About seven minutes away from Anguk Station of subway line number three stands Changdeok Palace, the Joseon Dynasty’s largest royal residence. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 1997 for its majestic architecture and well-preserved traditional gardens. Recently the palace has opened its doors to the public at nighttime.

- Maybe I can enjoy a special kind of relaxation. I can see the moon fine from my window, but here it would feel more special because I get to enjoy the night with my friends.
- It feels like early summer these days. I look forward to walking in the palace under the moonlight and smelling the wind and the woods.
-Strolling in the royal compound means I would be traveling in time to the past. I can immerse myself in thought while on a slow and quite walk, or feel the coming of early summer. I even look forward to hearing the sound of crunching earth under my feet.

People look forward to touring the palace under the moonlight, smelling the earth, the wind, and the woods in a travel back in time. Their anticipation for the moonlight tour of Changdeok Palace is understandable given the beauty and significance of the Joseon Dynasty’s greatest architecture. Here’s Mr. Yu Gwan-hyeon of the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation to tell us more about the tour.

We thought about how to utilize the palace so that foreigners can enjoy it more. Changdeok Palace is the only royal residence registered as a UNESCO World Heritage. And we planned this program to allow people to experience the same nighttime stroll in the peaceful palace grounds as Joseon kings did in the past. The palace under the shimmering moonlight has a whole different atmosphere than during daytime. Would it be nice to travel 600 years into the past and feel the nighttime ambience of the palace?

The nighttime tour program started this April and will run through May and June, and then resume in September and October. The nocturnal visits would take place around the time of the full moon for two to five days. That means visitors get only eighteen days out of a whole year to see the palace under the moonlight. No wonder the competition to book a spot in the tour is fierce. But luckily we will get a quick glimpse of the tour program today on Touring Korea.

At eight in the spring evening the moon has taken its place in the dusky sky. The appearance of the moon signals the beginning of the Changdeok Palace moonlight tour. Visitors start walking along the designated path with bright red and blue lanterns lighting the way.

A tour guide starts pointing out the sights at the Geumcheon Bridge which stands above the bubbling brook past the Donhwa Gate. Here’s the tour guide Lee Gyeong-chun.

Where you are standing is the Geumcheon Bridge. It was built in 1411, the oldest remaining stone bridge in the palace. It turned exactly 600 years old this year. Underneath the bridge flows Geumcheon, which means a silky stream. In the north side of the bridge you can see a stone statue of a turtle and in the south side a stone haetae, a legendary beast of Korea. These two stone sculptures are guardians of the stream placed to ward off evil spirits.

Past the Geumcheon Bridge visitors come to the Jinseon Gate. This was the second gate visitors must pass on their way to see the king in the olden days. Tonight the night fog envelops the gate, lending it a soft glow.

Visitors follow the route probably taken by the Joseon kings. When they walk from the Jinseon Gate and through the Injeong Gate, they will meet the majestic Injeong Hall all lighted up.

- I’ve been to Changdeok Palace a few times, but I’m always impressed by the size and atmosphere of the Injeong Hall. This hall makes me realize how beautiful Korean culture is. This is especially nice at night because of all the lights. The Injeong Hall at night is really beautiful.

The Injeong Hall is the signature building of Changdeok Palace. This is where important national events, such as coronations, appointments of crown prince, and diplomatic receptions, took place in the olden days. Inside the Injeong Hall visitors can see the king’s throne in the middle of the room and its elaborate decorations, and feel the solemnity and majesty of the Joseon royal house. But something incongruent with the ancient surroundings catches people’s eyes. It’s the curtains and lamps inside the room.

Lamps were installed on the pillars as the Joseon court formed diplomatic relations with western countries. Electricity was first supplied to Gyeongbok Palace in 1887. Electric lights were installed in Changdeok Palace in 1908, two years ahead of China and Japan.
Visitors leave the Injeong Hall through the stone steps and head toward the Seonjeong Hall, the king’s office, and the Huijeongdang, the royal bedchamber. But the path is not paved smoothly in stone, but made of packed sand.

