Kyongbok Palace or Gyeongbok Palace is a royal palace located in Seoul, South Korea. It was constructed in 1394 and reconstructes in 1867. Gyeongbokgung (gung = palace) means Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven. It was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palace built by the Joseon Dynasty.
Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.
The Changing of Guard Ceremony
Geunjeongjeon Hall
the throne hall of Gyeongbokgung where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors .
The Ornaments
Gyeonghoeru (The Royal Banquet Hall)
a hall used to hold important and special state banquets during the Joseon Dynasty.
Seoul, South Korea, September 2009 by v1olet
those guys in red can stand so long under the hot sun yea
A smile from SJ =)
Beautiful photos. I will go to Korea someday and visit these places :D I recognize the building from watching Yi-san
nice place..i was there..
Beautiful serene scenery with majestic temple. Nice :)
So cool, with the mountain as background and all. What’s the best time of the year to go there?
Fantastic photos and what a beautiful place
Great pictures! Sorry, my english is bad, like school speak. I have also a translater at my blog. You can look right the site, there is a google gadget, you can the site traslate in many languages…
Have a nice day
Kvelli
what a beautiful structure, and with the mountain and the water around it makes it really look more peaceful
It is an absolutely gorgeous structure. The ornamental architecture is so vivid and vibrant. This is exactly why I love Asian architecture so much. They take the time in detail and artistry. Fantastic photos.
Oh beautiful architecture! There are so much detail in each photo!
@SJ : Yup. I believe they do. There are 3 shifts of guards per day.
@Juliana : You do love Korean Drama, and so do I. If you go to Kyongbok Palace, they provide 2-3 pairs of Hanbok, Korean Traditional Costume. You could wear that Hanbok, take pictures around the palace, garden, pond for about 10-15 minutes at no cost. It’s free of charge. That period drama Yi San is quite popular.
@wenn, vanilla, ann, Jouir la vie, betchai, Joanne, Icy : This is an interesting place for those who love ancient, historical, and asian architecture.
@ingimg : I think the best time to visit Korea is during autumn e.g. in October. It’s not too hot and not too cold.
waw, very good picture, this might be the inspiration for the others I atu, thanks for sharing the photos.