Thursday, June 30, 2011

Momente din Seul 23. Palatul Cheangdeokgung / Seoul Moments 23. Cheangdeokgung Palace

The Cheangdeokgung Palace, included among the UNESCO’s treasures, was built between 1405-1412, during the reign of the King Taejong, The entrance fee is less than 2 euros and you may visit any day, except on Mondays, between 9-18.30. The access is easy with the subway Line3, Anguk Station, exit 6.

There is an English guided tour twice a day, at 10.30 and 14.30. Unfortunately, at 14.30 is also the guided tour in the Secret Garden or Buwon, the wonderful royal garden. I want to visit it too, so I buy a ticket (3.25 euros), and walk alone through the palace.

The typical plan of the Korean palaces is respected here too: the throne hall, the council hall and the separate residences of the king and the queen. Of course, there are also administrative buildings. All the structures are facing South, behind the palace is a mountain and in front of it a small creek. Theis is to observe the feng-shui rules.

This is the palace I liked the most, out of the four ones I visited, because of its elegance and concern for details.

The oldest gate (1412) – destroyed and reconstructed in 1609, the  oldest stone bridge in Seoul (1411), guarded by a turtle and a haetae, is what the visitors sees at the beginning. Then, the throne hall, Injeong-jeon, rebuilt in 1804, with Western style curtains, lamps and floors. The Nakseonjae complex represents some structures dedicated to the concubine, and the royal mother and grandmother.

I mentioned already the intricate details, even for chimneys or stone walls, which confer elegance and beauty to this palace. Even the dancheon’s colors seem more vivid to me here, better matched, more attractive than everywhere.

But it is already 14.15 and I run to the garden’s gate, where a large group of people was already waiting for the guide. I am prepared for more enchanting forms and colours in the natural landscape of the palace.

Palatul Cheangdeokgung  sau "Palatul Virtutii Prospere", al treilea pe care l-am vizitat, mi s-a parut si cel mai frumos! De altfel, el face parte si din patrimoniul UNESCO, din anul 1997. Se ajunge cu usurinta la palat cu linia 3 de metrou, statia Anguk, iesirea 6. Biletul de intrare costa 3000 won (ceva sub 2 euro), iar programul este zilnic intre 9-18.30, mai putin lunea. Exista si tururi, cu ghid, in limba engleza, la 10.30 si 14.30. Am incercat sa vad acest palat chiar din prima zi, pe principiul ca ceea ce vrei sa vezi neaparat trebuie vazut la inceput pentru ca altfel s-ar putea sa nu mai ai sansa, dar trecusera orele la care se facea turul gradinii, asa ca am renuntat.
 pe langa gardul palatului
 nu prea interesati de istorie:)
Eu vreau sa vizitez si Gradina Buwon sau Gradina Secreta si acest lucru nu se poate face decat cu ghid, si doar trecand prin palat, la 11.30 si...14.30! Asa ca ma plimb singura prin palat si imi cumpar bilet si pentru Gradina Secreta, avand grija sa ma aflu la poarta la ora 14.30. Biletul acesta costa 5000 won (adica 3.25 euro).
Palatul Cheangdeokgung, construit intre 1405-1412, in timpul domniei regelui Taejong, a devenit palatul principal pana in 1865, adica sfarsitul dinastiei Joseon. In timpul invaziei japoneze din secolul al XVI-lea a fost distrus, dar a fost reconstruit imediat dupa sfarsitul razboiului.

Monarhii din epoca Joseon au preferat acest loc pentru confort dar si pentru frumusetea naturala a locului, in care se integra perfect. El urmeaza tiparul obisnuit al palatelor coreene: nelipsita sala a tronului, sala de consiliu si resedintele separate ale regelui si reginei. Toate structurile asezate cu fata spre sud, aveau in spate muntele, iar prin fata curgea un parau, respectandu-se astfel principiul stravechiului feng-shui.

