Korea (Republic of) (Page 5)

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360° VR panorama inside Gyotaejeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

From Wikipedia:

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Gyotaejeon (Hangul: 교태전; Hanja: 交泰殿), also called Gyotaejeon Hall, is a building used as the main sleeping and living quarters by the queen during the Joseon Dynasty. The building is located behind Gangnyeongjeon, the king’s sleeping quarters, and contains the queen’s bed chamber. It was first constructed in around 1440, the 22nd year of King Sejong the Great.

King Sejong, who was noted to have a frail health later in his reign, decided to carry out his executive duties in Gangnyeongjeon, where his bed chamber is located, instead of Sajeongjeon. Since this decision meant many government officials routinely needed to visit and intrude Gangnyeongjeon, King Sejong had Gyotaejeon built in consideration of his wife the queen’s privacy.

The building was burned down in 1592 when the Japanese invaded Korea, but was reconstructed in 1867. Nevertheless, when Daejojeon of Changdeokgung Palace was burned down by a fire in 1917, the Japanese government dissembled the building and recycled its construction materials to restore Daejojeon. The current building was reconstructed in 1994 according to its original design and specifications. The building, like Gangnyeongjeon, does not have a top roof ridge called yongmaru.

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360° VR panorama between the back of Gangnyeongjeon Hall and Yanguimun Gate in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Yanguimun (양의문) Gate is located behind the king’s living quarters, Gangnyeongjeon Hall (강녕전), and leads to the queen’s living quarters, Gyotaejeon Hall (교태전). The queen’s separate living quarters were built during the reign of King Sejong, who carried out his executive duties in his living quarters, and wanted to allow his wife some privacy from the government officials who would often need to meet with him.

On either side of Yanguimun Gate are red brick chimneys, decorated with stylized Chinese characters. The left chimney is decorated with the Chinese characters 萬壽無疆, meaning “long, endless life”, while the right chimney is decorated with the characters 千世萬歲, meaning “thousands of years”.

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360° VR panorama inside Gangnyeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

From Wikipedia:

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Gangnyeongjeon (Hangul: 강녕전; Hanja: 康寧殿), also called Gangnyeongjeon Hall, is a building used as the king’s main sleeping and living quarters. The building contains the king’s bed chamber and was first constructed in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo. Destroyed during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, the building was rebuilt when Gyeongbokgung was reconstructed in 1867, but it was again burned down by a major fire on November, 1876 and had to be restored in 1888 by the orders of King Gojong.

However, when Huijeongdang of Changdeokgung Palace was burned down by a fire in 1917, the Japanese government dismembered the building and used its construction materials to restore Huijeongdang in 1920. The current building was rebuilt in 1994, meticulously restoring Gangnyeongjeon to its original specifications and design.

Gangnyeongjeon consists of fourteen rectangular chambers, each seven chambers located to the left and right side of the building in a layout out like a checkerboard, and corridors. The king used the center chamber while the court attendants occupied the other side chambers to protect, assist, and to receive orders. The building rests on top of a tall stone foundation, and a stone deck or veranda locates in front of the building.

The noted feature of the building is an absence of a top white roof ridge called yongmaru (Hangul: 용마루) in Korean. Many theories exist to explain the absence, of which a prominent one states that since the king was symbolized as the dragon during the Joseon Dynasty, the yongmaru, which contains the letter dragon or yong (龍), cannot rest on top of the king when he is asleep.

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360° VR panorama by the gate in the southeast corner of Gangnyeongjeon Compound in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Looking into Gangnyeongjeon compound from a side gate, the large building in the center is Gangnyeongjeon Hall (강녕전; 康寧殿), the nearest building, to the right of the hall, is Yeonsaengjeon (연생전; 延生殿), and the building to the left of the hall is Gyeongseongjeon (경성전; 慶成殿).

Yeonsaengjeon, Gyeongseongjeon, and Gangnyeongjeon were all originally built in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo, founder of the Joseon dynasty and Gyeongbokgung Palace. The buildings were destroyed during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, and then rebuilt in 1867. In 1917 the buildings were torn down for use in rebuilding Changdeokgung palace. The current buildings were rebuilt in 1995, as part of the Korean government’s 40 year initiative to rebuild the structures that were destroyed during the Japanese occupation of Korea.

The first two characters of Yeonsaengjeon’s name, 延生 – yeonsaeng, mean ‘Breath of life’ (the last character, 殿 – jeon, just means Hall).

Gangnyeongjeon was the most important building in this complex, containing the King’s bedchamber. The building was laid out in a checkerboard pattern, with seven chambers on either side of the central chamber, occupied by the King. The other chambers would be occupied by court officials.

