Changgyeonggung
A Joseon palace the Japanese dismantled to build a colonial zoo — then Koreans tore the zoo out and rebuilt the palace.
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Built in the mid-15th century for a retired king, Changgyeonggung had many of its structures destroyed during the 1592 Japanese invasion. Rebuilt by successive Joseon kings, it was then methodically demolished again in the early 20th century to make room for a zoo, botanical garden, and museum — a colonial showplace the source describes as akin to Tokyo's Ueno Park. The zoo left in 1983 and the palace grounds were restored. The main gate, Honghwamun, is where King Yeongjo gathered public opinion in 1750 and King Jeongjo handed rice to the poor in 1795 — civic acts that feel immediate standing there.
What to look for
- Okcheongyo Bridge (1483): spot the dokkaebi — goblins carved between the twin arches under the parapet, placed specifically to ward off evil spirits entering the courtyard
- Honghwamun gate: a two-tiered wooden structure with ball pavilions on either side, rebuilt in 1616 after the original (1484) burned during the Japanese invasion of 1592
- The gate's eastward orientation, which it shares with the central part of the palace — both the gate and the core of the complex face the same direction
The zoo relocated to Seoul Grand Park in 1983, so the grounds are restored palace, not a hybrid attraction — arrive expecting quiet courtyards rather than a busy park.
Changgyeonggung is one of 28 sights worth the detour in Seoul, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Seoul pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Seoul
- ChangdeokgungThe kings kept skipping the official palace to live here instead — and they had centuries to prove the point.
- Seoul Metropolitan SubwayLine 1 launched in 1974 tracing Tokyo's blueprint; today 24 lines stretch over 100 km beyond the capital into rural Chungnam and Gangwon provinces.
- JongmyoSpirit tablets of Joseon kings still receive ritual offerings here, exactly as they have since 1394.
- Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae)South Korea's seat of presidential power since 1948 — a 62-acre compound so secure it was once called one of Asia's most protected official residences, until the gates briefly opened to everyone.
- Namdaemun (Sungnyemun)Built in 1398, burned by an arsonist in 2008, and painstakingly restored by 2013 — Seoul's southern gate has a complicated relationship with fire.
- National Museum of KoreaDuring the Korean War, staff packed 20,000 objects and moved them to Busan — that collection now fills the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea.