Gyeongbokgung Palace

History of Gyeongbokgung Palace

In 1395, three years after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty by Yi Seong-gye, the new main palace, Gyeongbokgung, was completed and the capital of the new dynasty was moved from Gaeseong to Seoul (then known as Hanyang). The palace was destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasions of 1592 and was not reconstructed until 1868, the fifth year of King Gojong. During the Japanese occupation, most of the palace was torn down; only a few buildings including Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Geunjeongjeon Hall were left standing. An effort to fully restore Gyeongbokgung to its former glory has been ongoing since 1990. The colonial Government-General building was removed, making way for the full restoration of Heungryemun Gate to its original state. The royal quarters and the East Palace for the crown prince were also restored to their original state. The first phase of the Gyeongbokgung restoration project is scheduled to be completed by 2009, by which time 40% of all the original structures will have been restored.

Canon EOS-20D, Canon 70-200L IS/f2.8, Sigma 18-50/f2.8

Since 2007.05.05