From Wikipedia:

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Gangnyeongjeon (Hangul: 강녕전; Hanja: 康寧殿), also called Gangnyeongjeon Hall, is a building used as the king’s main sleeping and living quarters. The building contains the king’s bed chamber and was first constructed in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo. Destroyed during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, the building was rebuilt when Gyeongbokgung was reconstructed in 1867, but it was again burned down by a major fire on November, 1876 and had to be restored in 1888 by the orders of King Gojong.

However, when Huijeongdang of Changdeokgung Palace was burned down by a fire in 1917, the Japanese government dismembered the building and used its construction materials to restore Huijeongdang in 1920. The current building was rebuilt in 1994, meticulously restoring Gangnyeongjeon to its original specifications and design.

Gangnyeongjeon consists of fourteen rectangular chambers, each seven chambers located to the left and right side of the building in a layout out like a checkerboard, and corridors. The king used the center chamber while the court attendants occupied the other side chambers to protect, assist, and to receive orders. The building rests on top of a tall stone foundation, and a stone deck or veranda locates in front of the building.

The noted feature of the building is an absence of a top white roof ridge called yongmaru (Hangul: 용마루) in Korean. Many theories exist to explain the absence, of which a prominent one states that since the king was symbolized as the dragon during the Joseon Dynasty, the yongmaru, which contains the letter dragon or yong (龍), cannot rest on top of the king when he is asleep.

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360° VR panorama between Sajeongjeon Hall and Sajeongmun Gate in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Sajeongjeon (Hangul: 사정전; Hanja: 思政殿), also called Sajeongjeon Hall, is a building used as the main executive office by the king during the Joseon Dynasty. Located behind Geunjeongjeon Hall, the king carried out his executive duties and held meetings with the top government officials in Sajeongjeon. Two separate executive buildings named Cheonchujeon (Hangul: 천추전; Hanja: 千秋殿) and Manchunjeon (Hangul: 만춘전; Hanja: 萬春殿) flank the west and east of Sajeongjeon, and while Sajeongjeon is not equipped with a heat system, these buildings are equipped with Ondols for their use in the colder months.

Description taken from Wikipedia article on Gyeongbokgung.

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360° VR panorama by the corner of Geunjeongjeon Throne Room in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Geunjeongjeon (Hangul: 근정전; Hanja: 勤政殿), also known as Geunjeongjeon Hall, is the throne hall of Gyeongbokgung where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon Dynasty. The building was designated as Korea’s National Treasure No. 223 on January 8, 1985.

Geunjeongjeon was originally constructed in 1395 during the reign of King Taejo, but was burned down in 1592 when the Japanese invaded Korea. The present building was built in 1867 when Gyeongbokgung was being reconstructed. The name Geunjeongjeon, created by the minister Jeong Dojeon, means “diligence helps governance.”

Constructed mainly of wood, Geunjeongjeon sits on the center of a large rectangular courtyard, on top of a two-tiered stone platform. This two-tiered platform is lined with detailed balustrades and is decorated with numerous sculptures depicting imaginary and real animals, such as dragons and phoenixes. The stone-paved courtyard is lined with two rows of rank stones, called pumgyeseoks (Hangul: 품계석; Hanja: 品階石), indicating where the court officials are to stand according to their rank, and is surrounded by wooden cloisters.

Geunjeongmun (Hangul: 근정문; Hanja: 勤政門), aligned and located directly to the south of Geunjeongjeon, is the main gate to the courtyard and to Geunjeongjeon. The gate is divided into three separate aisles and only the king was allowed to walk through the center.

Description taken from Wikipedia article on Gyeongbokgung.

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360° VR panorama in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

Geunjeongjeon (Hangul: 근정전; Hanja: 勤政殿), also known as Geunjeongjeon Hall, is the throne hall of Gyeongbokgung where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon Dynasty. The building was designated as Korea’s National Treasure No. 223 on January 8, 1985.

Geunjeongjeon was originally constructed in 1395 during the reign of King Taejo, but was burned down in 1592 when the Japanese invaded Korea. The present building was built in 1867 when Gyeongbokgung was being reconstructed. The name Geunjeongjeon, created by the minister Jeong Dojeon, means “diligence helps governance.”

Constructed mainly of wood, Geunjeongjeon sits on the center of a large rectangular courtyard, on top of a two-tiered stone platform. This two-tiered platform is lined with detailed balustrades and is decorated with numerous sculptures depicting imaginary and real animals, such as dragons and phoenixes. The stone-paved courtyard is lined with two rows of rank stones, called pumgyeseoks (Hangul: 품계석; Hanja: 品階石), indicating where the court officials are to stand according to their rank, and is surrounded by wooden cloisters.

Geunjeongmun (Hangul: 근정문; Hanja: 勤政門), aligned and located directly to the south of Geunjeongjeon, is the main gate to the courtyard and to Geunjeongjeon. The gate is divided into three separate aisles and only the king was allowed to walk through the center.

Above description taken from Wikipedia article on Gyeongbokgung.

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360° VR panorama outside Heungnyemun Gate in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

Heungnyemun Gate (흥례문) was originally built in 1426, but was then named Hongnyemun Gate (弘禮門). When it was rebuilt in 1867 during the regency of Daewongun, it was renamed to Heungnyemun ( 興禮門) as Hongli (弘曆) was the name of the Chinese Qing dynasty Qianlong Emperor.

Under the Japanese occupation of Korea, Heungnyemun Gate, along with the majority of other buildings that formed Gyeongbokgung, was demolished. The Japanese General Government Building (조선총독부 청사) was built over the spot where the gate had formerly stood, with construction starting in 1916 and being completed in 1926.

In 1989 the Korean Government started an initiative to rebuild the important structures that had been destroyed during the Japanese occupation. As part of this, the Japanese General Government Building was demolished in 1995, and work began on reconstruction of Heungnyemun.

From Wikipedia:

Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, is a royal palace located in northern Seoul, South Korea. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, it was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”

Heavily destroyed by the Japanese government in the early 20th century, the palace complex is slowly being restored to its original form prior the destruction. As of 2009, roughly 40 percent of the original number of palace buildings still stand or are being reconstructed.

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360° interactive panorama in the paved area outside the N Seoul Tower (엔 서울타워) at the top of Mount Namsan (남산) in Seoul (서울), South Korea (대한민국). From here you can see the N Seoul Tower, and also a Palgak-jeong (팔각정), which is an octagonal pavilion.

The N Seoul Tower was built in 1969, and was first opened to the public on October 15, 1980. The tower was remodelled in 2005, at a cost of ₩15 billion. Upon re-opening in December 2005, the tower was given its current name ‘N Seoul Tower’, with the ‘N’ standing for ‘New’. Previously it was known as just the Seoul Tower or Namsan Tower.

From Wikipedia:

N Seoul Tower is a communication and observation tower located in Namsan Mountain, central Seoul, South Korea. Built in 1969, and opened to the public in 1980, the tower has been a symbol of Seoul and measures 236.7 m (777 ft) in height (from the base) and tops out at 479.7 m (1,574 ft) above sea level. It has also been known as the Namsan Tower or Seoul Tower. After the tower’s original owner merged with the CJ Corporation, it was renamed the N Seoul Tower (official name CJ Seoul Tower).

Many visitors ride the Namsan cable car up the mountain, and then walk to the tower. The tower features a gift shop and restaurants on the ground floor. Visitors may go up the tower for a fee. There are four observation decks (the 4th observation deck, which is the revolving restaurant, rotates at a rate of one revolution every 48 minutes), as well as gift shops and two restaurants. Most of the city of Seoul can be seen from the top. Close to N Seoul Tower is a second lattice transmission tower.

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360° VR panorama of the viewing platform outside the N Seoul Tower (엔 서울타워) at the top of Mount Namsan (남산) in Seoul (서울), South Korea (대한민국). From here you can also see the smaller communications tower.

The N Seoul Tower was built in 1969, and was first opened to the public on October 15, 1980. The tower was remodelled in 2005, at a cost of ₩15 billion. Upon re-opening in December 2005, the tower was given its current name ‘N Seoul Tower’, with the ‘N’ standing for ‘New’. Previously it was known as just the Seoul Tower or Namsan Tower.

The fence around the viewing platform is covered in locks, known as the ‘Locks of Love’. The idea is that lovers buy a lock each, they then lock their locks together (and to the fence), to symbolize their love for each other, that they will stay together.

From Wikipedia:

N Seoul Tower is a communication and observation tower located in Namsan Mountain, central Seoul, South Korea. Built in 1969, and opened to the public in 1980, the tower has been a symbol of Seoul and measures 236.7 m (777 ft) in height (from the base) and tops out at 479.7 m (1,574 ft) above sea level. It has also been known as the Namsan Tower or Seoul Tower. After the tower’s original owner merged with the CJ Corporation, it was renamed the N Seoul Tower (official name CJ Seoul Tower).

Many visitors ride the Namsan cable car up the mountain, and then walk to the tower. The tower features a gift shop and restaurants on the ground floor. Visitors may go up the tower for a fee. There are four observation decks (the 4th observation deck, which is the revolving restaurant, rotates at a rate of one revolution every 48 minutes), as well as gift shops and two restaurants. Most of the city of Seoul can be seen from the top. Close to N Seoul Tower is a second lattice transmission tower.