a little secret

Wednesday, the 3rd, was as beautiful and sunny as the past few weeks. No clouds, bright blue sky, unseasonable warm. A good day to explore another palace and the center of Seoul.

Changdeokgung (palace of illustrious virtue) was build in 1405 as a secoundary palace and became the main palace when Gyeongbokgung was destroyed during the Japanese invasion in the 1590s. 
The rear complex includes a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the secret garden. I was impressed by the beauty and calmness of it and although you are just allowed to enter the garden with a guided tour we were permitted to stroll around by ourselves.

The secret garden, Biwon, was used as a place of rest by the kings boasts a gigantic tree that is over 300 years old, a small pond, and a pavilion. The autum foliage was at its fullest peak, right before the leaves start to fall and the colour range didn't seem to have an end.

Right next to the Changdeokgung just seperated by a fortress wall lies the smaller Changgyeonggung (palace of flourishing gladness). It served as residential quarters for queens and concubines and also for retired kings build in 1483. Later the Japanese turned the area into a zoo. In 1983 the zoo was moved elsewhere and the reconstruction and renovation of the palace started. Impressing how much effort and details are put into the architecture.

Close, surroundeed by dense woodland, the royal shrine Jongmyo houses the ancestral tablets of deceased Joseon Dynasty kings and queens. Two great halls enshrine 83 spirit tablets in total. Jeongjeon, one of the two buildings, is the longest wooden building in the world with a width of 109 meters. Ponds (representing the earth) with a round island in the middle (representing heaven), at the entrance, explain the location of the shrine. It is located where earth meets heaven, where spirits come and go. Nowadays ceremonies are held once a year to keep the tradition alive.
Outside the shrine, next to the entrance is a little park. Seems that this is the favourite place for pensioners, playing board games or chatting about latest rumours. 

After a long sightseeing day, Mandoo (Korean dumplings) gave us the needed energy.