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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-03-17 11:37:26
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- As warm spring weather arrives, South Korea’s royal palaces are opening their gates wider to visitors eager to enjoy the atmosphere of historic sites.
According to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on Tuesday, the management office of Gyeongbokgung Palace will offer special tours of "Gyeonghoeru Pavilion" and "Hyangwonjeong Pavilion" every Wednesday and Friday from April 1 to Oct. 30.
"Gyeonghoeru Pavilion," designated as a national treasure, stands on a pond northwest of "Geunjeongjeon Hall." The name means “a pavilion for joyous gatherings,” reflecting its historical use as a venue where kings held banquets with officials or welcomed foreign envoys.
Visitors who reach the normally restricted second floor can enjoy panoramic views of palace buildings to the east and the scenic Inwangsan Mountain to the west.
Crossing the "Chwihyanggyo Bridge" leads to "Hyangwonjeong Pavilion," a treasure located in the northern garden of Gyeongbokgung. Built on an artificial island in a pond, the pavilion is noted for its architectural and historical significance amid picturesque surroundings.
The special tours will take place twice daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Reservations will open on March 23 through the Palace and Tombs Center website. Tours will not operate during the peak summer months from June to August or on public holidays.
At Changdeokgung Palace, the backyard of "Nakseonjae Hall," which is usually closed to the public, will also open for a limited spring program.
The palace management office will run a special guided tour program titled "Spring at Nakseonjae" twice daily at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from March 27 to April 2.
"Nakseonjae Hall," built in 1847 during the reign of King Heonjong of Joseon, is part of a complex that includes "Seokbokheon Hall" and "Sugungjae Hall." The area behind the buildings features a stepped flower garden and decorative flower walls.
The site is also known as the residence of the final members of the Korean imperial family, including Princess Deokhye, the youngest daughter of King Gojong of Korea, who lived there until 1989.
Participants in the program will tour the flower terraces and decorative walls while learning about the site’s historical significance from heritage interpreters.
Applications can be submitted online from 10 a.m. on March 19 to 5 p.m. on March 22, with participants selected through a lottery. Each session will be limited to 24 people.
Meanwhile, Changgyeonggung Palace will host a program introducing scenes of the palace depicted in historical paintings.
The program, titled "Time of Changgyeonggung in the Donggwoldo Painting," will run every Wednesday and Friday from March 25 to April 24.
"Donggwoldo" is a detailed painting depicting Changdeokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung, located east of Gyeongbokgung. Believed to have been painted between 1826 and 1830, it carefully portrays major buildings and walls of the two palaces surrounded by mountains and hills, making it an important reference for research on palace architecture.
Visitors will walk with a guide through sites such as the former offices for government officials inside the palace compound, as well as "Myeongjeongjeon Hall," "Munjongjeon Hall," "Gyeongchunjeon Hall" and "Tongmyeongjeon Hall," comparing the palace layout in the painting with its present-day appearance.
Special lectures by invited experts will also be held on April 4, 11 and 18.
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]