A day in Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung, South Korea

Dawn - Changdeokgung wooded valley

Cool air sits under the trees as the first light reaches the valley floor. I follow the rear garden path, small among the trunks. Changdeokgung, built in the early fifteenth century as an alternative royal residence, keeps this quieter wooded garden beside the grander primary palace.

Morning - Gwanghwamun Plaza

Wide stone under my shoes holds the open morning, and the statues look large against the square. I cross the plaza toward the palace gate. This public square runs out from the main entrance and links the modern streets with the old royal grounds, with statues of Joseon figures along the way.

Midday - Reconstructed palace courtyards

Sun warms the painted timber here as I move slowly between the great halls. Courtyard after courtyard opens around me in the old plan. These rebuilt spaces show traditional carpentry, painted woodwork, and the classical courtyard arrangements of the medieval dynasty.

Afternoon - Pavilion pond

Water ticks softly against the stone while the pavilions sit out on the pond. I pause at the edge and watch the still surface. On the main palace grounds, these delicate pavilions float on artificial ponds among the throne halls and living quarters.

Afternoon - Imun Seolnongtang

Steam rises off the milky beef broth, hot and plain, with scallions and salt on the side. I eat seolnongtang at Imun, the street wide behind the old shopfront. This eatery has served the soup in the capital for over a century, the bones simmered for many hours.

Afternoon - Changgyeonggung tree paths

Shade from the ancient trees cools the path under my feet. I stroll these quiet routes between the restored halls. Changgyeonggung was a supplementary residence for the royal family and gives a closer view of daily court life than the larger formal compounds.

Afternoon - Gyeonghui-gung grounds

The air is still and the grounds feel far from the busy centre. I wander among the restored halls and surviving foundations. This smaller palace was an emergency refuge for monarchs in times of political crisis, after fires damaged the wooden buildings.

Golden Hour - Grand throne halls

Warm late light falls across the stone of the grand courtyard. In a rented hanbok, with its high-waisted wrap skirt and flowing jacket, I face the throne halls. Renting these clothes at Gyeongbokgung also brings free entry to the grounds.

Golden Hour - Royal living quarters

Last gold light rests on the timber of these halls. I pass the royal living quarters in the same hanbok. These rooms sit in the main palace precinct with the throne halls, part of the primary royal seat of Seoul.

Night - Everest Restaurant enclave

An aromatic spice smell hangs in the night air all along the lit street here. I head slowly toward Everest Restaurant through this nearby multicultural enclave. This long-standing eatery serves spiced mutton curries, freshly baked flatbreads, and traditional Himalayan dishes.