The architecture may be traditional and the atmosphere timeless, but the age of most buildings within the walls of Gyeongbokgung can be accounted for in years or decades – not centuries. Excepting a few original structures, this sprawling royal palace in the heart of Seoul is essentially a collection of 20th- and 21st-century replicas. ThatContinue reading “Field Report: Heungbokjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 January 2020)”
Tag Archives: Palaces
Field Report: Deoksugung Stone Wall Road, Seoul, South Korea (23 March 2019)
After exploring the old royal palace of Deoksugung, I left by way of the main gate – but didn’t stray far. There’s quite a bit of history to discover in the neighbourhood if one can spare the time for a leisurely walk.
Field Report: The Seokjojeon Hall of Deoksugung, Seoul, South Korea (23 March 2019)
In some ways, Deoksugung (덕수궁) is the odd man out amongst the former royal palaces of Seoul. With its eclectic mix of Eastern and Western architecture, this walled compound offers an interesting contrast to the rigidly traditional forms employed in Gyeongbokgung just up the road. Today, we’ll take a close look at one of Deoksugung’sContinue reading “Field Report: The Seokjojeon Hall of Deoksugung, Seoul, South Korea (23 March 2019)”
Field Report: The Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (28 November 2018)
I’ve long had a keen interest in the ambitious project to resurrect the lost Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle: quite possibly one of the most magnificent examples of 17th-century Japanese architecture to have survived from the Edo Period. (Well, up until it was reduced to cinders by Allied bombing in 1945.) Over the course ofContinue reading “Field Report: The Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (28 November 2018)”
Field Report: Reconstruction of Heungbokjeon at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (15 February 2018)
I’ve been to Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung so many times, I can’t even say off-hand how many times I’ve gone there. And one of the things that keep drawing me back to this vast Joseon-era complex is the ongoing, almost mind-bogglingly colossal effort to rebuild the many palace structures destroyed in the early 20th century – aContinue reading “Field Report: Reconstruction of Heungbokjeon at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (15 February 2018)”
Food Report: Joseon Royal Refreshments at the Saenggwabang of Gyeongbokgung Palace (Seoul, South Korea)
Not being much of a gourmet, I’m usually content to live off convenience stores or vending machines whenever I holiday in Korea. That said, I’m not averse to sampling more refined delicacies every once in a while – and on a cold winter’s day this past January, I allowed myself a taste of the refreshmentsContinue reading “Food Report: Joseon Royal Refreshments at the Saenggwabang of Gyeongbokgung Palace (Seoul, South Korea)”
Field Report: Meeting an old friend at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 January 2017)
I was feeling quite knackered after my red-eye flight from Manila to Seoul. That said, with the sun high in the sky and the ambient temperature hovering somewhere below freezing (mmm, delicious), I decided that conditions were perfect for a quick visit to an old friend. As one might expect of an anti-social chap likeContinue reading “Field Report: Meeting an old friend at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 January 2017)”
Field Report: Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 September 2015)
As the largest of Seoul’s five royal palaces, it’s no wonder that Gyeongbokgung was once equipped with kitchens that could feed an army. Newly restored a century after its destruction, this former nerve centre of Joseon court cuisine invites visitors to imagine what it must have been like – and how difficult it must haveContinue reading “Field Report: Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea (27 September 2015)”
Field Report: Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung, Seoul, South Korea (26 September 2015)
The grand old palace of Changdeokgung, like the city of Seoul itself, might be likened to an old friend. Having conversed with them a couple of times, and having eased into a comfortable familiarity, one begins to think that there are no more secrets between the two of you … until they spring a massiveContinue reading “Field Report: Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung, Seoul, South Korea (26 September 2015)”
Field Report: Gyeonghuigung and Seoul Museum of History, Seoul, South Korea (12 December 2014)
Whilst sharing many architectural features and elements of design, Seoul’s palaces aren’t just cookie-cutter replicas of each other. Every royal residence has its own unique charm, its own particular beauty … and its own long – often painful – history.
Within striking distance 