The deep silence of the night seems to amplify the sound of people stepping on the sand. There is a reason why most of the paths in Joseon palaces are not paved, but left in their natural sandy state.

It rains a lot in summer in Korea. The sandy paths were not paved over for easy drainage. Also, leaving the paths uncovered makes it easier to detect the sounds of footsteps of assassins or spies. And since most of Korea’s old structures are made of wood, sand served as the first line of defense against fire. Also, the moonlight reflected on the sand worked as a sort of lighting.

Visitors stop for a moment and stand on the yard in front of the Seonjeong Hall and Huijeongdang. Under their feet the sand twinkles softly in the moonlight.

Beyond the sandy yard visitors come to Nakseonjae, a small building where the last of Joseon royal family spent their later years. Lights are turned on all the rooms, highlighting the intricately carved patterns on the windows and doors. This is something the visitors wouldn’t have been able to see during daytime.

- Seeing the decorative door frames made me appreciate the beauty and culture of the Joseon royal house. The moonlight seen from Nakseonjae was so delicate that it touched my heart.
- The window panes and carved patterns are really beautiful like a painting. The moonlight, the soft lighting, and a cozy yard are very well harmonized. This place shows how classy our ancestors’ lives were.

Nakseonjae was built at the instruction of King Heonjong for his concubine. The building represents a heart-warming love story between Joseon’s 24th king and his beloved.

This building was built for King Heonjong’s concubine, Gyeongbin Kim. She was one of the three finalists in the queen selection process. At the time King Heonjong took part in the final stage, but couldn’t choose the one he liked for his queen, because his grandmother picked someone else. But when the queen failed to produce an heir, the king’s grandmother brought Kim back as a concubine. King Heonjong loved her deeply, but their love came to an end when the king died two year later. Nakseonjae is also famous for being the last residence of Joseon’s royal family. Lee Bang-ja, the wife of Joseon’s last crown prince, spent her last days here as well.

Now visitors enter the backyard of Nakseonjae. The window in the high pavilion in the backyard is left open to let in the bright full moon, giving the aperture the name “Full Moon Window.” In the morning the Full Moon Window allows in sparkling sunlight to brighten up the space. A walk up the steps beyond Nakseonjae’s rear garden takes visitors to a small hill called Sangryangjeong. From here visitors can see the Seoul N Tower on Mt. Nam and even a closer look at the full moon.

When people look over to Changdeok Palace from the Seoul N Tower on the days of moonlight tour, they say the palace looks even more beautiful with the colorful lanterns you are holding.

This is where past and present truly coexist. Now visitors head over to the palace’s rear garden. The trail to the garden is lighted by visitors’ lanterns on the ground and the glowing moon in the sky. The garden is completely enveloped in silence, cut off from the urban noise on the other side of the wall.

The only sounds heard here are those from the wind, the rustling of tree leaves, and the footsteps of visitors. Otherwise, the garden is peaceful and quiet. But just then a forlorn melody of the Korean flute daegeum floats by.

The sound of daegeum adds classical refinement to the moonlight tour. As visitors enjoy the peaceful melody, they arrive at Buyongji Pond.

The pond in front of you is called Buyongji and the pavilion to the left is Buyongjeong. Buyong means a fully bloomed lotus flower. From afar the pavilion roof looks like a lotus blossom. Buyongjeong also has windows on all four sides and King Jeongjo supposedly enjoyed fishing here.

Buyongjeong is erected on a round island in the square-shaped Buyongji. Standing opposite from the pond are Gyujanggak, the royal library, and Juhapru, a reading room. King Jeongjo is said to have selected his read at Gyujanggak and read them in Juhapru.

The last stop of the Changdeok Palace moonlight tour is a Korean music concert held at Yeongyeongdang.

The Korean music performance is enjoyed with Korean treats and tea. The concert comes to a close with everyone singing the Korean folk song, Arirang.

- I was so moved when I heard Arirang at the end. The music just made me applaud. I had a great time and I’m very happy.
- Such quiet place is not that common these days. But it was nice walking in the quiet palace on the moonlight tour.

If you need some peace and quiet after a harried day in the city, visit Changdeok Palace on a moonlit night to enjoy its serenity and romance.