The 5 Grand Palaces in Seoul

Where the Five Grand Palaces
are Located in Seoul

Information About the 5 Grand Palaces

Gyeongbokgung 경복궁

• 9:00 – 18:00 (entrance closed at 17:00)
• closed on Tuesday
• Entrance fee: 3,000 won

Changdeokgung 창덕궁

• Feb – May, Sep – Oct 9:00 – 18:00
  June – Aug 9:00 – 18:30
  Nov – Jan 9:00 – 17:30

• Entrance available 1 hour before the closing time
• Closed on Monday
• Entrance fee: 3,000 won

Changgyeonggung 창경궁

• 9:00 – 21:00 (entrance closed at 20:00)
• Closed by Monday
• Entrance Fee: 1,000 won

Changgyeonggung 경희궁

• 9:00 – 18:00
• Closed on Monday
• Entrance Fee: Free

Deoksugung 덕수궁

• 9:00 – 21:00
• Closed on Monday
• Entrance fee: 1,000 won

Free entrance for those who are :
– Younger than 6 / Older than 65 / Wearing Hanbok (Korean traditional clothes)

1. Gyeongbokgung (경복궁)

• The royal palace of Joseon Dynasty founded in 1395 by King Taejo. ‘Gyeongbok’ means the king, his descendants, and all the people to enjoy the great blessings of peaceful era. It’s the first palace built during the Joseon Dynasty.
• It was burned down in 1592 due to the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, and was rebuilt in 1868. It was again damaged in the Japanese colonial period and some parts of the palace are currently undergoing the restoration project.
• It’s the most visited palace of the five.

2. Changdeokgung (창덕궁)

• The second Joseon palace was built in the 5th year of King Taejong (1405). It’s known as the palace that the kings of Joseon Dynasty favored the most.
• Although this palace was also severely damaged during the Japanese colonial period, it is a relatively well-preserved palace, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
• It’s harmonious with nature and has a beautiful 78 acre garden.

3. Changgyeonggung (창경궁)

• Located in the west of Changgyeonggung is Changdeokgung, which was built in the 15th year of King Seongjong (1484) by expanding Sooting Palace that was already there to serve Queen Jeonghui (King’s grandmother), Queen Sohye (King’s mother), and Queen Ahnsoon (King’s aunt).
• It has a simple and compact characteristic with fewer buildings than other palaces.
• Only 10% of the palace is left today.
• It was decorated as a zoo in Japanese colonial period and named as Changgyeongwon, degrading the dignity of the palace.

4. Gyeonghuigung (경희궁)

• Built in the 9th year of Gwanghaegun (1617), it has been a royal palace for 10 generations.
• It was one of the largest palaces of the Joseon Dynasty. However, most of the temples were demolished to rebuild Gyeongbokgung and the remains were removed as the Governor-General’s office was built in the Japanese colonial period.
• Only a few newly built temples have been restored today.

5. Deoksugung (덕수궁)

• Because there are quite a few temples that were built at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, the palace has both traditional architecture, used for governmental affairs, and Western-style architecture, used to greet foreign envoys.
• Although it was originally a secondary palace, it served as a royal after the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, and was promoted to an official palace during the Gwanghaegun period (1611).