Changgyeonggung (Palace)

One of Seoul's five Joseon palaces — quieter and less touristy than Gyeongbokgung, with beautiful gardens and a complex colonial-era history.

Changgyeonggung is one of Seoul's five grand palaces from the Joseon Dynasty, originally constructed in 1419 under the name Suganggung to house royal relatives. After a major renovation in 1483, it received its current name. The palace served a more domestic role than the ceremonial Gyeongbokgung, housing queen dowagers and royal children in its quieter courtyards and pavilions. Destroyed during the Imjin War in the late 16th century, it was rebuilt in 1616. During Japanese colonial rule, the grounds were humiliatingly converted into a public zoo and botanical garden — a transformation only reversed in 1983 when the site was restored to its historical palace function. Today, Changgyeonggung offers a more peaceful alternative to the crowded Gyeongbokgung nearby, with its lotus ponds, ancient trees, and traditional Korean architecture largely intact and unhurried.