Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden (Huwon) 창덕궁과 후원

Changdeokgung is the best preserved of Seoul’s Joseon palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Where Gyeongbokgung is laid out on a strict axis, Changdeokgung follows the folds of the hills behind it, and its buildings feel more intimate as a result. Behind the palace lies Huwon, the Secret Garden: a wooded valley of ponds, pavilions and libraries that was reserved for the royal family and is now visited on timed tours. For many visitors it is the highlight of a palace tour in Seoul.

Highlights

• Donhwamun – the main gate, facing Yulgok-ro.
• Injeongjeon – the throne hall, where state ceremonies and receptions of foreign envoys were held.
• Huijeongdang and Daejojeon – the king’s working quarters and the queen’s residence, behind the throne hall.
• Nakseonjae – a residential compound added in 1847, built in a restrained style without the bright paintwork of the official halls.
• Buyongji and Juhamnu – the square lotus pond at the heart of the Secret Garden, overlooked by a two-storey pavilion that housed the royal library.
• Aeryeonji, Yeongyeongdang and Ongnyucheon – a second lotus pond, a residence modelled on a scholar’s house, and a secluded stream in the far corner of the garden.

Tips for visiting

Book the Secret Garden first and plan the rest of the day around it. The garden tour takes you along unpaved, sometimes steep paths, so wear sturdy shoes. Arrive at the garden entrance, at the back of the main palace, a few minutes before your session; the main palace ticket must be bought separately and shown as well.

The main palace can be explored at your own pace and is usually quieter than Gyeongbokgung. Spring and autumn are the most popular seasons in the garden, when slots disappear soon after release. Changdeokgung closes on Mondays, so on that day head to Gyeongbokgung instead. Changgyeonggung adjoins the palace to the east, and the hanok cafés of Ikseon-dong and the lanes of Bukchon are within walking distance.

History in brief

King Taejong built Changdeokgung in 1405 as a secondary palace to Gyeongbokgung, and the garden to its north was laid out the following year and enlarged in 1463. Like Gyeongbokgung, it burned during the Japanese invasion of 1592, but it was rebuilt first, in 1610. For about 270 years after that, until Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt in 1867, it served as the principal residence of the Joseon kings.

Later rulers added the libraries, pavilions and ponds of the Secret Garden. Sunjong, the last emperor of the Korean Empire, lived here after taking the throne in 1907 and died at the palace. Locals called it the East Palace because it shared its grounds with Changgyeonggung, with no wall dividing the two.