Nakseonjae Door Patterns to Huijeongdang chandelier... Changdeokgung palace is beautiful even at night

▲ This photo, shows the participants for the pre-open moonlight tour in Changdeokgung on the 19th. Huijeongdang Hall has been provided in this year's Moonlight Tour for the first time. (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, shows the participants for the pre-open moonlight tour in Changdeokgung on the 19th. Huijeongdang Hall has been provided in this year's Moonlight Tour for the first time. (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by The Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, shows the landscape of the buyongji pond during the moonlight tour. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, April 21 (Yonhap) -- A walk under the moonlight in an old palace is not a special occasion in South Korea. The Changgyeonggung Palace and Deoksugung Palace are always open till 9 p.m. every day except Monday. In Gyeongbokgung Palace, night tours are held every spring and summer for more than a month.

However, Changdeokgung Palace, the only UNESCO World Heritage Site among the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, can only be seen at night by participating in the "Moonlight Tour." The Moonlight tour, where it allows one to walk through the main halls with the commentator while also enjoying performances, is considered as one of the most popular palace events.

The Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, along with Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation held a pre-event on the 19th before the official opening of the moonlight tour in Changdeokgung. From 7:20 p.m., people began carrying Cheongsachorong (Korean traditional lantern) in groups of 25 as they looked around the palace.

Before passing the Guemcheongyo Bridge from the inside of the main gate, Donhwamun, commentator Seong Hyun-hui said, "The moonlight Tour proceeds with a sense of speed. Be careful so that you won't fall."

Changdeokgung Palace which was built in 1405 has a history of more than 600 years. As Emperor Sunjong of Korean Empire passed away here in 1926, it is a palace where a King lived just a hundred of years ago. Imagine that you are the king, and try visualize the emperor's view as you walk."

The first stop of the tour was the Injeongjeon Hall, which is the main hall of the Changdeokgung Palace.

In the Injangjeon Hall, there is a folding screen called "Ilwolobongdo," which is a painting that symbolizes the King's authority. The sun, moon, five peaks, pine trees and the waves are painted.

Huijeongdang Hall, located in the east of Injeongjeon has been provided in this year's Moonlight Tour for the first time. Originally, it was a place for the King to rest, but later it was used as a reception room or office.

After it was burned down due to a fire in 1917, Huijeongdang was reconstructed in 1920 by moving the Gangnyeongjeon Hall. The reconstructed building allowed cars to come and go, and the influence of the Western architecture was reflected in various places including the entrance.

Moving to the back of Huijeongdang, a chandelier is seen hanging inside. On the lampshade, a shape of a dragon or the Chinese character "hui," which means enjoy or joyful thing, is seen and it is presumed that it was personally ordered.

The next hall, the Nakseonjae hall, is known to have many unique patterns instead of dancheong (a traditional Korean pattern used in wooden buildings) which is seen in other buildings in the palace.

Seong chose Nakseonjae as the highlight of the moonlight tour, and it was easily understood once people got to see the Nakseonjae door patterns. There were hardly any regular and monotonous grid patterns, but instead, various patterns that looked like abstract paintings were placed here and there. Due to the soft lighting in the room, the shape of the patterns were also visible.

After Nakseonjae, Gyujanggak, Aeryeonjeong, and Yeongyeongdang was explored.

The square shaped pond in the area of Gyujanggak and Aeryeonjeong, reflects the lighted building on the calm water surface. The sound of the struck zither, along with the traditional Korean songs rang out.

The moonlight tour was practically over with a drink at Yeongyeongdang, a building built in the 1820s that King Sunjo built for feasts, while watching Bakjeommu (a dance inspired by the beautiful gestures of a butterfly in the spring, and was performed at court banquets of the late Joseon kingdom) and Spring Sanjo dance (dance created with the origin of Sanjo music). A mug and a tea was also given as a present.

On the way back to Donhwamun, tall modern buildings were seen, making one feel as if they were back to the reality from a "heavenly world." Although it went for an hour and 40 minutes, it does not feel so long.

The Moonlight Tour in Changdeokgung Palace run from the 21st of April till the 12th of June, only on Thursdays and Sundays. The entrance fee is 30,000 won and although the ticket can be bought at Interpark Ticket, all the tickets except for the 12th-22nd May, the season for the royal culture festival are sold out. Tickets for during the royal culture festival period will be sold from the 29th.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)

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