design as "exceptional for the way in which the buildings are integrated
into and harmonized with the natural setting, adapting to the topography
and retaining indigenous tree cover."
Building in harmony with nature.
Changdeokgung Palace (also romanized as "Changdokkung"
or "Changdok" Palace)
was built near the beginning of the long Choson Dynasty, 1395-1910.
The dynasty's first ruler, King Taejong, consulted a Buddhist priest
named Muhak to find an ideal site for the new dynasty's capital. Muhak
was a specialist in the art of feng shui - a practice imported
from China that included the analysis of natural landscape to determine
the most harmonious place to build man-made structures. Feng shui
principles taught that human health and good fortune depended on
living in harmony with nature. Protective mountains surrounded the site
chosen for the new capital and the nourishing Han River lay to the south
(Figure 1). The new capital was named Hanyang.
Figure 1: View of mountains to the rear of palace.
Construction on the palace began in 1404, twelve years after King Taejong
moved the capital from the north to Hanyang. The palace grounds were
divided into administrative buildings, residential quarters and a rear
garden. During the next 600 years the palace would be destroyed and
rebuilt several times.
Who lived and worked in the palace?
The Choson dynasty survived over 500 years with the help
of both a strong military class and a powerful civilian class of scholar-officials
(Figure 2). The scholar-officials provided an educated class
of administrators to assist the king in governing. Officials were trained
in the philosophy of Neo-Confucianism, which encouraged adherence to
a strict social hierarchy including loyalty to the king, as well as
diligent study and self-cultivation. Scholar-officials had to pass a
difficult civil service examination to obtain a government job. Each
year the exam was held at Changdeokgung Palace.
Figure 2: Tourists today are entertained by a
reenactment by actors in traditional costumes.
The palace was built as a residence for the royal family and a place
where the king could meet with his officials. Two rows of short stone
pillars in front of the throne hall indicate where the military and
scholar officials would stand according to their rank (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Officials' pillars.
Two rows of low desks inside the hall mark the seats for court historians
whose job was to write down the official court records (Figures 4
& 5).
Figure 4: Emperor's
throne.Figure 5: Seating
for court historians
Court records would then be preserved in the palace library
(Figure 6).
Figure 6: Library.
In addition to the public buildings near the front entrance, the grounds
included a space for the private life of the royal family. One such
example is the biwon ("secret garden") in the rear of the
palace complex where the royal family could relax and entertain. The
Changdeokgung biwon is landscaped simply with an emphasis on natural
scenery. Like many Korean gardens, the biwon includes lotus ponds and
pavilions which help promote an atmosphere of quiet contemplation (Figures
7 & 8).
Figure 7: View
of the gardens.Figure
8: View of gardens.
A particularly Korean feature of Changdeokgung Palace is the way in
which it is designed to harmonize with nature as completely as possible.
Open space around buildings, the curved shape of roof tops, decorative
carving, and simple architectural footprints aligned with the cardinal
directions give a calm sense of dignity to the palace grounds that accords
with the Confucian elements of government (Figures 9 & 10).
Figure 9: Palace
buildings.Figure 10:
Decorative stone horse.
The palace today.
Thirteen kings lived in the palace during its long history. All of
the original buildings were burned during the Japanese invasion on 1592.
During the Japanese Occupation in 1910-1945 parts of the palace grounds
were rearranged or destroyed. But Korean kings and modern governments
have repeatedly rebuilt the destroyed buildings - a testament to their
esteem for the palace itself and the value South Korea places on its
national history. Today it is an island of peace and harmony surrounded
by the bustling modern capital of Seoul (Figures 11 & 12).
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Figure 11:
Outside front gate.
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Figure 12:
Front gate from inside looking out on Seoul.
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Figure 13:
Rooftop figures - guardians particularly against fire.
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Figure 14:
Water cauldrons for fire prevention. |
Notes:
Web site for this
unit: http://orias.berkeley.edu/korea/changdeokgung.htm
Images: Photos were
taken by Donna Kasprowicz and Michele Delattre on Korea Society study
trips. They may be used without permission for educational purposes.
Sources:
Mark Peterson, "Korea in World History" This article briefly
reviews the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Korea, including
Changdeokgung Palace. On the Korea Society's Korean Studies site,
http://KoreaK12.org, under "K-12 Resources."
http://www.koreasociety.org/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,35/task,cat_view/gid,116/
Korea Society. "Five National Treasures." In Korea_ Lessons
for High School Studies Courses.
http://www.koreasociety.org/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,0/task,cat_view/gid,139/
UNESCO National Heritage website for Changdeokgung Palace.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/816
"World Heritage Sites in Korea" - Includes virtual tour
of Changdeokgung Palace.
http://www.ocp.go.kr/english/treasure/dom_cdk.html
Yoon, Jong-soon. 1992. Beautiful Seoul, Seoul: Sung Min Publishing
House. Pages 4-51 are particularly relevant; each building has a picture
and a historical description.