Imediat dupa ce ai intrat pe poarta principala, Donhwamun, construita in 1412, distrusa si refacuta in 1609 (ceea ce o face cea mai veche poarta din Seul), trebuie sa treci paraul peste un mic pod de piatra, pazit de o testoasa si o haetae. Acesta este cel mai vechi pod de piatra din Seul (1411). Tot in aceasta zona se afla si cladirile administrative ale curtii regale.
 poarta cu doua nivele, Donhwamun
Multe curti mici, inchise cu ziduri, alcatuiesc un labirint, prin care imi pot inchipui trecand doamnele de la curte sau soldati din garda palatului. Detaliile arhitectonice sunt parca mai elaborate ca la celalalte palate, exista o mai mare varietate, mai multa eleganta. Arbori ornamentali dau culoare locului.
Ajung si in curtea in care se afla  Injeong-jeon, sala tronului. Structura actuala dateaza din 1804, ceea ce justifica perdelele, lampile si parchetul in stil vestic. Locurile ministrilor, marcate de acele mici blocuri de piatra, anunta parca inceputul unei ceremonii.
 Injeong-jeon, sala tronului
In sud-estul palatului se afla cateva grupuri de constructii cu un aer mai feminin, apartinand concubinei regale, mamei si bunicii regelui. Complexul Nakseonjae a fost construit in 1847. El este deschis doar in zilele de vineri, sambata si dumineca.
Grija deosebita pentru detaliu, care nu ocoleste nici macar cosurile sau zidurile, au adus acestui palat faima de cel mai frumos dintre palatele regale din Seul.
Si, bineinteles, culorile dancheon-ului, care aici parca sunt mai aprinse, mai mestesugit imbinate, mai atragatoare ca oriunde.
Intre timp, s-a facut ora doua si un sfert si fug spre intrarea in Gradina Secreta. S-a adunat deja un grup mare in fata ei, care asteapta sa soseasca ghida. Ma alatur si eu, pregatindu-ma pentru alte delicii cromatice.

22 comments:

Doug Hickok said...

It is indeed a treasure! What a fabulous place. Your photographs do it great justice :^)

Randy said...

So very amazing!

Traveling Hawk said...

Yes, Doug, and it comes together with the Secret Garden, which will be my next subject:)

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you, Randy!

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Hi, scrolled through your pictures and like them a lot. Korea has beautiful blossom trees!

Duncan In Kuantan

Joop Zand said...

a very nice place,
specially for photographers.

greetings, Joop

Liliana said...

Tot culorile din dancheon ma innebunesc ...

Madalina Dascalu said...

frumos mai e..

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks for the visit, Duncan! Yes, especially the tree from the last photo was really gorgous.

Traveling Hawk said...

Joop Zand, that's the reason I came back with thousands of photos:)

Traveling Hawk said...

Si mie mi-a placut mult, Liliana, chiar mai mult decat cele din China.

Traveling Hawk said...

asa-i, smalldot? ma gandesc la cei care, pe un forum, se intrebau oare ce-o fi de vazut in Coreea?!

VP said...

Some more surprises, when you have already surprised us so many times...

Traveling Hawk said...

You are nice, VP, thank you:)

ruma said...

Hello, Traveling Hawk

I am enlightened by your splendid works.
Thank you for the beauty...

Have a good weekend.

Greetings.
ruma

Traveling Hawk said...

A good weekend to you too, Ruma!

Thank you for the visit and comment.

Unknown said...

Palatele astea sunt fascinante :-)

Anonymous said...

Fantastic photos and info. :-)

Have a great weekend :-)

~Ron

Traveling Hawk said...

Mai am de povestit despre unul, Apollo, dar asta a fost cel mai frumos!

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, Old Geezer, for visit and comment! A happy weekend to you too!

LifeRamblings said...

beautiful palace. looking at these pictures remind me of the Forbidden City in Beijing. they have similar achitecture

Traveling Hawk said...

Yes, the great picture is so, I have seen the Forbidden City too. But the Korean architecture is a little bit different, it also has resemblance with the Japanese one, even more, I would say.