Gyeonghuigung Palace

Gyeonghuigung Palace, located at 1 Seongmun-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

Gyeonghuigung Palace (Korean: 경희궁, English: Gyeonghuigung Palace) is situated in the western part of Seoul, South Korea. It was a secondary palace during the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty and is also known as the "Western Palace."

Gyeonghuigung Palace was once the residence of King Taejo, the founding monarch of Joseon, and is also referred to as Sinmun Daegwol or the Western Palace. Initially, it served as the private residence of Prince Jeongwon (King Wonjong of Joseon). King Gwanghaegun believed that the site of Sinmun Daegwol possessed royal energy (wanggi), and in order to suppress and eliminate it, he built a secondary palace there, naming it Gyeongdeokgung. In the 36th year of King Yeongjo’s reign (1760), the palace’s name was changed to Gyeonghuigung. The palace complex includes structures such as Hoesangjeon Hall, Heungjeongdang Hall, Jipgyeongdang Hall, Chongjeongjeon Hall, and Heunghwamun Gate. In the 29th year of King Sunjo’s reign (1829), most of the buildings were destroyed by fire, but they were rebuilt in 1831.

Gyeonghuigung Palace is located to the west of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is why it is also called the “Western Palace.” At its peak, Gyeonghuigung Palace had over 100 buildings and was a grand-scale palace complex. Among the Five Grand Palaces, Gyeonghuigung suffered the most disasters, with most of its buildings either relocated or lost. After the partial restoration of its structures, the palace has been open to the public since 2002. It is located near the Seoul Museum of History and the Gyeonghuigung Branch of the Seoul Museum of Art. Now, let’s explore this historic palace together with HowToTrip.

Gyeonghuigung Palace was first established by King Gwanghaegun, the 15th monarch of Joseon, and completed as a secondary palace in 1623. The palace houses many uniquely designed buildings. After its completion, more than ten kings used Gyeonghuigung as a secondary palace and it was highly favored by the royal family. However, the palace endured numerous disasters and suffered the most severe damage.

In the 19th century, during the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace, all the original buildings of Gyeonghuigung were moved to Gyeongbokgung. During the Japanese colonial period, Gyeonghuigung suffered particularly severe damage. In 1910, Kyungshin Middle School, established by the Japanese, occupied the site, and surviving key structures such as Chongjeongjeon Hall were demolished, reducing the palace’s area by more than half. Since 1987, through the extensive efforts of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Gyeonghuigung Restoration Project, major buildings have been restored, and the palace has been open to the public since 2002.