Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden

The next stop on the palace adventure was Changdeokgung Palace 

along with the Secret Garden. 

An empty Canal.

There was so much ice everywhere. So I decided to so slipping and sliding. 

Changdeokgung was constructed in 1405, the fifth year of King Taejong. It was the secondary palace of Gyeongdeokgung, the main palace. All of the palace buildings were destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion in 1592. Changdeokgung was restored in 1610 and served as the main palace for about 270 years until Gyeongbokgung was finally reconstructed in 1867. Changdeokgung is relatively well-preserved and is representative of Korean palace architecture. The Secret Garden of Changdeokdung is one of the most attractive places in Korea. 

This is the start of the Secret Garden. 

The reason it was called Secret was because only those by invitation could enter the premises of the Garden. The building up on the hill is a library that the king built, because he felt it was important that the increased their intellectual knowledge. 

The garden was very pretty in the winter I can only imagine how pretty it is in the spring with the blooming trees. 

I learned that the reason they have square ponds is to resemble the flat earth and there is a circular island in the center to resemble the sun. 

This arch had a symbol of luck etched on it and when you walked under it you were blessing your life with good fortune. 

The grandson to the king who built the library built this small building for him to come out near the library and focus on studying so he could be as good a leader as his Grandfather. He made the building simple because he didn't want any distractions. He didn't become king because he died at 22 of a sudden death. He was a bright young man who had started to help make wise choices in the things he helped at ruling. It was a saddened day when he died. 

Here is the entrance to a noblemen's area. If you see there are two entrances. One is taller than the other. The men and women would go through separate entrances. Who went through the higher arched entrance? You guessed it, the men because they would never walk through the gates on their feet they always rode through on horses. The shorter one is for the woman because they always walked through.

The building up top is a shrine. 

These are the servant quarters and for the children. 

Not very roomy and to me it seemed almost more like a prison. 

If you look on the wall next to the tree you will see the chimney which comes from the building that is on the right side of the picture not seen. There is an underground tunnel the smoke goes out to reach the chimney. 

Old Sunwonjeon Thuja Tree

The Thuja tree was an important plant that was always planted in Chinese shrines and the emperor's burial ground. It is commonly found in Korean palaces and shrines as well. Sunwonjeon was where all the portraits of kings were kept. Planting the thuja tree in front of the building signifies the sacredness of the space. It is said to be over 500 years old.